Chapter 35. Trying to Make Amends

Aurora’s POV

I folded my arms, leaning my back against the chair as I watched Caleb shift uncomfortably in his seat. The weight of unspoken words hung heavy between us, thickening the air in the small space. His jaw tightened like he was bracing himself for a fight, but I had no energy left for battles. Not today. Not with him.

If he was here to be persistent about the scholarship, then I would have to disappoint him once again. I know he thought that he was doing me some kind of favor, and that was exactly what I didn’t need…especially from him.

“Why are you really here, Caleb?” I finally asked, my voice steady, but cool. I was tired of the guessing game, the way he always seemed to walk in and out of my life like he had all the time in the world. Like I’d just be waiting.

He exhaled sharply, rubbing the back of his neck. “I wanted to see you,” he admitted. “I wanted to—” He hesitated, eyes flickering over my face, searching for something, maybe for a