I Fell For My Contract Partner

Chapter 11.1 Caleb POV : Am I Jealous?

"Hello, who is it?" I asked the person on the other end of the phone while looking at Sean, who was glaring at me.

"Uh, hello? Wait... you're not Sean... don't tell me you..."

He sounded surprised after realizing I wasn't Sean.

Beep...

The call ended abruptly.

"Give my phone back...!" Sean grabbed his phone from my hand, pulling it away roughly.

He looked at his phone for a second, as if he wanted to check something, then shifted his gaze back to me with a frown.

"His name is Daniel, a friend of mine from campus," he finally explained.

A soft sigh slipped from my lips.

"Good..." I said in a low voice, almost on reflex. "Come outside."

I walked out of his room toward the dining table, and he followed while keeping his phone in his hand.

"I heard you're planning to meet him?" I asked while pulling out a chair and sitting down, keeping my tone as neutral as possible so he wouldn't think I was attacking him.

"Yeah..." he replied shortly before sitting across from me.

"And?" I leaned back, crossing my arms as I looked into his eyes.

"And...?" He asked back with a slight frown.

I took a deep breath.

This guy... he was too dense. He should have known why I was asking that.

"Are you going to meet him then?" This time, I made myself clearer.

"Whether I go or not, that's not your concern..." His tone changed.

Flatter. Sharper.

Like a needle piercing through my heart.

Without him noticing, my jaw tightened. I tried to keep my composure from falling apart.

Why was I so dissatisfied with his answer? And why did the thought of him going to meet someone else make me feel so uneasy?

Daniel was his friend.

I knew that, but...

"You still didn't answer me..." I pressed.

"Sigh... If I go, would you be mad?" He glanced at me for a moment. "But even if you are, you don't have a reason to be. That's why I said whether I go or not, it has nothing to do with you..."

He leaned back, unlocked his phone, and started typing something on it.

A harsh snort escaped my lips as I turned my eyes elsewhere.

The room fell into an awkward silence. Meanwhile, he stayed busy with his phone, a faint smile playing on his lips.

What's with that smile?

Was he talking to Daniel again... or someone else?

But... why was it bothering me?

"If you're going tomorrow, just don't spend too much time outside..."

His attention shifted to me. He gave me a questioning look, a slight crease forming between his brows.

Knowing he was about to ask something, I explained before he could.

"I want you to come with me tomorrow after lunch..."

Then, he carefully placed his phone on the table.

"But I don't think I ca—"

"We're going to the jewelry store," I cut in before he could finish.

"The jewelry store? What for?" He looked genuinely clueless.

Seriously... did he forget?

"To buy our engagement rings."

He stopped for a moment.

No words came out of his mouth, no movement from his body, as if he had frozen in the cold air.

"Sean...?" I called him slowly. "Are you okay...?"

He blinked several times and murmured something under his breath.

His attitude changed after that. He no longer looked at me directly or played with his phone. Instead, he lowered his head, focusing on the floor.

"If you have something on your mind, just say it..." I snorted lightly.

"Caleb... I... think you're really going too far this time..." He said it carefully, his eyes locked onto mine.

"Hm? What do you mean?" I asked back, raising my brow as I took a closer look at him.

"Well... about the engagement... I feel like it's unnecessary... because this is only fake, and I'm afraid you'll have a hard time clearing everything when the contract ends, right...?" He sounded like he was trying to convince me about the idea.

"So, do you mean that you don't want to get engaged with me?"

"No, that's not what I mean, but—wait...! I mean—uh..."

He lost his words, running his fingers through his hair. He looked like he was trying to find better words to explain himself.

"I..."

His mouth parted slightly, but the loud ring of the doorbell cut him off once again.

I turned toward the door, glaring at it as if I could burn a hole through it with my eyes.

"Food delivery, sir!" someone called from outside.

I let out a quiet sigh and walked to the door with sluggish steps.

"Good evening, sir." The delivery man stood outside with a bright smile, holding a boxed meal in his hands. "Delivery for Mr. Caleb?" he asked politely.

