Chapter 1907
Caleb’s words left Vera increasingly confused.
He had taken her along to see Luna, and now that Luna had been brought to the hospital, there wasn’t much else for her to do. What could Caleb possibly want from her now?
If he wanted to continue their “act,” he would’ve stopped her earlier, not waited until now to come looking for her.
But Caleb remained silent, and Vera didn’t dare to jump to conclusions. She waited patiently for him to speak.
After a moment of quiet, Caleb finally broke the silence, his voice low and slightly hoarse. “You don’t have money, and your father is in a standard hospital room. If you don’t rest properly, how will you have the energy to take care of him? Here.”
He pulled out a key and handed it to Vera. “This is the key to my dorm at the hospital. I don’t use it often. You can rest and freshen up there.”
Vera stared at Caleb in disbelief.
Caleb had made it clear he didn’t want any involvement with her and had outright rejected her earlier suggestions. Yet now, he was handing her a key to his dorm?
She couldn’t wrap her head around it. “You’re giving this to me? Aren’t you worried someone might see me and misunderstand our relationship?”
What she really wanted to ask was: “Aren’t you afraid I might spread rumors about us?”
Caleb saw through her thoughts immediately and let out a soft chuckle. “If I were worried, I wouldn’t have given you the key in the first place. Vera, our families have known each other for generations. Besides, you came with me tonight to help save someone.”
Vera didn’t respond, but she understood the subtext. Caleb was giving her the key not for her sake, but because she had helped him with Luna.
In Caleb’s eyes, everything he did was ultimately for Luna.
If he and Luna ended up together, all of his father’s demands for him to marry someone else would become irrelevant.
Since that was the case, Vera thought, she might as well clarify things and retreat gracefully.
Although some words were difficult to say, Vera decided to face reality and muster the courage to speak. “Caleb, I know you might think I’m shameless for saying this, but m out of options. The amount need isn’t much to you. I can write you an IOU.”
She lowered her head, unable to meet his gaze.
Caleb had already stated he wasn’t a savior. But the problem was, if she didn’t firmly hold onto him as her lifeline, who else could she rely on?
Caleb hadn’t expected Vera to
continue clinging to the idea of involving him. They had barely interacted before. If she had been a close friend like Nash or Ben, he would have helped her without hesitation when her family ran into trouble.
But Vera wasn’t his friend, and there was no bond of trust between them.
“It’s not that I don’t want to help,” Caleb said after a pause, “but what I can do for you is limited to this. I can’t introduce you to wealthy people, nor will I push you into dangerous situation. If you need help, you’ll have to find it yourself.”
Seeing that Vera had no intention of taking the key, Caleb placed it on the bench beside her.
“My dorm is room 306,” he added before turning to leave.
Caleb took a few steps, then stopped and turned. “What’s your Venmo or PayPal handle?”
He couldn’t give her a lot, but he could at least offer some money to help with her immediate needs.
The amount was a drop in the bucket for Vera, but since Caleb was willing to help, she had no choice but to swallow her pride.
She hesitated, then pulled out her phone and shared her Venmo username.
Caleb transferred $1,000-a generous yet impersonal sum.