He Loved Me, But Never Said It / Chapter 4: Tunnel Vision
He Loved Me, But Never Said It

He Loved Me, But Never Said It

Author: Bonnie Evans

Chapter 4: Tunnel Vision

← Prev
Next →

4

Another year passed, and a high school classmate both Caleb and I knew got married and invited us. Caleb had a meeting that day, but at my insistence, he still went.

Watching the bride walk toward the groom in her white wedding dress, my heart was suddenly pricked. So this is what a wedding is like. When the pastor called for the couple to kiss, I looked at Caleb, and he was looking at me.

After the reception, we went home in silence. My phone buzzed. It was my dad, asking Caleb to come over for dinner this weekend.

I turned my phone, pretending not to care, and casually asked him, “Are you free this weekend?”

Caleb was watching the traffic in the side mirror. “What’s up?”

“My dad… asked if you wanted to have dinner.”

The half of his face I could see stiffened, then he said, “I’m on a business trip this weekend.”

But I pressed, “What about next weekend? The weekend after that?”

Caleb didn’t answer. As we drove through a tunnel, the streetlights faded from view.

In the darkness, I blurted out, “Caleb, do you dislike me or do you dislike my dad?”

My emotions spilled out. “Every time my dad invites you, you always have some excuse. Did my dad do something wrong?”

Caleb looked away, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. He reached out and pulled me closer. He finally spoke, but what he said was, “Let’s talk when we get home.”

Caleb’s indifference made me speak even more recklessly: “Caleb, are you ungrateful? My dad treats you so well!”

The car braked sharply. Even with the seatbelt, my body lurched forward.

Caleb leaned over, holding my chin with one hand. I thought I saw disgust in his eyes. “Yeah, I’m just a scholarship kid your family helped out.”

I couldn’t understand. “Caleb, why do you always bring up being a scholarship kid when it comes to us? Do I look down on you, or hate you?”

Caleb gradually let go of me, his eyes unfocused. His voice was a little hoarse. “But that’s what I am.”

He reached up and took out the hearing aid on his right ear. “And I’m also deaf.”

I was still reeling from Caleb’s sudden move of taking out his hearing aid when he started the car again, leaving only one sentence in the air: “I told you long ago—we’re not right for each other.”

Yes. When Caleb agreed to be with me, he said, “Even if I never love you?” He let it slip for the first time. I was stunned, then quickly nodded. So he said, “Okay. Let’s try.”

Yes. It was my fault. Some things just aren’t meant for me—no matter how much I reach.

I sat in the passenger seat, staring out as the city lights blurred past, my hands clenched tight in my lap. Caleb’s words echoed, sharp as winter air, and for the first time I realized we were driving straight into a future that neither of us wanted to claim.

