Caleb couldn’t focus in class.
The professor’s voice droned on, a blurry background to the one thing occupying his mind — Sophie. The way she’d looked at him earlier, the tiny hesitation before she left, the way her eyes lingered just a second too long.
He ran a hand through his hair, sighing quietly. What was wrong with him? They were friends. They’d always been friends. This shouldn’t be complicated.
But it was.
He glanced over his notes — half-written sentences and absentminded doodles filled the page. Great. Another class wasted.
When the lecture finally ended, he grabbed his things and headed toward the campus café. Their usual spot.
Sophie was already there, seated at their table in the corner, her head tilted as she read. Strands of her hair fell over her face, and she tucked them behind her ear without looking up. The afternoon light streamed through the window, casting a soft glow on her.
Caleb paused for a moment, watching. How long had he been seeing her like this — not just as his best friend, but as something more?
He shook his head and walked over.
“Hey,” he greeted, forcing his voice to sound casual.
Sophie looked up, flashing him a smile. “Hey. I got your usual.”
He glanced at the cup she’d pushed toward him. Warm caramel latte, extra shot — just how he liked it.
“Thanks,” he said, sitting down across from her.
They fell into their usual rhythm, discussing class assignments, teasing each other, sharing stories from their day. On the surface, nothing had changed.
But beneath it, everything had.
“Hey, so… there’s a party Friday night,” Sophie said suddenly, breaking the flow. “Maya wants to drag me out. You should come.”
“A party?” Caleb raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah.” She laughed. “It might be fun. And it’s not like you ever do anything social outside of me and Liam.”
He chuckled, pretending to take offense. “That’s not true. I’m very social. I talked to the barista today.”
Sophie giggled, her eyes crinkling at the corners — the way they always did when she was genuinely amused.
“So?” she asked, nudging him gently. “You’ll come?”
Caleb hesitated. Parties weren’t his thing. But being around Sophie? That was always worth it.
“Yeah,” he said finally. “I’ll come.”
She smiled brightly. “Good.”
As they settled back into their conversation, Caleb noticed it again — the tiny moments. Her foot brushing his under the table, her glances when she thought he wasn’t looking.
Or maybe he was imagining it. Maybe he was reading into things that weren’t there.
But then Sophie did something small — something that unraveled him.
She reached over to fix the sleeve of his jacket, her fingers grazing his wrist. For a second, neither of them moved. Neither spoke.
The warmth of her touch lingered even after she pulled her hand back.
“Your sleeve was crooked,” she said softly, avoiding his gaze.
Caleb swallowed. “Thanks.”
They both fell silent, the air between them thick with words unspoken.
Maybe Friday night would finally give him the chance to figure out if this spark was real — or if it was all in his head.
⸻
To be continued…
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