Caleb’s P.O.V
"You really do know me the best," she admitted, her voice quieter now, more thoughtful. "Which is exactly why I need to tell you that I'm not your mate."
For a moment, I could only stare at her, the weight of her words settling heavily in my chest. I shook my head, a small, disbelieving laugh escaping me. "How can you be so sure?" I asked, my voice steadier than I expected it to be. "I’m not even eighteen yet, Caroline. And you—" I gestured toward her. "You’re two months younger than me. There’s no way for either of us to know for sure."
Caroline sighed, and it was at that moment I realized she had thought about this a lot longer than I had. She wasn’t just saying this on a whim. This was something she had been sitting with, something she had come to terms with before I
