Page 115 of The Obvious Check

As I take a step forward, something in me falters. My stomach sinks, and the reality I’ve been shoving to the back of my mind crashes in full force.

“I can’t.”

Cade stops, his brows drawing together as I drop my gaze, my fingers twisting in the hem of my shirt.

“I’ve, uh, got to go to Luke’s,” I admit quietly. “It’s been a week. I’ve been ignoring his texts, but I don’t think he’s going to accept ‘I’m still traumatized by you’ as an excuse for much longer.”

Cade’s entire body tenses, his jaw locking so tight I swear I hear his teeth grind. “Good,” he finally says, his voice deadly calm. “Then it’s time to let him know you aren’t doing this anymore.”

A bitter laugh escapes me. “You know I can’t just leave.”

“Of course you can.”

He turns on his heel and disappears into the bedroom, leaving me to stand there, watching him, dumbfounded. A moment later, he’s striding back out with a faint, unmistakable smirk tugging at his lips as he holds something up.

An envelope.

I frown. “What’s that?”

He flips it open with ease, revealing a thick stack of bills. “Ten thousand dollars.”

I nearly choke. My stomach knots, my brain short-circuits. I’ve never seen that much money in real life before.

“Cade… what the hell?”

He shrugs like it’s nothing. “It’s to pay off your debt with Luke.”

My pulse pounds in my ears. “I—Cade, no. I can’t accept this.”

“Yeah, you can.” His voice is firm, unwavering. “Sav, I know this wasn’t the plan. Trust me, it wasn’t the way I wanted things to go down with Luke, either. But I care about getting you out of there more than I care about doing it the right way.” His expression softens slightly. “You deserve a fresh start. Let me give that to you.”

My hands shake as I reach for the envelope, the weight of it so much heavier than just paper.

It’s freedom.

It’s the final piece to getting out.

I swallow hard and look up at him. “Cade… thank you.”

He nods, stepping forward to cup my cheek, his thumb brushing over my skin. “I’d do it a thousand times over for you, Pretty Girl.”

My chest tightens, and I believe every word he’s saying, so I take it.

“Do you want me to go in there with you?”

“No.” My response comes out sharp, but that’s because I’m determined. “I need to do this on my own. I need him to take me seriously.”

Cade nods, but the tension in his body is unmistakable. His hands flex against the steering wheel and his jaw is so tight, I’m almost certain I’ll hear it crack soon. I get it. This is going against every protective instinct he has, and although I’ve let my fiancé do a lot for me this last month, this is one thing I need to do on my own.

“I’ll be right here,” he mutters with an edge. “If you’re not back in twenty minutes, I’m coming in to find you.” His gaze is locked on the entrance as though he already knows he’ll have to.

I swallow hard, gripping the envelope in my lap. “I’ll be out before then, and hopefully it will be the last time I ever have to step foot in there.”

“Itwillbe,” he says with much more certainty. When Cade finally turns to look at me, his eyes soften for a brief second before he leans in and brushes a lingering kiss to my lips. A kiss filled with everything he wants to say but doesn’t: his worry, his frustration, his belief in me. I hold on to it for a beat longer than I should before pulling away and giving him the biggest smile I can muster through my nerves.

“I’ll be right back,” I say.

Pulling my gaze from his, I get out of the car and walk toward the flashing neon sign.

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