Page 73 of That One Moment

“Oh! Absolutely!” I joke.

He laughs again, and fuck me, but happy Caiden is going to wreck my heart with how fast he's making it beat. My ears burn, and if I saw myself in the mirror, I'm sure I'd see bright red spots on my cheeks too.

“We need drinks!” I say, clearing my throat and rubbing the back of my neck.

Caiden keeps hold of our seats while I head to the bar and order us two beers. The bartender, a guy around my age, takes my payment then starts filling our glasses, pulling two pints from the tap.

“When did this place get a makeover?” I ask him.

He looks over my shoulder at the crowd gathering behind me. “Probably about three or four months ago. The original owners emigrated to somewhere warmer and sold it to this couple who closed it down for a bit and turned it into this.” He taps at the dark brown stetson on his head.

“It’s an interesting place,” I muse.

The bartender chuckles. “The locals love it. Themed nights, bargain cocktails and there's talk of adding one of those mechanical bull things. Personally, I think the whole thing isa little cheesy but they pay well.” He shrugs, pushes my beers forward, then turns his attention to the next person in line.

“Sorry that took so long,” I say once I’m back at our seats. “This place may look different but it’s hugely popular.”

We make small talk while sipping our beers, our knees intertwined as we lean into each other. Eventually though, I bring up the one thing we’ve been dancing around.

“What time do you have to leave tomorrow?” My stomach gives a tug and I take a sip of beer and ignore the pang.

“My train’s at two. Dad has an early meeting but said he’ll be home by lunch to see me off.”

“Do you think you’ll move back here?” It’s been on the tip of my tongue to ask him for days now but I’ve been too afraid of the answer. He’s gotten really close with Duncan - their relationship having quickly evolved into something I haven’t before seen between them, but I don’t know if that’s enough reason for him.

Caiden looks around the bar before his blues meet my greens. “I don’t know. Being back has been great but there’s a lot about this town I don’t miss.” I get that. Our little Devonshire seaside town is small, uneventful and apart from in the summer seasons when it’s rammed with tourists, is nothing but a tiny blip on the map. Kingston, by comparison, sits on the outskirts of London, it’s large and never sleeps - there’s always something going on there. Part of me though, doesn’t believe that’s the only reason he’s hesitant to come back.

There’s a lull in the conversation, both of us aware that there’s more that needs to be said but, in what seems to have become the norm for us, we ignore it and change the subject.

“Dance with me?” I ask, tipping my head towards the dancefloor where a group is attempting to line dance, led by an older man in leather chaps and a stetson to match the one the bartender was wearing.

“You can’t be serious?” Caiden eyes the group warily while shaking his head.

Jumping out of my seat, I take both his hands in mine. “I told you we were going to dance tonight. Come.”

He scowls but it’s all for show, his body falling into mine as he stands from his stool. “I don’t do shit like this,” he says. My lips brush the tender spot behind his ear which is a central line to his dick and he moans softly. “You have far too much power over me,” he whines playfully.

“I like getting my way,” I say, turning him and pushing him towards the dance floor. We join the group of girls who were sitting near us earlier, and spend the next few hours doing badly choreographed dances toAchy Breaky Heartand a playlist of country music I’ve never heard before. We’re both sweaty, a little tipsy and so fucking happy, my muscles hurts from smiling.

Caiden was clearly born with two left feet and no rhythm, but he’s so fucking endearing and utterly gorgeous - all black locks and rosy cheeks - that I can’t stop watching him. When he trips over his own feet and stumbles into me, my body sings at his proximity.

“I’m going to miss you,” he says, his words slurring. “Long distance can work, don’t you think? Not like it’s even that big of a distance. We can see each other on weekends.”

Ask me to come with you.

I think of everything I have going for me here - which quite honestly, is nothing - and wonder if starting over somewhere else, much like he did, is exactly what I need. Opening my mouth to tell him, I’m halted by the appearance of someone in front of me that I hoped to never see again.

Caiden is chest to chest with me, his back to the woman standing on the edge of our group. Why and how is she here? Why tonight? Why can’t he ever catch a break?

My mind races to find a way to get Caiden out of the bar before either of them notice each other. But, I’m too late. The dark haired woman, with features so much like his, walks towards us.

“Caidy? Is it really you, baby?” she yells over the music. People around us stop what they’re doing to stare at her.

Caiden’s eyes widen seconds before he spins on his heels, coming face to face with his mother.

“Mum?”

She rushes him, throwing her arms over his shoulders dramatically, bringing back memories of the way she acted at Cooper's funeral. Caiden tenses and takes a step back. She drops her hold on him - thankfully before I had the chance to rip her away - and frowns.

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