The door slammed shut behind Catherine, the sound making Kady jump.Oh no.She broke into a run and threw the door open—-
Slade.
Kady stumbled back a step.
"Your mother says she'll be at the lounge downstairs," he said quietly.
Just seeing him, just hearing him...oh God, justknowingthat he was under the same roof as she was...
She backed up another step.
Anything to place more distance and stop her heart from breaking.
But then he followed her inside and closed the door behind him, and she realized there was just no escaping this.
"What are you here?" she whispered.
"I thought you'd appreciate the chance to throw all my words back at my face."
"I don't understand."
"I was wrong. You were right."
Kady only stared at him.
"You were - are - everything you said you were. Different. Special. The whole nine yards and then some." He was hoping it would make her lips crack with even the slightest smile, but Kady only kept staring at him, and his chest constricted.
Please. God. Please.
Don't let me be fucking late.
He tried moving forward to close the distance between them but had to stop when she tripped and nearly cracked her head against the edge of a table.
Shit.
"Kady." His voice was hoarse and uneven. "I'm in love with you."
But she just kept goddamn staring.
"And I know now...you're in love with me."
Like he could never reach her again.
"Kady. Please. Say something. Please."
He saw her jerk, pain flashing her face, and a moment later he saw her swallowing convulsively, and he realized that she would rather hurt herself - would rather force herself to speak - than see him beg.
"I'm sorry, Slade."
She saw his face whiten, and she tried, oh God, she tried so hard not to cry, but she just couldn't.
"There's something you should know about me," she heard him say.
Kady shook her head. "Please, Slade, it's just not—-"
"I'm not...I'm not someone who manages a cafe."
She watched in confusion as he typed something on his phone before giving it to her.