What if's with Caleb

[R18] What if he doesn't make a move?

Caleb and you had been dating for a year, yet your relationship still felt strikingly similar to the way it had been before, comfortable, familiar, almost too much so. While Caleb proudly told everyone that you were together, his actions often contradicted that notion.

He still treated you with the same protective care he always had, as though you were still the same childhood friend he'd always known. Your intimacy was limited to brief pecks on the lips, no matter how many hints you dropped that you wanted more.

You weren't asking for the world, just something more than chaste kisses. A deep, passionate make-out session and maybe even taking things further.

A week before your anniversary, you decided to step up your game. You put more thought into your outfits, choosing ones that accentuated your figure, something flirty yet bold.

Every time you were alone, you would close the distance between you, hoping he'd finally take the hint. But no matter what you did, Caleb never wavered.

He'd give you that same affectionate smile, ruffle your hair, and change the subject as if he were oblivious to your advances. It was driving you insane.

Finally, on the night of your anniversary, you couldn't take it anymore. Frustration and hurt bubbled to the surface as you confronted him, voice trembling as you admitted the truth. You had been trying so hard to get him on the same page, but nothing seemed to work.

You were starting to believe that maybe he didn't see you as a woman at all, just as his little sister. Maybe he didn't find you attractive.

Exhaling slowly. "Caleb."

He looked up, instantly attentive. "Yeah?"

"Are you even happy with me?" You hesitated, but there was no point in dancing around it anymore.

His brows knitted together. "What? Of course, I am."

"Then why does it feel like nothing's changed? We've been together for a year, but it still feels like we're just... friends."

"That's not true." Caleb's expression shifted.

"Isn't it?" You swallowed hard.

"You barely touch me, Caleb. You never kiss me for more than a second, and whenever I try to get closer, you just... pull away. I don't know what to think anymore." You exhaled shakily.

"Eh?"

"I feel like you don't even see me as—"

"Stop," he said quietly. His jaw tensed, and he ran a hand down his face before meeting your gaze.

"You really think I don't want you?"

"I don't know what to think." Your stomach twisted.

"It's not that. It's never been that." He let out a slow breath, shaking his head.

"Then what?"

Caleb hesitated, his fingers twitching on the table before he finally spoke.

"I just didn't want to screw this up. With you."

You frowned. "By what? Actually acting like we're a couple?"

His lips pressed together for a moment before he sighed.

"I didn't want to rush things. I thought if I took my time, I wouldn't mess this up, wouldn't make you uncomfortable." He exhaled sharply, shaking his head.

"And I know that once I start, I won't be able to stop...."

Something in your chest ached at his honesty. You stared at him for a long moment before smacking his arm.