i still hate coffee {caleb}

[emily erin lafontaine]

Emily was sitting by the window of her favorite coffee shop, texting some friends. She always loved the smell of coffee, but she hated the way it tasted. Whenever coming here, she opted for tea or hot chocolate instead. Now, she was drinking a hot soy chai latte with vanilla, and it was absolutely delicious. Basically, she came here because of the atmosphere. And because this was her and Caleb's place. They'd only seen each other a few times since his return from Florida, and now seemed to be a good time to really catch up. Not that he missed much.

Emily only really knew that he'd met a girl down in Florida and it was a serious long distance relationship. She was happy for him at all, but she couldn't help but feel a little sorry for herself. It wasn't like she was getting any action in her love life anyway. She glanced at the clock on her phone. He was late. He was never late. Why was today any different?

[caleb matthew jackson]

Caleb knew he was running late for his lunch meeting with Emily as he darted out of the shop he had been in for over an hour, making his final decision. He was never late to anything in his life, but he knew that he had a legitimate excuse this time that she would forgive him for. It had been a while since they'd seen one another, so both of them wanted to catch up since they were good friends. He hadn't really told her about Alyzia, other than the fact that he'd met someone and that the relationship was long-distance. But now that Alyzia was here and living with him, he knew that he wanted to tell his family and friends more about her and about their relationship. Thinking about that, he parked his car outside of the coffee shop he and Emily frequently went to and had for years, since they were actually dating.

He went inside and ordered his usual cup of coffee with two shots of expresso, knowing that the extra caffeine boost wasn't really all that neccessary with the adrenaline running through his veins. This was the most excited he had been in a long time, so his body was naturally hyped up and energized over it. When his coffee was ready, he spotted Emily in their usual booth by the window and went over to sit with her. "I'm sorry I'm late," he apologized sincerely. "I got caught up running an errand and didn't check the time until it was already late." He knew that Emily would forgive his one transgression since he had never been late before and once she knew the reason, she definitely wouldn't be mad.

[emily erin lafontaine]

Emily looked up from her phone when she heard Caleb's voice, and she watched as he slipped in the booth across from her. Narrowing her eyes, she feigned annoyance. "Well, maybe next time you'll think ahead of time." She kept her face straight and set down her phone, but when she looked up again at Caleb's face, she couldn't help but laugh. He looked so excited about something, and it seemed he could barely contain himself. Emily was sure she'd get to hear what it was. Caleb could never keep a secret from her. He always had to tell her what it was, if it was something exciting. As long as it didn't involve her, of course. Not once did he ever ruin a surprise party.

Emily lifted her chai up and brought it close to her lips. "Alright, I'll bite. What's got you so jumpy?" she asked before taking a careful sip of the hot liquid. It felt good as it instantly warmed her mouth and throat and stomach, especially since the day was relatively cool and rainy.

[caleb matthew jackson]

Caleb could tell that Emily was faking her annoyance as she kept her eyes down on her phone while she spoke to him. That was something she did all the time to mess with his head, but he had gotten so used to it over the years. "Guess I'll have to then," he sarcastically replied back, knowing she would get he was joking too. He'd known her long enough to know when she was just messing around with him and when she was really pissed. Just as predicted, she started to laugh when she looked up from her phone to his face. Knowing someone as long as he'd known Emily definitely helped in reading her body language and voice for subtle hints that she was either annoyed or really just playing. He knew that about his younger sisters, Corrine and Catelyn too, but he'd known them their entire lives so it was a little different in that aspect.

When Emily looked at him, he knew he wouldn't be able to keep his secret for long. She could read him like a book just as much as she could read him. It was insane how good at it she was. As she asked what was making him so jumpy, he grinned brightly and reached into his pocket to pull out the small velvet box he had retrieved just before coming to the coffee shop. Opening it, he placed the box on the table facing Emily so she could see the ring. "I'm proposing to Alyzia," he said. "Em...she's the one for me. I knew that the minute I left Florida and came back here and now that she's moved here, I know that this is right." Caleb knew that Emily would probably be a little shocked given the fact that he hadn't warned her beforehand, but he was sure of this decision.

[emily erin lafontaine]

It was a damn good thing that Emily had put her drink down and not picked it back up. When the ring box was set in front of her, her eyes widened with surprise. Instantaneously, she reached out and picked up the box, bringing it closer to her face so she could examine the ring. "Whoa, Caleb!" was all she could say. The ring was gorgeous. It was simple and beautiful at the same time, and nothing like Emily had ever seen. The color, cut, clarity, and carat of the diamond was pristine, and Emily could tell it was a very high quality diamond. She couldn't even imagine what the price tag was. It only went to show her how serious Caleb was about the girlfriend he briefly told her about.

"Caleb. You've known her for like, three months." she said, turning the box back and forth in the light, watching the ring sparkle and shine. "You've never lived with her. You barely know her. What... what if she's got some crazy antics that drive you insane and you find them out too late?" She wanted Caleb to be happy, but this just seemed entirely too fast, even for him.

[caleb matthew jackson]

Looking at Emily's face as she saw the ring, Caleb could tell that she was definitely shocked. He watched as she picked it up and examined it, like any girl would. He had taken his time picking it out, making sure that it would be perfect for Alyzia. It was simple and beautiful, which he felt described their relationship. Even though they had gone through the long-distance thing, being with her was the easiest thing in the world to him because he loved her. He could see that Emily was going over the ring's every detail, which he had done three or four times at the jewelry store earlier that afternoon. He had been looking at rings for a few weeks, but knew that today was the perfect day to get the one he was going to give to Alyzia since he had chosen when he would propose. Caleb's only hope now was that he would be able to surprise her when it happened.

