Everything around me is muted—the sounds of Kaden turning a key in a lock, his dress shoes scuffing over the threshold, and the quiet of the settling home.
“Another custom down,” he mutters in amusement against my temple. “Carrying my bride through the door.”
“Mhmm,” I hum tiredly.
He brings me up a flight of stairs before opening another door. As he rests me on the edge of the bed, he gingerly helps me out of my dress. I finally blink my eyes open, thrown off by the grand bedroom. There’s a fireplace on the farthest end, resting cold. It’s pretty bare, as if he’s just moved in. The only thing that seems to be used is the massiveking-size bed beneath me. The posters almost touch the ceiling, thick oak that reaches upwards and towers over us. The duvet beneath me is soft and plush, and I melt into it as Kaden lifts my dress above my head.
He lays me back, taking great care as he pulls the covers over me before undressing himself. He tosses his suit aside, leaving it in a pile on the floor with my wedding gown as he slides in behind me and wraps an arm around my waist before tugging me into his lap.
I’m so weighed down with sleep that I don’t even care that I’m practically naked against him. All I want is to close my eyes.
“Goodnight, Sunny,” Kaden whispers as he kisses my cheek.
Sleep tugs me under so quickly that I don’t even respond.
I’m awake before the sun even rises, my eyes popping open as everything rushes to me at once—the wedding, making it to my new home, and Kaden tucking me in. He’s still asleep at my back, sticking to me as if he’s afraid to let me go. He’s always been a heavy sleeper when it comes to us. It was always as if he hadn’t known a good night’s rest until those few shared months we stole years ago. The bags around his eyes slowly began to vanish, taking the heaviness that always weighed him down.
I wonder if it’ll be the same?
Will he start getting better as time goes on?
Am I going to allow myself to keep sleeping beside him?
Of course I am. Especially if it helps. I’m soft that way. I can’t deny him something that he seems to need more than he’s willing to admit.
But right now?
It’s time for revenge.
I’ve let my anger take a backseat, simmering in the recesses of my mind while I enjoyed our night. I allowed us to have that, but that’s as far as my kindness extends.
He went about this the wrong way, and I’m going to make that abundantly clear. I began my plan last night after getting up to use the bathroom, and I found somethingvery intriguing just lying around. Kaden didn’t even rise as I fastened it tightly around his ankle and then slid back into bed.
I peel his arm off my waist, careful not to rustle him as I make my exit. My plan seems easy enough until I realize that I have no clothes here. With a huff, I pad into the wide walk-in closet, only to stop the moment I take in the clearly divided space.
To my right, Kaden’s clothes are neat and hung up, with his shoes resting on the floor. On the left…
Miles of sundresses, cute outfits, heels, and purses are overcrowding the space. It’s all new and pristine, as if he were only waiting for me to come home.
My mouth gapes in shock as I run my hand over a white dress with floral patterns. It’s elegant while still being casual, and I can’t help my excitement as I pull it from the hanger and get dressed for the day.
As I leave our room, I don’t close the door to make sure it doesn’t wake him, as I finally get to take in the home my stepbrother made for us. It’s lavish, with thick plush carpet on the upper floor. There are a few other rooms that I poke my head into, only to find that they’re completely empty. The only one that seems to be occupied is a small office at the end of the hallway. There’s a desk with a computer sitting on it, but that’s it.
Did he just purchase this place?
I take the stairs, thrown for a moment when I find the cozy living room adorned with houseplants and fresh flowers. The L-shaped sofa is white and wraps around the cozy space, while a vintage coffee table rests on the floor in front of the flat-screen. The kitchen is an open layout, with a fridge big enough to feed an army and a farmhouse sink that’s deep enough to hold more dishes than we could ever dirty. A crystal chandelier hangs over the island, glistening with the morning sun that’s slowly beginning to rise outside the kitchen window.
This house is beautiful.
Fuck, he makes it hard for me to hate this place.
I shake my head as I catch sight of the coffee maker on the counter. A conniving smile tugs at my lips as I retrieve the coffee grinds from the cabinet above. I make us both a cup, filling the kitchen with the scent of fresh beans as I open the stocked fridge.
I deadpan at my liquid creamer. Something in me told me he would have it, and I was right. I snatch it, stomping back to the coffee pot before I make my cup. Once my concoction is mixed, I begin my search for the key ingredient of Kaden’s drink.
Above the stove, I find it.Salt.
Kaden doesn’t take anything in his morning coffee, but that changes today. I add a pinch, not enough to make it noticeable at first, but enough to wake him up before I grab both mugs and happily skip back up the stairs.
