Chapter 5: Burning Truths

There were more bodyguards, and they all jumped in, voices full of frustration and hope:

"Last full moon, who was it staring at Aubrey’s photo all night, whispering her name?"

"And the time before that, you sat outside her dorm till sunrise. You froze at the door every time. A turtle would’ve made a move faster."

"If we don’t tell her, she’ll never know. You really want to be alone forever?"

Caleb snapped, cold and raw: "Shut up. I can handle it."

The doctor cut in, frantic:

"Handle it? You’ll be dead by morning!"

He turned to me, exasperated: "Pretty girl, why are you just standing there? Help him!"

The bodyguards nodded, their faces pleading. I shuffled my feet, feeling exposed and weirdly important all at once.

"What am I supposed to do? I have no idea!"

The doctor, cutting through Caleb’s blood-soaked gauze, said: "Kiss him."

My cheeks went hot. I’d never kissed anyone in front of an audience, let alone a guy who barely looked at me unless he had to.

The bodyguard called out:

"Aubrey, do you know how he got hurt?"

"Two nights ago, the auditorium caught fire. You almost died in the smoke. Caleb sensed you were in danger. He charged in, got burned, and still carried you out. When he did, Derek showed up and took you from him. If Derek cared so much, why didn’t he save you himself?"

I stared, shocked. Caleb was hurt like this—for me? I remembered waking up from my coma and seeing Derek, assuming he’d saved me.

Too much, too fast—I didn’t have time to be shy. Saving Caleb came first.

Desperate, I leaned over him, staring at his lips before kissing him hard. I tasted salt and sweat, felt the wild heat of his skin—more real than anything in my life.

"Don’t," Caleb growled, fierce and distant, but his hands tightened on the sheet, his Adam’s apple bobbing, his eyes reddening. He was beautiful, even broken.

But he tried to push me away: "Aubrey, you don’t have to do this. Don’t kiss me just because you feel you owe me. It doesn’t mean anything."

The doctor’s shout broke through: "It’s working! His blood’s slowing down!"

"Miss Taylor, keep going! His body’s telling the truth!"

Caleb looked mortified, burying his face in the covers, his ears burning red. The toughest guy in the room was actually blushing.