CALEB

The clinking of silverware and the low murmur of jazz music filled the restaurant, but the silence at our table felt heavier than it should have.

I stared down at my plate, pushing food around with my fork while my thoughts drifted somewhere else entirely.

"Caleb?"

Laura's voice broke through my thoughts and pulled me back. I looked up and found her watching me from across the candlelit table.

"You've barely touched your dinner," she noted, setting down her glass. "You've been quiet all evening. Is the date not going the way you hoped, or did I do something wrong?”

Guilt settled in my chest. I'd tried so damn...