Baited by Love

The moment Caleb saw Valerie, he knocked over his glass of water.

Normally, I would have reached for a napkin and carefully wiped his fingers before lacing mine through his. But this time was different because I was just as stunned.

Every movement Valerie made was stunning.

The moment she appeared, a single thought crossed my mind. Maybe I was not that straight after all.

At that moment, Caleb raised his hand and asked Valerie to sit beside him. That seat had always been off-limits, even to me. I could only sit in the row in front of him.

Seeing that made my heart skip a beat. Oh no. This was ending before I had even had my fun.

I couldn't accept it. I had invested far too much in Caleb, after all. The thought of never getting to feast my eyes on someone as stunning as him again made me uneasy.

Just as I was thinking how fast time flew, Valerie walked toward me.

"Hi, may I take this seat?" she asked sweetly, a smile playing on her lips.

Up close, Valerie was dazzling. Every inch of her was perfect, and her skin was so flawless it seemed unreal. Her presence was captivating, and she smelled amazing.

I was so mesmerized that I could only manage a nod.

Valerie quickly took the seat beside me and clasped my hands in hers. Her touch was soft and warm.

"Looks like we'll be seatmates from now on. I'll be counting on you," she said with a bright smile.

For some reason, my head started to spin. As it turned out, I had been completely undone by her looks.

Suddenly, a loud crash sounded behind me, making me jump. I turned, only to see Caleb wearing a grim expression.

I snapped back to my senses. Crap. He was furious.

With a snort, he stood up and stormed out of the classroom. I hurried after him.

…

In the grove behind the teaching building, Caleb leaned against a tree with his arms crossed, shooting me a sidelong glance.

"Why didn't you push her away?" he demanded.

I could practically see his jealousy bubbling over. So, I slipped into my usual ingratiating smile and said, "I'm sorry, babe. I didn't know why she wanted to sit with me either."

Yet, Caleb's expression only darkened further.

"Don't get any ideas about her. I'll be watching you," he warned in an icy voice. "Know your place. Got it?"

I nodded frantically.

I already knew Caleb had a deep-seated issue before I pursued him. In fact, everyone at school was aware of it.

As a child, he had almost been kidnapped. Valerie was the one who saved him. From that day on, she became the first love he could never let go of.

Caleb had spent years trying to find her. Who would have thought the world was small enough for them to cross paths again?

When he saw how compliant I was, his expression softened slightly.

I immediately seized the moment, my voice dripping with charm as I asked, "You're not angry anymore, right? Can I get a kiss?"

Caleb glared at me and barked, "Back off!"

But the way his ears flushed gave him away completely. He was completely irresistible even when annoyed. Classic Caleb.

Without hesitation, I rose onto my tiptoes and kissed him.

In the next instant, he grabbed my waist firmly, then lowered his head to deepen the kiss.

…

15 minutes later, I returned to the classroom with glossy red lips and a warmth in my face that lingered.

Perfect. At least for now, I was still in the clear.

However, I never expected that Caleb would still decide to take me out of the game.

In the school's private lounge, he sat with one leg crossed over the other. All the while, he spun a silver lighter between his fingers, as if he were performing a trick.

Across from him sat two of his friends. One of them was Marcus Thorne, the top student in the school. He was strikingly handsome even by movie-star standards.

The other was Asher Prescott, the school bully who had never lost a fight and whom even teachers avoided.

"I want to dump Sabrina," Caleb said lightly, as if he were talking about something trivial.