My best friend, Zoe Wright, was hospitalized due to a car accident and requested my assistance in retrieving some clothes from her home for her to change into.

When I entered her house, I was greeted with suspicion by her brother, who mistook me for an intruder. His sudden attempt to subdue me was so startling that it almost gave me a heart attack.

I was seething, on the verge of uttering some harsh words, but then I turned to him and swallowed them back.

Firstly, the guy was gorgeous. Secondly, he was standing there in nothing but his boxers.

And let's just say there was a lot to take in...

He had the whole package—six-pack abs, long legs, and an air of masculinity that hit all the right notes on my aesthetic scale. Even the way his hair fell across his forehead was artfully placed.

I felt my cheeks flush and tried to avert my gaze, but my eyes had a mind of their own, sneaking glances back to that spot.

Zoe's brother, however, remained composed. He methodically took his clothes from the closet, put them on, and then inquired, "You've come to help Zoe with her clothes? What happened to her?"

"Hospitalized from a car accident," I replied.

He furrowed his brow, and for a moment, I thought he was genuinely concerned. But then he said, "She didn't call me, so it can't be that serious. Plus, she must be totally at fault."

I was left speechless.

It was right on the money!

He asked, "How did you get here?"

"By cab," I answered.

"Alright, I'll drive you back to the hospital. I'll make a pit stop to see my sister."

A pit stop?

Was that all the family bond amounted to?

...

As it turned out, the term "a pit stop" was more than just words.

He truly did just pop in to check on Zoe, ensuring she was alright, and then promptly left, much to Zoe's annoyance.

"I'm going to call our parents and tell them Caleb Wright, that jerk, was mean to me again!" she fumed.

While she was ranting, the only thing that caught my attention was her brother's name—Caleb Wright. I quickly asked, "C-a-l-e-b?"

Before she knew what she was doing, Zoe had unconsciously affirmed with a nod, then shot back, "You're not interested in my brother, are you?"

How could I not be? He was incredibly handsome and had such a cool demeanor. I was smitten.

On the way to the hospital, I had hoped to engage more, but Caleb was either on the phone or tapping out messages, leaving me no opening for conversation.

"Is your brother seeing anyone?"

Zoe replied, "No girlfriend, but my brother has never been keen on relationships. He's very set in his ways. You might be barking up the wrong tree."

"How can I know unless I try? Maybe I can make him reconsider?" I countered.

Zoe wasn't convinced and made a wager with me. "If I lose, I'll do a handstand and wash my hair."

The challenge was daunting, and it made me a bit anxious. I realized I might have to pull out all the stops to win his favor for the next three years.

...

The first attempt at a dinner date with Caleb fizzled out when he mentioned having to work overtime on the weekend.

The second attempt met a similar fate. He had a client meeting in the evening.

When I suggested a movie date the third time, Zoe doused the idea with a remark, "He'll just fall asleep in the theater."

"..."

I felt disheartened for a bit, then came to a realization. "Your brother is either truly asexual or he just isn't interested in me."

Otherwise, by now, he would have noticed a girl being so enthusiastic and probably thought she had an agenda.

Zoe disagreed, "That's not necessarily true. If he really had no feelings, Caleb would have just said no."

"Maybe it's because I'm your friend?" I speculated.

"Please," she retorted, "he doesn't do anything for me."

"Well, I'll give it another shot then."

Zoe not only encouraged me to try again but also offered some advice,

"If he says he's working late, suggest a midnight snack afterward.

"If he mentions a client meeting, ask if he'd like to see you after.

"As for the movie idea... Let's just forget about it. The last time we went as a family, he slept through the whole thing."

In fact, I already knew all the things Zoe mentioned.

She probably forgot that it was me who taught her how to flirt with men.

With anyone else, I would have deployed my exclusive seduction strategies.

But Caleb was her brother, and that made things different.

I was cautious, worried that if things didn't go well, it would be incredibly humiliating.

But with Zoe's encouragement, my confidence was boosted. I no longer had any reservations.

For the fourth time, I invited Caleb to join me at the hot springs.

He asked, “How many people?”

"Just you and me," I replied.

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line. For a moment, I thought he was going to decline again, and I was already preparing my next words.

But to my surprise, he responded with a simple, "Okay."

I believed I had made my intentions clear enough for any adult to grasp.

But when we got to the hot spring, Caleb was more than three feet away from me, so far away that I couldn't even reach him.

And he kept answering his phone, engaged in endless work-related conversations.

I slid closer to his side and deliberately brushed my toes against his calf.

He gave me a look.

No surprise, no annoyance.

I figured this guy was better at this game of flirting than I was, but it was a challenge I was willing to take on.

My toes grew bolder, slowly moving up his calf.

As they crossed his knee, he leaned down slightly, grasped the back of my leg, and pulled my entire body toward him.

The hot water swirled around us as I threw myself into his arms.

"Don't touch," he whispered a warning in my ear.

Playing hard to get, eh?

I kissed him straight away.

The kiss confirmed to me that Caleb was indeed on a different level.

His kissing skills were exceptional, leaving me intoxicated and craving more.

But at that moment, my phone rang.

I pretended not to hear it.

Instead, Caleb took my shoulder and gently pushed me away, lifting his chin to my phone. "You have a call."

"I'm not answering," I said.

He glanced at the screen. "Your mom's calling."

I had been silently cursing whoever had the audacity to interrupt us at such an inopportune time.

It turned out to be my own mother!

I reluctantly released Caleb and turned to grab my cell phone, my voice tinged with a whine, "Mom, what's the matter?"

"Sarah, you need to come back right away. Your dad's in the hospital!"

"What happened?"

"He fell off the balcony trying to catch a thief!"

My mind reeled as if a bomb had gone off.

