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“What if I allowed you to be with her, too—if that’s what she wants?” I asked him.
He looked at me like I had lost my mind. “And what?” he asked me. “Be in a relationship like Axel and Julian?” he demanded. I shrugged because that was exactly what I’d been thinking. “That’s fucking ridiculous, Christian, and you know it. I’m bi. I like men and women—prefer men. If I were to try being with her, too, she wouldn’t be able to take it if I decided to have a boyfriend as well. She’s too fragile for that shit.” He shook his head at me. “I’m good with being her friend, Christian. I’ll get over my shit eventually.”
I sighed. “I think she likes you, too, Caiden,” I told him. He only stared at me, not a hint of what he was thinking or feeling on his face or in his eyes. I fucking hated that he hid his shit so well sometimes. “I don’t think she realizes it yet, but the longer you’re around, I can see it clearer every day. You spark a fire in her that I’ve never seen in her.”
“I’m not walking away from her, Christian. I’m basically her best friend right now. So, you don’t have to worry about that.”
“And if she admits one day that she has feelings for you?” I asked him.
He sighed, running his hands down his face. “I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.” He grunted and turned on his heel. “I’m done with this conversation, Christian.”
“Caiden,” I called, making him turn to look at me, “whatever decision you decide to make when the time comes—because it will come—don’t fucking rip her heart out.”
He sighed. “I’ll do my best, bro.”
Ally
Caiden stepped out of his room wearing a pair of black slacks and a white, button-down shirt. His dark hair was still slightly messy. He always had the most untamable hair. It was curly and unruly now that he was letting it frow out from his military cut.
“Finally landed a job interview?” I asked him.
He nodded as he sat on the couch next to me to pull on his shoes. “Yeah.”
I frowned. For the past few days, he had been kind of short with me, lost in his own head most of the time. I grabbed his bicep, swallowing thickly when his arm flexed beneath my hand. He looked over at me, those dark eyes clashing with my brown ones. “Are we okay, Caiden?” I asked him.
He smiled at me—that easy-going Caiden smile—and my worries and fears disappeared. “We’re good, Ally,” he assured me. “I just have a lot on my mind lately—that’s all.”
“Want to talk about it?” I asked him. I didn’t like the idea of him suffering in silence.
He stood up from the couch and brushed his lips to my forehead. I drew in a deep breath, inhaling the scent of his cologne—something spicy with earthy undertones. “Maybe later. I need to go. Call me or Christian if you need one of us, okay?”
“Alright.” I squeezed his hand as I smiled up at him. “Good luck, Caiden.”
He flashed me a grin before he walked out of the house. I stared after him, rubbing my hand against my chest as it began to ache a little.
Why did my heart skip a beat when he kissed my forehead?
I set down the TV remote when the sound of knocking reached my ears. With a frown, I stood up from the couch, moving to go answer the door. We never got visitors. Who in the world would be here knocking? If my brother or Meghan stopped by, they’d call or text first.
I was not expecting to see Randall on the other side of it.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded to know, my heart thumping hard and fast in my chest. I wasn’t prepared to face him by myself. “And how in the hell did you find out where I live?”
“Not hard to find out when your little fuck boy works for your brother,” Randall retorted. I clenched my jaw. “Are you going to invite me in?” he asked.
I snorted. “No.”
I moved to slam the door shut, but he shoved it back open, knocking me on my ass. I shrieked in alarm. He stepped into the house, slamming the front door shut behind him. Fear clawed at my throat, squeezing the air from my lungs.
“Heather fucking left me all because of you,” he sneered at me. “You fucking ruined everything.”
“I didn’t do anything!” I exclaimed as I scrambled up from the floor, trying to put distance between us. My heart was hammering fast and hard in my chest, making me dizzy and nauseated. My blood was pumping too fast in my veins.
“She took my kids from me, and she’s filing for divorce. You couldn’t have it all with me, so you destroyed my marriage. It’s just like you. Always a fucking attention-seeking whore. If you’re not happy, no one else can be.”
