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A dozen times in the last few days, Cade wanted to ask Preston about her. He hadn’t, although it took tremendous willpower on his part. He believed she’d purposely stayed away because of him. It didn’t help that the tire store was across the street from the high school parking lot. He’d watched as she’d pulled in that very morning. There seemed to be no escaping her. Anger simmered below the surface. Anger at Hope, yes, but with himself. He looked for her and couldn’t seem to make himself stop.
“Are you sure you want to end this relationship?” Harry asked.
“Yeah, I’m sure.” Cade knew it was his pride speaking. Despite his determination to put Hope out of his mind, he’d epically failed. Disenchanted as he was, he couldn’t stop thinking about her. One minute he wanted nothing more to do with her and the next he missed her like a severed appendage. She had quickly become part of the fabric of his life. He longed for Hope. The fact that he’d been weak enough to feel like he needed her infuriated him even more. It was best that they both move on. She had become a crutch. The time had come to walk alone.
When the session ended, Cade’s mood hadn’t improved, but then he’d arrived with a bad attitude. He had several more community service hours to fulfill, and that was the reason he gave himself when he drove from Harry’s office to the shelter.
Preston sought him out after Cade had signed in, giving him a short list of what tasks needed doing. While Preston was speaking, Cade’s gaze wandered around the area, seeking out Hope.
To avoid her, of course, and for no other reason.
“Are you looking for Hope?” Preston asked, seeming to sense he didn’t have Cade’s full attention.
Before he could stop himself, Cade responded, making the inquiry as casual as possible. “I haven’t seen her around for a while.”
“Yeah, I know. She’s dealing with midterms.”
“That explains it.”
“Come to think of it, I haven’t seen you at the cottage, either.”
“Yeah, I’ve been busy.”
The look Preston gave him said he hadn’t been fooled. Something was wrong and he knew it. Unlike Silas, Preston chose not to push or step in where he wasn’t wanted. For that, Cade was grateful.
After Cade had finished working an hour at the shelter, he headed to his apartment. Driving past the cottage, he noticed Hope’s car parked in her usual spot. All was well with her, it seemed. He found that reassuring and then was furious with himself for caring.
The last thing she’d said to him was good-bye, and it seemed she’d meant it, which was fine, because he did, too.
