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I take the cart down the next aisle and suddenly feel Kaden’s warm hand on the small of my back. “Are you okay?” he asks, sounding genuinely worried.
I nod, trying not to think about the goosebumps his touch sends across my entire body. “Yes. I’m okay. Is there anything you can think of that we’re forgetting?” I ask, trying to avoid the conversation. I need a few minutes to process before I cry and make a scene.
It’s not that I still think of Damien or that I’m longing for him or anything. It’s just the fact that he’s still with her. It must have been me, not just some random hookup that went too long. He’s still with her after all this time. It must be where he wants to be….
I certainly don’t want Damien back. To be honest, it feels like a bullet I dodged. But it does still prick at the little part of me that wonders if there’s something wrong with me. I couldn’t even keep abadboyfriend. I used to blame it on his cheating ways, but he obviously put them aside for Rachel. So why couldn’t he do the same when he was with me?
Kaden adds a few more things to the cart while I muse in silence. When we are ready, we take everything up front to pay. He swipes his card, and we head outside to load the groceries. I sit in the passenger seat, watching him take the cart back inside like a gentleman. It’s such a small act, but it shocks me.
Even though Kaden’s only pretending, he treats me so much better than any of my actual boyfriends ever have. He’s more like a partner to me than Damien ever was, and we aren’t even really together!
He climbs inside and throws on some music as we head home. I finally break our silence to thank him.
“Thank you for doing that back there. You didn’t have to do that for me, but I’m so glad you did. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t intercepted them. Plus, the look on her face when you announced it made my entire year!” I laugh.
He nods. “Of course. I watched from the aisle for a minute, but then once I heard her being a bitch to you, I couldn’t resist stepping in. I’m just glad you’re not mad that I did.”
“No, of course not. I was shocked, actually, but in a good way. Plus, being able to throw in what you do for work was really just the cherry on top of it all.”
He chuckles. “It was really no problem. Plus, you’ll need to return the favor, anyways.”
My brow raises. “What do you mean?” I ask, confused.
He grins, and his pearly white teeth almost glow in the darkening car. “Tomorrow, we’ll meet my grandfather. It’s time he knows so we can get the ball rolling in the right direction. So, now instead of me owing you yet again, we can think of it as returning today’s favor. We both win.”
“Um, really? Tomorrow? But don’t I need to prepare or something first? Didn’t you say he’s a scary man…?” My heart pounds at the thought of having to face the man who is the whole reason we’re doing this in the first place.
Kaden only needs me to gain the right to his inheritance. If anything goes terrible with this meeting, the whole thing will implode on us. His grandfather is the one person weneedto convince. Am I ready?
“He’s intense. But it’s going to be just fine. This is what he wants for me, so he’s not going to be looking to poke holes. He’ll see what he wants to see – me, a happily married man just like he hoped. If I’m lucky, it’ll go perfectly, and he’ll be in a great mood thanks to our news.”
He glances over, trying to read my face. Whatever he sees there must satisfy him, and he continues after a beat. “That means today we’ll go home, cook dinner and get to bed early. I want you well rested. This is important.”
All the way home, I run through mental ideas of what to make for dinner, reflecting on our recent purchases. I want the first meal I cook for him in our home to be remarkable. I finally decide on steak and mashed potatoes as we pull into our driveway to unload the bags.
10
KADEN
As we drive towards my grandfather’s office, I can’t help but notice a deafening silence. I glance at Amber and find her staring out the window, fidgeting with her fingers slightly.
“Hey, I’m driving. Aren’t I supposed to be the tense one?” I joke, a tongue-in-cheek callback to my unchecked road rage the other day. Amber seems to snap out of her trance. My joke lands, and she looks at me with a smile on her face.
“That’s a fair point.” She laughs. “I apologize for being tense,” she says apologetically. I reach over with my free hand and place it on her leg, squeezing her thigh to reassure her.
“Don’t be. I just figured I would try and break the tension a bit,” I say, my gaze shifting back and forth between the road and her beautiful hazel eyes. Amber places her hand on top of mine, interlocking our fingers before looking back out the window.
I finally turn down the street of my grandfather’s office, trying not to let traffic bother me. I need to be cool, calm and collected when we arrive.
I feel slightly on edge, but I try not to show it for Amber’s sake. After another short period of silence, Amber shifts her gaze back to me again, a look of curiosity in her beautiful eyes.
“I recognize this area. Your grandfather must be meeting with my boss,” she says anxiously. I feel my stress levels increasing a bit at the nervous way she says it.
I really hate when she’s uncomfortable, but I hate it even more when I’m the reason for it.But I know she’s going to kill it,I remind myself as my brow furrows slightly.
“I don’t know. Maybe you’re right,” I say truthfully.
I guess we will find out shortly, won’t we?I think.
