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Kaden was right. But that didn't solve my problem of helplessness.
"So what should I do?"
"Give her a safe place unaffected by all the problems. For starters."
If she wanted to. I had known Matthew and Naomi long enough to know that since Audrey's return, they would have been talking to her non-stop, trying to figure out the problem and solve it. But they wouldn't be able to change the situation– there would be no going back to Alexander, no matter how hard they tried to make him their son-in-law.
The pressure on her shoulders must be enormous. Stupidly, I felt the need to protect her, even though that wasn't really my job.
I had simply become too close to this family over the past few years. Being involved in so many things had made me care about them. I especially cared when it came to Audrey, who seemed trapped in a gilded cage that I knew all too well from my childhood.
My mother had wanted a daughter who would follow in her footsteps and enter every beauty pageant in America, and win, of course. Instead, she had a son, which didn't stop her from using me to make money. I remembered the countless photo shoots, the contracts and the auditions. And also how I had turned my back on her a minute after midnight on my eighteenth birthday and never looked back.
"And don't tell me you don't know how to get to her. There's nothing stopping you so far." As if he had read my damn mind.
Kaden and I had met a few years ago at one of the club's parties and since then we had developed something like a friendship, which had probably culminated in the wedding ceremony. Therefore, I should not be surprised that he supported my current decision. Still, it seemed a bit questionable to me, since I had never asked Kaden about a woman before.
But maybe that was because most women in my life were not a constant. At least not like Audrey.
"So, what's your battle plan?" he asked after a short while, during which I had initially avoided answering.
"She can't avoid me at work, can she?"
"Ah, yes. Harassment during work hours. That sounds more like you." An amused grin accompanied his statement.
"I wasn't talking about harassing," I muttered. On the contrary, when I visited her and assured her that I would stand by her and be on her side, that I would be there for her if she needed anything, that had nothing to do with harassment– but it had a lot to do with being a good friend.
That's what we were before the wedding day, and what was wrong with keeping that foundation, and keeping it going?
"Anyway. This is the first woman you're interested in beyond the next party. You have my support, but only if it doesn't involve you in any illegal activities."
"Are you suggesting that I might suddenly develop the tendencies of a serial killer and kidnap her if she doesn't have the reaction I'm hoping for?" Maybe that could happen in the books she liked to read. But in reality, at least for me, the basis was a little different.
"Actually, I just wanted to see your reaction."
"Well, what did it tell you?" Whatever he wanted to read in my face, I didn't think it was anything tangible.
Kaden leaned forward, which made his answer all the more exciting. "You like to have her around. And not just since yesterday."
"I like you, too, and I wouldn't put too much emphasis on it right now," I replied a bit pointedly.
Putting my relationship with Audrey into words was surprisingly difficult for me. Of course I liked her. We saw each other often. Had conversations. Got along in a way I didn't necessarily share with other people. And all that was before we'd ended up in bed, I'd cut her wedding dress off her body, and I'd spent a night so lost in her that the next morning I was seriously questioning my previous life choices. Why countless other women when I had someone like Audrey right under my nose?
Was this the great awakening that bachelors sometimes experienced? The change that meant they suddenly no longer felt the need to flirt with other women every few weeks and instead settled down with the one? In my case, of course, I preferred the one whose interest in me wasn't quite as transparent as it would have made me more relaxed.
"Let's talk about this again in a few weeks? I'd like to know if you're still claiming there are no differences between her and me."
I was reluctant to admit it, but in the end he would be right. Even though I would not say it out loud or admit it to myself, this knowledge was firmly anchored in the back of my mind.
So I shrugged and let him know that I wasn't interested. It was true, but with each further teasing on his part, I found it harder to engage in a serious conversation about the subject.
Before Kaden could start the next round, I stood up. "I think it's better if I leave now."
"To see her?"
My eyes narrowed on their own. "Yes, to see her. Do you want me to set up a live feed for you, or do you have enough faith in me that I can do it on my own?"
Amused, he raised his hands and shook his head. "No need to react like that. You know I'm on your side no matter what. If you need my help, you'll get it. The same goes for her, by the way."