When Emily voiced her concerns, Caleb knew that they had been coming. Emily could always be counted on to make people see reality, which was a good quality she had. It meant that she cared for those she was close to and didn't want to see them get hurt. Looking at her, he nodded to her concerns. "When I'm with her, it doesn't feel like I've only known her since we met in May, but like I've known her forever," he replied. "And we will still have time while we're engaged to get used to living together since she's already moved in with me." Caleb knew that he wouldn't mind whatever quirks Alyzia had because he loved her enough to overlook those things. "While I was in Florida, Lyzi and I spent hours talking to each other every night on the beach. I know her Em, I really do. And she knows me too. I told her everything she wanted to know about me."

[emily erin lafontaine]

Emily lifted the delicate diamond ring out of the box, examining the band. The gorgeous silver design would be enough to make Emily's knees go weak if a man presented it to her with the intentions of marrying her. She slid the ring on her finger, just to take it for a test drive. It was a little large for her, but the standard size for rings was seven, and Emily's hands were much daintier than that. But now that it was out of the box, she could bring it to her eyes and get a better look, without the velvet lid casting a shadow on the way the rock reflected the light.

"Yeah, but Caleb, what about the things she doesn't want to know about you?" she asked, squinting her eyes at the ring, before opening them up and looking at him over her hand. "Because let me tell you boy, you ain't perfect." Not by a long shot. Caleb snored. And that drove Emily up a wall when they were together. And he denied it too, as if he could hear himself while he was sleeping. She slid the ring back off her finger and set it back in the box, making sure the diamond was centered just right.

[caleb matthew jackson]

Watching Emily as she examined the ring was amusing in and of itself. She was so careful and meticulous about looking it over, lifting it out of the box to examine further. He knew that she appoved by the look on her face. It had taken him a while to find the right one, but when he saw it he knew that it was the one for Lyzi. This was the beginning of his forever. And he had never been more sure of something in his entire life. Emily had her concerns, but e knew that she was only looking out for his best imterests in the end. He knew that others would call him nuts but he didn't care so long as Lyzi accepted and wanted to be with him too, which she had already proved by moving up to Cape May.

When Emily mentioned faults he didn't want Lyzi to know about, saying he wasn't perfect, he shook his head. "There isn't anything that she doesn't know about me," he said watching as he put the ring back in the box. He was telling the truth though. Everything there was to know about himself, he had told Alyzia from the get-go. "I would never keep anything from her ever because I trust her with that information." Caleb trusted that with his life and did not doubt his relationship with Lyzi one bit. "So...you think she'll like the ring?" he asked, wanting a female's opinion that was not Corrine's. His sister agreed with most anything he said or did, just because they thought so alike sometimes that it was almost like they were twins and not Corrine and Catelyn.

[emily erin lafontaine]

Emily gently closed the ring box and slid it back over to Caleb. Would Alyzia like it? Of course she would. If she was any sort of woman, she wouldn't care enough about the ring anyway. She'd be happy that Caleb was the one to give it to her. That's what mattered. "Well, I'd be lying if I didn't hope that one day, you'd be asking me to marry you," she started. "But Alyzia is a very lucky girl. And if she loves you like you say she does, the ring won't matter. What matters is the fact that it comes from you."

Emily lifted the cup to her lips and took another sip, wishing it had alcohol in it. She could have used a shot of vodka right about then. When she pulled the cup away, a devious smirk was etched in her features. "Does she know about Mr. Potter?" she asked in a British accent, lifting her foot out of her sandal and bringing it up next to Caleb's behind. She poked his butt with her toe, in the approximate area where the lightning bolt scar was. Knowing it was his sore spot, she leaned in and whispered to him. "Does she ever call you that when she goes down on you?" Emily had a lot of tricks that she used, all of which she learned on Caleb. Her fake British accent always seemed to be something that got him off, even if he denied it intensely.

[caleb matthew jackson]

Caleb trusted Emily's opinion as much as he trusted his sisters' Corrine and Catelyn's. They had dated long enough for her to become practically family to everyone, including his parents and sisters, especially Corrine. When Emily handed him the ring back and said that she would be lying if she hadn't hoped that one day he would've given it to her, Caleb nodded. He knew that Emily had loved him and that he had loved her too while they dated, but they weren't right for each other in that way. He smiled when she continued and said that Alyzia was lucky and that she would definitely accept because it was coming from him. He knew that he couldn't wait to give the ring to Lyzi and get down on one knee to ask her to marry him. They weren't some lovestruck teenagers. They were both adults and knew that this was real. What they had was something you couldn't find everyday.

As Emily took a drink of her drink and smiled mischieviously, Caleb knew that she was up to something. It didn't take long for him to figure out what though as she asked about something incredibly embarrassing before poking him in the rear with her foot in the area where his scar was. That was something Caleb never talked about with anyone. The only reason Emily knew was because she had nagged him about it until he told her how he'd gotten it. "No," he said in a very hushed voice. "She knows about the scar, but she doesn't know how I got it or the nickname that goes along with it." Caleb knew that hiding that from Alyzia was impossible since they had slept together and she had seen him without clothes, but she hadn't asked yet and he didn't feel the need to bring that up if she didn't ask about it.