Page 49 of Heartstrings & Horizons
“Babe,” I whisper, “It’s okay.”
Something like tenderness takes over his face as he pulls me into his chest for a soul-crushing hug. Tears are threatening to spill when Cade rests his cheek on my head and whispers, “you’re perfect.”
The dam breaks and I choke back a sob — it’s no secret that I can get emotional when I’ve been drinking. Logically, I know what that man said has little to do with me and everything to do with the kind of person he is, but rational Paige isn’t in the room right now.
The person I’ve grown into — the one whoknowsshe’s beautiful — is too caught up in the what ifs, thinking about how this interaction has cast a dark cloud over what had been such a perfect day.
We stand quietly for a minute, wrapped up in his warmth, until I feel a tug on my arm as Mags breaks our embrace, leading me towards the bathroom. I glance back at Cade, who gestures for me to follow Mags. We enter the restroom and she hands me a wad of tissues to fix the mascara staining my cheeks.
“Don’t you dare let that piece of shit ruin your day,” she scolds. “There’s a hunk of a man out there who absolutely adores you; what some drunk asshole thinks of you doesn’t fucking matter. It’s your birthday and you are surrounded by people who love you, so you’re going to hold your head high and walk back out there to your fiancé.”
Does Cade love me?
An overwhelming amount of love for my best friend washes over me as I crush her in the biggest hug I can muster.
“Thanks, Mags. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Luckily, you’ll never have to find out. Now let’s get your sexy ass back out there. I need another shot.”
I feel a wave of gratitude for my best friend as we head back out to our table with zero fanfare and I take my seat next to Cade, who places his arm back around my shoulders.
“Hey, I ordered you another drink.”
“Thank you,” I say on a sigh. “Sorry about that. I get emotional when I drink,” I say, attempting to lighten the mood.
I keep my gaze trained on the table in front of me, unable to look him in the eyes, the insult from earlier echoing in my mind. I don’t want to see pity in his face, and I don’t want him to see the vulnerability in mine.
“Paige. Talk to me, please.” His voice is soft and reassuring as he tilts my face to meet his gaze.
I hesitate, the words laying heavy on my tongue. “When someone comments on my body, it’s a reminder of all the times I’ve been made to feel unworthy of love.”
Cade is listening intently, allowing me to collect my thoughts before I continue.
“I know I’m beautiful, and I’ve learned to celebrate my body for what it allows me to do. But the world is cruel and unkind to people who exist in larger bodies. They make us feel invisible, or worse, like we shouldn’t take up space. It’s taken a lot of self-reflection to love myself, but comments like that pull me back to a time when I didn’t. It took years to overcome my insecurities and honestly, I still have bad body days.” My voice cracks, tears welling in my eyes. It’s not easy for me to let someone see my weakness.
Cade reaches out and gently tucks an errant curl behind my ear, his touch feather-light. “Paige, you’re not invisible to me. You never have been. I see you, all of you, and I wouldn’t change a thing about you.”
His words wrap around me like a warm embrace. Reaching out, I take Cade’s hand in mine. His touch is gentle but firm, his palm dwarfing my much smaller hand. Leaning in to press my head against his chest, I feel his steady heartbeat against my cheek. For the first time in a very long time, I feel a sense of peace wash over me.
Cade
I wanted to pummel my fist into the face of the asshole who dared to hurt my woman, but the look on her face told me she needed me more than he needed a fist to the face.
The rest of the evening passes without incident and a makeshift dance floor is erected in the middle of the bar. A slow song plays over the speakers, and I can’t help but pull her to me as we sway to the melody. I whisper the words into her ear as she rests her head on my shoulder. I’m irrevocably falling for her; I might be halfway there already.
She runs her fingers through my hair and presses her lips to my collarbone, and suddenly a wash of heat overtakes my body. If we don’t get back to the hotel soon, I’m going to take her right here in the middle of the dance floor; public indecency be damned.
“Baby, if you keep doing that, we’re going to have a very serious problem.”
I hear Paige giggle into my shoulder before she intertwines our fingers and leads me back to the table where we say our goodbyes to her friends and she gives each one a big hug and a thank you.
Our Uber is waiting for us on the curb when we walk outside. I help Paige into the passenger seat and slide in beside her. I lean forward in my seat, locking eyes with the driver in the rearview mirror, letting him know there’s an extra tip for him if he can get us back faster. My dick has been rock hard for the last hour, and I need to get this girl naked asap. Our driver laughs and heads out into the dark streets of downtown Toronto.
Paige’s hand finds my thigh, and I almost combust on the spot. I slide my palm over hers to keep her hand from roaming. I want nothing more than to feel her fist wrapped around my cock, but I’d like to wait until we’re alone, at least. Although I do recall Paige making mention of an incident in an alleyway, and I make a mental note to ask her about it tomorrow.
We arrive at the hotel in record time and I hand the driver an additional $20 before we rush into the lobby in a frenzy. Paige slams her finger into the elevator call button in quick succession.
“Eager to get somewhere, Sunshine?”
