The Year of No
by @RognikAfter catching his girlfriend cheating, Caleb vows a year of celibacy—only to become the most sought-after bachelor in town. Now he must navigate a relentless parade of suitors while clinging to his vow of "no."
MEET THE CHARACTERS
EXPLORE CHAPTERS
Moving In
It was raining when Thomas heard his buzzer ring. It wasn't expecting anyone, so it was a surprise to hear Caleb's voice asking to be let in. At his door, Caleb was drenched. It looked like he had been standing out in the rain for a while, holding a duffle bag seemingly full to the brim. "She cheating on me," Caleb said without preamble. Thomas let him in without question, thinking this was going to be a long night.
Drawing the Line
Caleb went into the office early the next day. He threw himself into work to forget about Her, and especially about what happened with Thomas last night. Sadly, a new client coming to meet him will make all of that difficult to manage.
Tearing It Down
Caleb goes to examine Finn's ruined mill, but Finn is more focused on tearing down Caleb's walls than the mill's
The Uninvited Host
A week later, Caleb attends a client's event at the Kane Gallery. The space is cool, severe, a world away from Finn's dusty mill. Elias materializes beside a sculpture in a room filled by just the two of them and the works of art, his gaze not on the art but on Caleb. He speaks of structure and integrity, but his eyes catalogue Caleb's form like a piece to be acquired. The world of quiet hunger transforms into one of calculated pursuit, and Caleb feels the weight of being seen by a collector, not a carpenter. In the private space, Elias manages to convince Caleb to strip down, slowly, item by item slowly falling away until all that is left is the raw Caleb.
A Drink to Forget
Immediately after the gallery party, Caleb goes to the local bar to drink away the pain, the shame. In his mind, he's broken his vow three times within the first month - despite Thomas's constant assurance he hadn't. It's in this haze that Leo finds Caleb - a chance encounter, or so he claims. After Caleb unloads his woes to Leo, the man reassures him that his vow has held since it was only ever designed to keep out women, and maybe Caleb has been looking in the wrong place all these years.