Page 64 of Catch Me If You Can

I bury my face in her neck, melting into her embrace. “Really?”

She pulls back, hands on my shoulders. “Yeah! I mean… I wanted you to go experience life and figure yourself out. And look at that. A few weeks, and you did just that. I couldn’t be more proud of you.” She pulls me into another hug.

I try not to squeeze the life out of her—but it’s hard. She’s saying all the right things. I feel like I can finallybreathe.

Well… almost. There’s still one guy who holds the rest of my breath.

“So, what are you still doing here?” she asks, brushing her hair out of her face.

“What?” I chuckle, helping fix the strands she missed.

She winks, nodding toward the same door Caleb walked out of.

I take a sharp breath and turn to her. She guessed right.

“You know… I reallydolove you,” I say, squeezing her hand one last time.

“I know,” she smiles. “Now go catch your man.”

27

caleb

“Dad, we need to talk.” I step into my father’s office. It’s been a week since I’ve been back, and I’ve felt sick every day. No word from Nathaniel, but then again, why would he talk to me?

I left him.Again. After I told him I wouldneverdo that to him again. I can barely stand looking at myself since the day I walked out of the wedding. My dad hasn’t said much to me either since I returned home without any engagement news.

He didn’t accept my reasons. In his eyes, I let him down. I’m not serious about life or my future. I can’t stand it. And the fact that he doesn’t even know thewholetruth—yet still manages to be disappointed? That’s just the cherry on top.

“Caleb, I don’t have time for your foolishness right now,” he says, rifling through a stack of papers on his desk. His glasses are perched on the bridge of his nose. “You weren’t mentally there at the Jefferson meeting, don’t think I didn’t notice. And now you stroll in here sulking like I didn’t just fund your little weekendgetaway. Come on, Caleb,” he slams his hands on the desk, “Can’t youfor oncebe serious about something in your life?”

I inhale slowly. Here it goes.

“I know. And I am. Dad… I quit,” I exhale.

He freezes. “No,” he grunts, looking back down at his papers.

“Dad, I have to. As much as I like what I do, I hate disappointing you even more.”

“And you don’t think this disappoints me?” he snaps.

I walk over to the desk and sit in the chair across from him, looking him straight in the eye.

“I’m grateful for everything you’ve done for me, especially after Mom left. You’ve always been there. But you were right. Idoneed to get serious. About myself. About my future. And I can’t do that if I’m being spoon-fed the whole way. Pushing me toward an engagement with Sarah was the final straw. You can’t puppet-master my whole life. I’m going to keep disappointing you if I don’t stand on my own two feet.”

He leans back in his chair and exhales. “And how do you suppose you’ll do that?”

“I talked to my roommate, Tony. He got me an interview at that high-end restaurant he works at as a server. It won’t pay nearly as much as what you were giving me, but I’ll get by while I search for another marketing job. I will need a reference though.” I search his eyes, hoping he’ll understand.

He stays still, unreadable. Then finally, “I pushed you too hard. I see that now. I never wanted you to quit. I just wanted you to be the best version of yourself.”

I blink. I never expected him to saythat.

“I know, dad. And I do want to make you proud. But I think the only way I can do that is by standing on my own.”

He nods slowly and turns to look out the window.

“Let me cover your rent for the next few months while you get settled at your new job. I’ll help you get through this transition.”

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