Had it not been for Caleb's swift reflexes, my phone would have slipped from my grasp and plunged into the water.

He gathered me into his arms and we left the hot spring together. His voice was a steady anchor in the chaos, "Don't panic, I'm taking you to the hospital now."

-

Upon reaching the locker room, my hands were shaking so badly that I could barely hold on to my underwear.

I'd initially booked the couples' locker room with other intentions in mind.

Caleb was in the next room.

Sensing my distress, he finished changing and knocked on the partition, inquiring, "Are you able to dress yourself?"

I couldn't. My limbs felt like jelly.

But he wasn't going to come over and help me, was he?

To my surprise, he did.

Caleb was always the calm gentleman, even in the most embarrassing situations.

He regarded me with an intense look of desire as he took in my disheveled state.

He scrutinized me from head to toe, his gaze so piercing that time seemed to stand still.

Yet, his hands moved with swift precision, and in no time, he had me dressed and ready to face the emergency that awaited us.

It took him only fifteen minutes to make the twenty-minute trip from the hot spring to the hospital.

After pulling up, we both got out of the car.

With his height and long strides, Caleb quickly outpaced me.

To an outsider, it might have seemed that it was his father who had been injured, not mine.

I was about to hurry to catch up when he paused, turned, and extended his hand to me.

If he'd shown this much thoughtfulness and initiative just half an hour earlier, I would have been overjoyed.

Now, it felt more like he was just feeling sorry for me.

Perhaps he even thought I was someone who only panics in the face of trouble.

But that was okay, wasn't it? Love often started with compassion.

Hand in hand, we walked towards the hospital room.

Maybe it wasn't the right moment to indulge in romantic musings, but I felt certain that my father would understand.

Five minutes later, I realized I didn't need his understanding at all！

I thought it might be a serious fall from a balcony, maybe even requiring intensive care.

It turned out the 'balcony' was on the first floor!

My dad was playing hero for a neighbor, trying to look cool. But he slipped and fell on the lawn.

His head injury was a mere scratch from a small stone—one that would have likely healed by itself had he arrived at the hospital any later.

My mom was pretty embarrassed. She was rubbing her hands and trying to smile as she explained, "The property manager didn't explain the situation clearly over the phone, and with all the neighbors there, I thought it was urgent and called you."

"..."

After four attempts to ask Caleb out and finally getting such a great opportunity today, my own parents had to go and spoil it!

Speechless was indeed the word of the night.

Perhaps it was the embarrassment, or maybe it was the chagrin that left me feeling so deflated.

On the way home from the hospital, I rested my head against the car window, giving off the vibe of a "bitter heroine".

Zoe sent me messages on WhatsApp asking how things were going.

I had nothing to offer in response except a string of ellipses.

After Caleb dropped me off at home, he reminded me to take a shower.

In the rush of the moment, I had only rinsed off and hurried on.

I looked at him with a tinge of despondency, caught between wanting to say something and knowing it was better to remain silent.

Some moments, once broken, lose their charm when you try to rekindle them.

I nodded, got out of his car, and melted into the night without a backward glance.

-

Two days later, Zoe was discharged from the hospital and called me for a pick-up.

I asked, "Where's Caleb? Why not have him pick you up?"

"He's on a business trip."

"Oh..."

Zoe picked up on my dejection and asked with concern, "What's wrong? Did Caleb turn you down?"

"No... but it's almost the same."

If he had been interested, he would have messaged after I'd made my move the other day.

I had to admit that Caleb was proving to be more of a challenge than I had expected.

"Your brother is such a tough nut to crack, I'm throwing in the towel."

"That's not an option. I've even practiced washing my hair upside down in anticipation. You can't give up now," she retorted.

"..."

I had never seen anyone so eager to perform a handstand hair wash.

Then Zoe added, "Just wait, I'll do some snooping for you."

Before I could respond, she hung up.

I couldn't help but think that the situation wasn't going to improve.

The reason Caleb joined me at the hot spring and shared that kiss with me may have been because he had a "why not take what is readily offered" attitude.

However, two minutes later, Zoe sent me a screenshot of her conversation with Caleb.

Zoe: [What the hell do you think about my friend?]

Caleb: [?]

Zoe: [If you don't like her, just say no, don't leave her hanging.]

Caleb: [Am I that kind of person to you?]

Zoe: [You're not exactly known for being nice.]

Caleb: [I'm not leaving her hanging.]

Zoe: [Then what the hell do you mean?]

Caleb didn't respond.

Zoe took his silence as a clear sign that Caleb was interested in me as well.

I scoffed.

His method of showing interest was certainly unique, to say the least.

I decided to give it one more try with him. If things didn't work out this time, I resolved to walk away on my own terms.

-

The day Caleb returned from his business trip, Zoe informed me right away.

Without delay, I sent Caleb a message on WhatsApp: [I haven't thanked you yet for taking me to the hospital to see my dad last time. Let me buy you dinner as a thank you].

Caleb: [Okay.]

I was about to send him the location of a restaurant when he sent another message: [How about coming to my house for a meal?]

[?] I can't cook!

Caleb: [I'm exhausted from the trip and need to catch up on some sleep. You go to the supermarket to get the ingredients, and when I wake up from my nap, I'll cook.]

I truly wanted to remind him that it seemed odd for me to treat him and thank him by going to his house and having him do the cooking.

But the lure of spending time with him was too strong, and despite the impropriety, I decided to play along.

Soon, I received a location from Caleb, different from the place I'd visited to pick up Zoe's clothes last time.

I forwarded it to Zoe and asked about the house.

Zoe: [It's the house Caleb lives in alone. How do you know that?]

It didn't matter how I knew. All that mattered was that I was eager to head to the grocery store, grab the ingredients, and rush over to his place!