If only I had not loved him so deeply, perhaps I would have left him behind without a second thought, without this suffocating hesitation. But the truth was, I loved Caleb too much. He was not just a man to me. For me, he had always been the pulse of my youth.
Caleb and I had met back in university, a time filled with carefree moments and youthful adventures. During a mountain climbing trip organized by the campus, an incident occurred. I encountered a snake and my legs went weak with fear. I stood frozen in place, trembling uncontrollably, unable to move.
Our classmates were just as worried, but none of them dared to step forward and help me. No one was willing to take the risk. Only Caleb stepped forward without hesitation when he passed by. In doing so, he had bitten himself.
Fortunately, the bite was not from a poisonous snake. From that day on, I began to notice Caleb everywhere, watching him quietly and learning just how exceptional he was. We gradually became friends and with every interaction, the seeds of my secret love for him began to take root in my heart.