Flawless Desire

I nod, getting to my feet. “I’ll see you soon,” I promise, hugging her tightly again.

“Of course you will.” Mom smiles. “And I’ll hope to see you, too,” she adds to Caleb. “Take care of my girl.”

“I will.”

I’m quiet as we leave. It’s bittersweet. It was wonderful spending time like this with her today, but I know, it might not happen again for a while.

Caleb seems to understand. He leaves me with my thoughts, and when I look up, I find we’ve come to a stop, parked on a street beside Central Park.

“How about we take a walk?” he suggests.

“That sounds perfect.”

It’s a gorgeous day, a brisk Spring breeze in the air, and we walk for hours, just talking together about everything under the sun. It seems like a weight is off his shoulders, too. He’s smiling, and laughing, a different person to the tense, angry man who exploded last night.

Maybe he was telling me the truth. Whatever the problem was, he’s handled it.

We get hot dogs from a cart, and, sit at a bench at the Alice in Wonderland statue, soaking up the rays.

“Delicious,” I say, wiping mustard off my chin. “Never mind all the fancy hors d’eurves, we should serve these at the gala tomorrow.”

Caleb laughs. “I’d love to see their faces if I did. Olivia would probably flip a table.”

Olivia.

Just like that, my good mood sours.

Because Caleb isn’t the only one with secrets, and mine isn’t behind me. Not even close. I came into his life under false pretenses. Everything we have is built on a lie.

Do I have to tell him? Or could I do what he’s done: Leave that all in the past, and move on. No questions asked.

Could I live with that kind of lie?

“Listen, Caleb…” I start, then stop again. How can I even explain myself?

And what would he say, if I came clean?

He looks at me expectantly.

“Nothing,” I deflate, chickening out at the last second. “I was just

thinking about the gala tomorrow,” I lie.

“Me too.” Caleb says. “Would you come?”

“I’ll be there.” I nod. “Victoria’s given me a whole list of work to do, I’ll be running around behind the scenes all night.”

“No,” Caleb says, smiling at me. “I meant, come with me. As my date.”

I stop in my tracks. “Are you serious?” I ask. “Because that would mean… Being together, in public. Officially.”

“I know.” Caleb nods. “I don’t want to sneak around anymore. I want the world to know, I’m serious about you. No more secrets.”

I catch my breath. He wants to tell everyone that we’re together. That I’m the only one he wants. It’s amazing, and overwhelming and—

Real.

And I know now what I have to do. If we’re going to have a future together, I have to make this right.