Moonlight Lovers

Twenty-four

SELENE did not know what to say or even where to look when she arrived at Café Bliss the following morning and saw that Caleb was already at the counter and preparing for the day. She left the house much earlier that morning, hoping to have a little alone time in the shop while she tries to collect herself before meeting Caleb again. After what happened last night, she feels a little embarrassed around him. Even seeing him.

She remained outside the café, holding on to the handle of the glass door, contemplating whether to go in or not.

Caleb must have noticed that she was there because he looked up from what he was doing and met her eyes. She gasped and jumped a little when their gazes locked for a couple of seconds. He smiled shyly and waved his hand. “Hi,” he mouthed.

She did the same thing. Then, she forced herself to go inside the shop, heading straight for the employee room, awkwardly looking away.

But Caleb stopped her, mid-step, inside the employee room. “Are you okay?” He asked.

“Hm? Yeah.” Selene nodded aggressively, and before Caleb could ask her even further, she was already closing the door of the employee room behind her.

Selene leaned against her locker door and sighed. How did all of this happen? All this time, she sees Caleb as her adorable younger friend. But last night, after he kissed her, she began to see him differently. He couldn’t remember when she thought of Caleb like a man—a charming, reliable man. She also noticed that his body has grown a lot since the first day he worked at the café. Has he been working out a lot? How can a short and simple kiss change how she looks at a friend whom she cared so deeply about?

This is crazy, she thought. Caleb’s like a brother to me.

She bit the side of her lips. This is going to cause a huge misunderstanding. Especially now that she has already decided to accept Godric’s offer to work for him. She likes Caleb and she cares about him, just not romantically and not in the same way he probably expects her to.

Selene went out and put on an apron while Caleb cleaned the tables. She kept glancing at him as she absent-mindedly cleans the glasses on the counter, wondering how long he has been having feelings for her, sympathizing with him because she knows it must have been difficult to keep a one-sided feeling for someone for a long time.

The events of last night flooded her mind again, in its bittersweet turn of events.

Selene stared at Caleb who was looking back at her without any regrets in his eyes. He had just kissed her! Caleb, the friend she treasures in the whole world, just kissed her!

“C-Caleb…what are you doing?” She asked quietly.

“Selene,” he said. “I like you a lot. For a long time now. I really do.”

She pushed his shoulders and got up the bench, pushing aside the curtain to the photo booth and stepping out. “This is wrong, Caleb.”

Caleb followed her, stopping her and grabbing her wrist. “Why is this wrong?”

“Because you’re my friend. And you’re like my brother.”

“But I don’t want to be like that to you!” He stressed. “Is it wrong to want to be more than your friend? Is it wrong to want you more than a friend?”

“Please, I can’t do this, Caleb. I can’t hurt you,” she pleaded, pulling her arms.

“Why?” His brows creased. “Are you and that Godric dating now?”

“What? No! Godric has nothing to do with this!” She cried.

“Then, give me a chance,” he begged. “I’ll show you that I can be more than a friend to you. I’ll be better than what you expect of me. Please, just don’t push me away, Selene. Promise me, you will not push me away.”

Selene averted her eyes and tried to pull her hand away again. “I need to go. I’m sorry, Caleb.”

He finally let her go and she exited the theme park right away, riding a cab straight home where all the emotions piling up in her chest have pushed her to burst into tears onto her pillow.

“Selene,” Caleb called.

She looked up, interrupted by her flashback, and saw Caleb standing next to her with a big white teddy bear.

She stared at the giant stuffed animal. That’s right, she left it at the booth last night.

Selene smiled timidly. “It’s okay, Caleb. You can keep it. You won it.”

“I won it. For you,” he corrected. “Listen, the bear has no fault here. He could not help it if the guy who won him has been harboring feelings towards the girl he wants to give it to. He just wants to be the bear that gives happiness to the person who will receive it. Please, take it.”

“I can’t accept that, Caleb…”

“It’s just a toy, Selene. It’s not my heart. And I’m giving this to you as a gift, and no other reason. You don’t have to reject this. I got this for you without any other intention than to really just give it to you,” he clarified. “I hope you will believe me.”

Selene saw his honesty in his eyes and she finally reached out her hand to take the bear. She smiled. “Thank you, Caleb.”

“Thank you, Selene,” he smiled back. “For now, I’ll work hard until I can become the man who deserves to hold your hand one day.”

CALEB could not help but stare at Selene when she pulled the rubber band she used to tie her hair, gently shook her hair loose, and let it fall over her shoulders and back.

She’s really beautiful.

The day had just finished and they are closing the shop now, leaving for work. He wanted to walk Selene to the bus stop so he could help her with the huge stuffed bear…and maybe talk, too. But he worried that she would just refuse his offer.

When he spoke and said her name, she also called his name at the same time.

They looked at each other and shortly fell into tiny giggles. “You go first,” he said.

“I just want to ask if you want to have some rice wine and grilled pork downtown tonight?”