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!

While I was shopping, Caleb sent me a message with the code to his house.

He mentioned that he was afraid he would sleep like a log and not hear me ring the doorbell later.

What did that imply? It was as clear as day!

I made a hasty purchase and rushed over to his place.

True to his word, he was fast asleep, and my arrival didn't stir him in the slightest.

I put the groceries down quietly and tiptoed into his bedroom.

Inside, a wall sconce was on, casting a dim, moody light that made the atmosphere feel incredibly intimate.

Caleb was sound asleep in his bed, topless, with his strong arms exposed and a hint of his chest visible.

It was quite a tantalizing sight, and I had to swallow hard, admittedly captivated.

It seemed a bit unfair to take advantage of someone while they were asleep, didn't it?

Moreover, as a girl, my sense of propriety is quite strong.

After wavering for a few moments, I was about to retreat, but at that very moment, Caleb suddenly opened his eyes. His piercing gaze locked onto me, immobilizing me on the spot.

"Um, I bought the ingredients..." I felt like I had to say something.

He nodded, glanced at the little penguin alarm clock on the nightstand, and then said, "It's still early, first come keep me company in sleep."

Keep him company in sleep? Did he really say that?

After he spoke those words, he rose and grasped my wrist, and with a single motion, he pulled me onto the bed.

I became a cuddler, entirely encircled by Caleb's arms.

He was fully clothed in nothing but a pair of boxers, just as he had been during our first encounter.

I was surrounded by the scent of testosterone and, drowsily, I pondered, "This has to be considered hooliganism, doesn't it?"

Not wanting to be at a disadvantage, I decided to take matters into my own hands.

After a bit of fumbling and a couple of brushes against him where I shouldn't have, Caleb let out a soft chuckle in my ear.

I immediately blushed and tilted my head back to give him a stern look. "What are you laughing at?"

"Your impatience."

"You're the one who pulled me into bed in the first place!" I retorted.

"Then you'll have to give me some time to catch some sleep first," he said, pausing for a moment before deliberately rubbing the corner of my forehead with his scruff, "I'll take care of you after dinner, I promise you'll be pleased."

"..."

He truly knew what I was attempting to do!

But what made him think that after being teased over and over again, I would just lie down and take it?