Between Us Chapter 3: The Party

The music was louder than Caleb expected.

Bass thumped through the walls of the crowded off-campus house. Strings of fairy lights hung across the ceiling, and clusters of students filled every corner — talking, laughing, dancing. It was chaos, but beneath it all, Caleb only focused on one thing: finding Sophie.

He scanned the room until he spotted her near the kitchen, laughing with Maya and a small group of people. Her burgundy dress stood out against the sea of darker outfits, hugging her frame in a way that made his stomach tighten.

Sophie saw him at almost the same moment, her face lighting up. She excused herself from the group and walked over, weaving through the crowd with practiced ease.

“You made it,” she said, her smile wide.

“Of course.” Caleb stuffed his hands into his pockets, trying to appear calm even though his pulse was doing the opposite.

“You clean up nice.” Sophie’s eyes flickered over him briefly. He’d actually put some effort in — a fitted black button-down, dark jeans — not his usual hoodie-and-sweatpants look.

“You too,” he managed, his voice softer.

For a moment, they stood there, slightly awkward, slightly charged.

“Come on,” she said, grabbing his hand without hesitation. “Let’s get drinks.”

Her fingers wrapped around his as she pulled him toward the kitchen. It was casual, friendly — but even so, Caleb couldn’t stop noticing how warm her hand felt in his.

They poured drinks, talked, laughed with Maya and a few others. Everything felt normal again. But that normalcy was deceptive — thin ice over deep water.

As the night wore on, more people arrived, and the party swelled. Maya disappeared into the crowd, leaving Sophie and Caleb alone again.

“You okay?” Sophie asked, leaning in so he could hear her over the music. Her breath was warm against his ear, and the closeness made his chest tighten.

“Yeah. I just…” He hesitated, his words sticking in his throat. “Crowds aren’t really my thing.”

Sophie smiled knowingly. “Mine either.”

They stood there for a beat, eyes meeting in the low light. Caleb felt the weight of the words he hadn’t said all week — the thoughts he kept burying. But standing here, so close to her, it was getting harder to ignore.

Before he could say anything, someone approached — a guy from Sophie’s literature class.

“Hey, Sophie,” the guy said, flashing a confident grin. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Hey, Ryan.” Sophie smiled politely. “Yeah, Maya dragged me out.”

Caleb’s jaw tightened slightly. He recognized Ryan — tall, charming, the type of guy who seemed to float through college on easy confidence.

“You want to dance?” Ryan asked, already holding out his hand.

Sophie blinked, clearly caught off guard. She glanced briefly at Caleb — her hesitation lasting just a moment.

Caleb’s heart pounded.

“I… uh…” Sophie started, biting her lip.

“You should,” Caleb said quickly, forcing a small smile. “Have fun.”

Sophie hesitated one last second, but finally nodded and let Ryan lead her to the dance floor.

Caleb stood there, watching as Sophie disappeared into the crowd of swaying bodies. The flicker of disappointment burned sharper than he expected.

He turned away, gripping his drink a little too tightly.