Chapter 11

Caleb snapped back to reality and instinctively blurted, "Of course not!" Seeing the skepticism on his friends' faces, he continued coldly, "I've said it before—the only reason I'm doing this is for Christine's guaranteed grad school spot. Sure, Sophia did say she was planning to get a job instead of pursuing a master's degree. But the finalized list is not out yet. Who knows if she'll change her mind? Hence, I must maintain a good relationship with her and make sure she forgives me!" His words weren't just meant for his friends; they were also to convince himself. Yes. Everything he did was for Christine. All his actions, all his persistence—it was for the sake of contingency. That had to be it. But his friends didn't seem to buy it. "But Cal, if you just wanted Sophia to forgive you, you didn't have to go so hard on those guys... I heard the Walker family is already looking for yours—" "That's enough!" Pushed to his limit, Caleb snapped and cut them off. Looking out to the op