“No.” He shrugged. “I have nothing to say to her.” He grabbed his phone and turned it off.
What did it say about me that I felt thrilled that he’d turned his phone off so he could concentrate on me? Just me.
He reached for my hand, interlacing our fingers.
“Is it okay with you if we don’t make an announcement yet?” I asked him carefully. “I’ll tell Kar and Beth when I see them, but besides them, let’s just keep it to ourselves for now.”
He leaned away from me, but not before I saw the hurt look in his eyes. “Why?”
“Caleb, it’s not what you’re thinking. I…” I paused, gathering my thoughts. I knew I had to find the right words to make him understand. I hated seeing him hurt.
I turned to face him. He was sprawled on his seat, his head bowed low so I wouldn’t see his eyes.
“This. Us. It’s too important to me,” I began, willing him to understand. “I’m too selfish to share this with the world yet. I’m not ready. I want—”
He cut me off with a gentle, tender kiss.
“Okay, Red,” he said softly, smiling. “Okay.”
It was hard not to smile back. “Thank you.”
“But I’m telling everyone at my party.”
I sighed. “All right.”
“But you still won’t move in with me.”
“Can we talk about this after finals?”
“Let’s talk about it now.” There was just enough authority and demand in his voice to raise my hackles.
“Why are you being testy?” I asked, frustrated.
“Testy? I’m not the one who is refusing to live together.”
“You know why.”
“I don’t know why, because you won’t even discuss it.”
“It’s different now,” I said simply.
He waited for me to continue.
“It’s not like before when you were just helping me. We’re…engaged now, Caleb.”
There was a flutter in my stomach at the word engaged. It was still so new, so overwhelming, so…wonderful.
“Exactly. All the more reason for you to be living with me.”
“Caleb…”
“What’s the real reason? Why won’t you tell me?”
He would push and push until he was satisfied. Or until he had me convinced that what he wanted was what I wanted too. It was just the way he was.
“Your mother,” I admitted finally.
“What?”