Page 125 of Fight for You

"Bedroom," I mumble and shoot him a reassuring smile. "I'll be right back."

He watches me carefully for a second and then nods.

I shuffle to the bedroom, shaking my head. He really doesn't like letting me out of his sight. If he could carry me everywhere like he did when I was little, he'd do it without hesitation, but I don't let him. Like I said, I found my own strength. Being with Cade makes me feel powerful, but I'm finally starting to realize I had that power the whole time.

It's a good feeling.

Once I make it to the bedroom, I hesitate for a split second like I always do. I keep expecting to step inside and find Kaleo's body on the floor and his blood all over the walls. But Cade had everything taken care of before I was released. The floors have been stripped and freshly waxed and the walls repainted a deep blue. He even replaced all of the bedroom furniture, saying he didn't want me to have a single reminder of Kaleo left in this room.

He hid all my posters and covered the walls with framed photographs of the two of us together as kids. We smile down from all sides of the room. Sometimes, it's just the two of us smiling and making faces at the camera. Other times, Titan is with us. Every single memory Cade hung on the walls makes my chest ache in the best way possible.

I hurry to the closet and pull it open, smiling when I see his clothes hanging next to mine in the small space. They're all mixed up together like they belong that way. I love seeing them there. Pushing them aside, I reach for the box I've only taken down once in the last seven years…the night Kaleo shot me.

"Crap," I groan when my abdomen throbs painfully, reminding me that I'm not as healed as I like to think I am. Maybe I shouldn't be doing this on my own. The last thing I want to do is end up back in the hospital with a catheter tube between my legs. No part of that was comfortable or fun.

Before I can call for Cade, he's there, wrapping an arm around my waist and gently pulling me backward until I'm flat-footed on the floor. I lean into his hard body and sigh happily, content to be in his arms.

"You're not supposed to be reaching over your head, baby girl," he admonishes me, his voice as gentle as the kiss he presses to my temple. "You're going to hurt yourself."

"I need that box."

"I'll get it," he says and easily plucks the box in question from the shelf.

"Being short is so annoying," I complain when he releases me. "Literally everything I want is over my head. Even the shower caddy is over my head."

"Are you complaining about me washing your hair for you?"

"Nope. Definitely not." I love having him around to take care of me. He's spoiling me rotten, and I love every second of it. But still…being short sucks. Not that Cade would know since he never needs help reaching anything.

He chuckles and carries the box over to the bed. Once he puts it down, he comes back for me and sweeps me up in his arms.

"I can walk," I breathe.

He grunts wordlessly and then gives me those dimples. "Yeah, but you feel better in my arms, little monster."

I shut up and let him carry me.

What's not to love about feeling all those muscles working together just for me?

He deposits me on the bed beside the box before crawling up beside me and tugging me into his arms. I cuddle up next to him and breathe him in. He smells so good. I love being completely surrounded by him like this. It's perfection.

"What's in the box?" he says like Brad Pitt in S7ven, making me laugh.

"Open it up, Brad Pitt," I tease him, hooking my foot around the edge of the box to drag it closer to us.

He eyes it for a moment before shrugging and pulling it open. His expression morphs from curiosity to surprise and then to some emotion I can't name.

"Baby girl," he rasps, dumping out the contents.

All the little gifts he gave me over the years fall into his lap. Everything he ever gave me, I kept.

"I couldn't get rid of it," I whisper to him as he runs reverent hands over one item after another, not speaking. "Mariah tried to convince me to burn it all to forget you, but I didn't want to forget. I put it all in here because I wanted to be brave enough one day to look back and remember how happy we were together."

"January," he whispers, his voice choked with emotion. He holds up the ring he gave me, his hand shaking. "You kept it?"

"In my heart, I always belonged to you, Cade."

"Fuck," he breathes, staring down at the ring like it might disappear if he takes his eyes off it. "When I put a ring on your finger next time, it's forever, baby girl. I hope you know that." He says this like it's a warning, but it sounds more like heaven to me.

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