"Yeah." I gave a small nod.

"Here you go. Enjoy your dinner, sir. Have a good evening!" He handed me the package, gave a polite bow, and left.

I closed the door behind me and headed back to the kitchen.

Sean stood as soon as he saw me approaching. Without a word, he grabbed two plates from the cabinet and set them on the dining table.

I set the food boxes on the table.

"What's this?" He asked, glancing at them.

"I ordered pasta, shrimp, and oysters for us."

I took the containers out of the bag, set them on the table, and opened them one by one.

"Oysters?" He looked at me in disbelief. "How...? I mean, you're supposed to eat these fresh. Are you sure they're okay after being delivered?"

He opened one of the containers and examined the oysters carefully, as if making sure they were still fresh.

"I ordered them from a five-star hotel. Of course they're high quality," I said confidently as I peeled open the vacuum-sealed container.

"Ah, I'll grab another plate."

He headed to the kitchen without another word before returning moments later.

"Here, use this."

He gently tapped my arm with the plate in his hand before setting it on the table.

I looked at him, then at the plate. Instinctively, I understood what he meant, so I transferred the oysters onto it one by one.

Finally, I grabbed a bottle of soda and two glasses filled with ice, then poured the drinks.

The room was filled with the soft clatter of cutlery.

Sean and I ate in silence for a while.

There were no arguments, no conversations about the engagement or our fake relationship—just the two of us quietly enjoying dinner until we finished.

He stood up, holding his plate in one hand.

"I'm going to wash the dishes," he said before taking my plate as well.

He carried the dishes to the kitchen sink while I followed behind with the glasses, setting them beside the plates he had already placed there.

Water streamed from the faucet as Sean quietly washed the dishes, completely focused on what he was doing.

Deciding not to disturb him, I quietly left the kitchen.

I glanced at his phone, still lying on the dining table, then looked back toward the kitchen.

He was still busy...

Something urged me to look at his phone. I couldn't help but wonder about Daniel.

Were they really just friends?

I wanted to know.

But... what if he got mad?

I stood there, struggling with my own thoughts, not noticing that he had already walked up behind me.

"You're not planning to keep my phone, are you?"

I flinched at the sound of his voice and quickly turned around.

He looked at me with narrowed eyes.

"Why would I?" I asked, sounding slightly defensive.

"You were looking at my phone like you'd just found buried treasure." He teased, letting out a small laugh.

Huh? Did I really look like that?

Then he walked past me, headed to the table, and picked up his phone.

"You should take your medicine now," he said after turning off his phone and slipping it into his pocket. "I'll get you some water."

I watched him, lost in thought.

It was the first time someone had taken care of me like this.

I was used to looking after myself, even when I was sick. Well, Gavin would sometimes come by and help, but... this felt different.

Somehow, I remembered the way Sean had steadied me earlier, keeping me from collapsing onto the ground.

Was he always this caring with everyone?

He walked back toward me with a glass of water in his hand.

"Why are you still standing there? Take your medicine, Caleb," he said, raising an eyebrow when he saw I hadn't moved.

"Yeah, whatever." I rolled my eyes and headed for my room.

I walked back and drank my medicine right in front of him while he kept staring at me.

As soon as the pills were inside my mouth, he pushed the glass of water toward me.

“Happy?” I said, swallowing them all in one gulp.

“Good boy…” He gave me a thumbs‑up, grinning broadly.

“So where’s my reward?” One corner of my lips tugged upward slightly.

“Huh? A reward? I don’t think I prom—”

I stepped forward, closing our gap. Pressed a soft kiss to his lips—but it quickly deepened as I sought silent permission to part his mouth further with my tongue, exploring slowly inside…

“Ngghh, Sean!” He pushed me away.

His hands rested on my shoulders; his breath came uneven, his chest rising and falling much faster than usual.

“Tha—that’s bitter…!” He mumbled with his head lowered. “I‑I’ll go rest for today.”

He hurried away and went straight back to his room.

Interesting… he wasn’t angry like he usually is.

I wonder why.