This chapter is VIP-only. Activate membership to continue.
← Prev
Next →

You may also like

He Left Me, But I Paid the Price
He Left Me, But I Paid the Price
4.9
Some endings are silent, but the ache never is. I thought Eli and I were forever—until a single betrayal tore us apart, leaving me clutching memories and a cheap county fair kite. Years later, I’m called back to his side as his emergency contact, thrown into a whirlwind of old wounds and unfinished business. He’s surrounded by new admirers, but the past still claws at both of us. I want closure, maybe even forgiveness, but Eli only offers distance. My friends say I’m a fool for loving him, but they never saw the sacrifices he made, the debts unpaid. Now, as I watch him slip away for the last time, I’m haunted by one question: Was I the one holding him back—or was he always running from something he could never name? If love is letting go, why does it hurt so much to set him free?
He Never Touched Me—Until Now
He Never Touched Me—Until Now
4.9
Three years of marriage, and Carter Whitman has never touched me—not once. I was always just the substitute, the shadow in his perfect life. But when the loneliness grows too heavy to bear, I hatch a reckless plan: a single, scandalous text and a photo meant to blow up everything. What I don’t expect is Carter’s reaction—his cold fury, his sudden return, and the dangerous, magnetic tension that erupts between us. Now, I’m trapped in a house where trust is a weapon and every glance could be a threat or a plea. He says he believes me—but why now, after all this time? When a single whispered word can tip our fragile balance, how far will I go to force him to let me go—or will I finally make him see me? If love was never part of the deal, why does my heart race every time he draws near? What happens when the woman who wanted out becomes the only thing he can’t let go?
He Loved Me—For Someone Else
He Loved Me—For Someone Else
5.0
Love should heal, not destroy—but Chris learns the difference too late. On the night he hopes to share life-changing news with Ethan, betrayal shatters everything: a devastating accident, a truth that cuts deeper than any wound, and a loss that leaves him hollow. Five years of devotion collapse in a single moment, forcing Chris to burn every bridge and rewrite his future. But when a chance encounter with a mysterious, wounded pianist sparks something unexpected, Chris must decide if hope is worth the risk—or if he’s too broken to try again. Can a heart that’s been used and discarded ever truly trust again? Or is Chris destined to haunt the ruins of his past, while love plays on without him?
He Loved Me When I Let Go
He Loved Me When I Let Go
4.9
Love isn’t supposed to feel like a fight for survival—unless the person you can’t let go is the one tearing you apart. Savannah married Mason at his lowest, believing loyalty could heal everything. But as he claws his way back to power, Mason’s coldness grows, and his fragile stepsister Grace becomes a weapon in their war of hearts. Every cut, every rumor, every silent night pushes Savannah closer to breaking—until she signs up to disappear, and he barely notices. But the games aren’t over. When heartbreak turns to scandal and every memory burns, Savannah must choose: keep fighting for a man who only looks back when she’s gone, or finally walk away for good. Will Mason chase her into the storm—or let her vanish forever?
He Loved My Sacrifice, Not Me
He Loved My Sacrifice, Not Me
4.7
Natalie gave up everything—even her Olympic dreams—to protect Caleb, only to discover years later that he never loved her, only repaid a debt. Betrayed by the boy she trusted most and humiliated by his cruel friends, she finally reads the journal that shatters her last hope. Now, with his first love back in town, Natalie must choose: cling to the ghost of his gratitude, or walk away and reclaim her pride before she loses herself forever.
Married to the Man I Secretly Loved
Married to the Man I Secretly Loved
4.7
For six years, Natalie loved Caleb from the shadows—until a cold, arranged marriage bound them together. Just as she prepares to walk away, his first love returns, and Natalie’s world unravels. But when she hears Caleb’s secret thoughts, she realizes the man she married may have been hiding his heart all along.
I Loved Him—Then He Shattered Me
I Loved Him—Then He Shattered Me
4.9
He was always supposed to be the boy who protected me—but on the night I finally confessed, I learned just how fragile love can be. When Noah, my childhood fiancé, betrays me with the prom queen, my world shatters overnight. Forced to break our engagement and leave everything behind, I vow never to look back. But fate—and one stolen cat—pulls me into a final showdown I never wanted. Now, with heartbreak and hope warring inside me, I have to decide: can I ever trust him again, or is this goodbye forever? When the person you love most is the one who hurts you deepest, is a second chance ever worth the risk?
His Secret Girlfriend for Seven Years
His Secret Girlfriend for Seven Years
4.8
For seven years, I loved America’s hottest pop star in silence—always his secret, always called by another woman’s name. On my birthday, he humiliated me in front of Hollywood’s elite, making it clear I was just a stand-in for his first love. But now, with my hearing restored and my heart shattered, I’m ready to expose every lie and take back the life—and the music—he stole from me.
Traded for His Freedom, Never His Heart
Traded for His Freedom, Never His Heart
4.7
To save his disgraced family, Caleb Lin marries me—a nobody with nothing but callused hands and a borrowed name. For three years, I played the loyal wife while he pined for his childhood sweetheart, Grace. Now that his father's name is cleared, all that's left is a divorce agreement and a heart that never truly belonged to me.
His Wife, Not His Choice
His Wife, Not His Choice
4.7
For ten years, Annie was traded from one cold home to another, finally forced into a loveless marriage with Jason Carter—the wealthy heir who never wanted her. She gave him loyalty, care, and her body, but he saved his love for another woman and called Annie dirty in her own house. When she finally asks for a divorce, Jason refuses—not out of love, but because he can't bear to lose his caretaker, leaving Annie to choose: stay invisible, or walk away and reclaim her life.
His Heart Was Never Mine
His Heart Was Never Mine
4.9
Mariah spent years chasing Ethan’s passion, only to realize his devotion belonged to someone else. Now, as she faces a new engagement and Ethan’s world unravels, she must choose between longing for what’s lost and embracing a future she never imagined. Betrayal, heartbreak, and forbidden desire collide in this gripping tale of love and letting go.
He Hates Me, But I Stay
He Hates Me, But I Stay
4.9
Natalie has spent three years trying to save Tyler, a brilliant artist trapped in darkness, but his coldness is breaking her spirit. When the charming Mia enters Tyler’s life, Natalie faces a gut-wrenching choice: let him go and risk losing herself, or fight for a boy who might never want her in his corner. One message could end everything—or start something neither of them expects.