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His words bring a frown to my face. “Caden, I—”
Without removing his arms, Caden twists his head upwards so that his chin rests around my naval. “Summer…please just let me say this. I—Ineedto say the words.”
The earnestness in the depths of those much-loved blue eyes—eyes I can never say no to—compels me to nod, allowing him to continue.
“When you left, you took my whole entire heart with you. Until…until Bella was born, I was a shell of a man. I let everyone else dictate how my life was lived.”
Tears threaten my bottom lashes, knowing I’m utterly undeserving of his love, but greedily soaking it up for however long I can bask in it because I know once I’ve said my piece, he’ll curse the day he met me.
“When I read your letter—”
“Myletter? I didn’t leave—” I scrunch up my face in confusion, but Caden shakes his head, rising to stand and taking my face in his hands.
“I know I went off the rails after Archer died, and I’m sorry I wasn’t the man you needed me to be back then.”
His eyes rove across every plane of my face, ensnaring me in their depths, and I feel helpless in the thrall of this man—becausethenhe was a boy, butnowhe’s all man.
“But I amnow.”
“Cade, we need to—”
“Please,let me finish.” He waits for my assent before continuing. “I’ve made some piss-poor decisions in my life. I’ve done things I regret, things that I can’t undo, but, Summer…my biggest regret is losing you because in all the years since, I’veneverstopped loving you. The heart you carried with you wouldn’t allow me to quit.”
My brain feels foggy, my mouth like mush, and my soul vibrates to once again be in the periphery of its mate. IknowI’m on the precipice of something life altering.
“I loved you then. I love you still.”
It’s time to sink or swim, Summer.
My hesitance must show on my face because Cade drops his hands and steps back, giving me room to breathe but instead, my whole entire being misses his proximity. I’m hard-pressed to stand my ground when all I want is to wrap myself up in this man.
“I don’t know your reasons for leaving—your letter didn’t exactly go into detail—but I understand the time was wrong for us then. Your reasons for coming back now are your own. I’ll not pressure you to disclose that…until you’re ready.”
Goosebumps scatter across every inch of my body at the fervour in his deep blue gaze.
“Give me a week. One week to get to know each other again. Leave the past in the past and pretend we have all the time in the world. A week to prove I am the person you need me to be…”
I’m here for one reason and one reason alone. Iknowa good person would tell him that right out of the gate, but I can’t seem to get the words out.
And when his next words leave his beautiful bee-stung lips, I know I’m a goner. What harm is one final lie at this point?
I’m going straight to hell anyway; I may as well taste his love one last time before the gates to Heaven are firmly slammed in my lying face.
“A week to fall back in love with me, Bam. What do you say?”
CHAPTER5
CADEN
When I’d toldFord to bring Summer to the house, my mind ran the gamut of emotions. Shock, horror, surprise, delight, frustration, pain, finally landing on the only one that mattered.
Love.
After spending years asking myselfwhyshe’d left,whereshe’d gone, andhowshe could do such a thing, I realised at that moment that none of it mattered. Time had not dimmed my love for her.
In fact, time had amplified it.
The knowledge that she was back, within reach, sent a thrill like no other through my body.
