Let Him Stumble While You Climb Chapter 08

Let Him Stumble While You Climb Chapter 08

I blocked Caleb everywhere.

I changed my phone number and stopped paying attention to anything involving him.

College life quickly filled every empty space in my days. I made new friends, learned to stand on my own, and finally began putting my own feelings first.

Those were things I never could have learned while constantly orbiting Caleb.

Occasionally, my high school friends mentioned him when we talked.

“He didn’t go to community college. He decided to take a gap year.”

“He and Vivian are done too. Apparently, she dropped out altogether and started running with a rough crowd.”

“And get this—Caleb’s practice SAT scores are barely above 1300 now. His chances of getting into a top school look pretty slim this time.”

It sounded like Caleb was not doing well.

Before I knew it, December arrived.

Morgan suddenly texted me.

Morgan: [Vera, we’re having a year-end reunion. Think you can make an appearance?]

Morgan: [No one could relax last time with someone outside the

—

group there, so we’re doing it over.]

I had nothing else going on, so I agreed.

After a two-hour flight, I was back in my hometown.

The reunion was being held at a quiet bar.

The moment I walked into the private room, Morgan was the first to stand and greet me enthusiastically.

“Long time no see! Vera, you somehow keep getting prettier.”

“Look at our Harvard girl,” someone added. “That’s seriously impressive.”

“Come on, shake my hand. Maybe some of that Harvard magic will rub off on me, and I’ll land a great job after graduation.”

They made me laugh.

“Keep hyping me up like this, and you’re going to jinx me.”

The door opened again.

This time, Caleb walked in.

He stood awkwardly in the doorway.

Morgan froze for a moment before inviting him inside.

The two of them seemed strangely distant. Hadn’t they once been best friends?

“I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” Caleb asked as he took a seat near the window. “I heard you were all getting together, so I showed

—

up without an invitation.”

“Of course we don’t mind,” Morgan said with a laugh.

“We all went to school together. We’re glad you came.”

I was sitting directly across from Caleb, and one glance was enough to tell me something was wrong.

He had lost a disturbing amount of weight in only a few months. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, which were threaded with red.

“Vera, tell us what life at Harvard is like so we can all be jealous,” Morgan said, steering the conversation forward.

I took a sip of my drink and began talking.

I told them about the remarkable people I had met and the professors whose expertise and accomplishments had left me in awe. I described campus events, the resources available to students, and how I spent each day learning and keeping busy.

Everyone listened with bright, attentive eyes, occasionally reacting with amazement.

The most intense gaze belonged to Caleb.

He rested his cheek against one hand, a faint smile on his lips as he watched me without blinking.

“What about the rest of you?” I asked. “Tell me what your lives are like.”

Everyone began talking at once.

—

Caleb remained the quietest person in the room.

His days consisted of leaving early for classes, studying until late at night, and then doing it all over again the next morning.

“Keep working hard, Caleb. You’ll get into Harvard next year.”

“Exactly. Your grades have always been great. You’ll be fine.”

Caleb forced a weak smile.

He fidgeted with his fingers and wet his lips but said nothing.

The gathering did not end until late that night.

I had drunk several bottles of beer. My mind was still relatively clear, but my steps had grown unsteady as I stumbled outside with my purse.

Caleb followed behind me.

He kept a careful distance, neither approaching nor falling back. The streetlights stretched our shadows across the pavement until they overlapped.

Finally, I stopped and turned around.

“Do you need something?”