Page 160 of The Single Dads Club
She licked her lips, her expression solemn. “I guess we both hurt each other.”
I met her eyes and the pain reflected back at me was almost too much to bare. We had hurt each other. We’d said and did things we didn’t mean and Ihated that.
Though I knew I shouldn’t, that it was none of my fucking business, I couldn’t get that prick she’d been on a date with out of my head. “Lex…” I inched closer to her on the couch, dropping my voice lower, “that guy…Peter…is it serious?”
She licked her lips and shook her head. “No, not really. Well, not for me anyway.”
My jaw tightened and my possessive streak reared his head. “Has he touched you?”
Her eyes snapped open and met mine. “Do you know what you’re saying?” A tense silence hung in the air around us. “We’re dating, as in me and him. Not me and you. You don’t get a say in who touches me.”
Well, I guess that cleared that up. I’d fucked up royally with her. But the thought of someone else’s hand on her made me want to hit something.Hard. “For what it’s worth, I am sorry about everything. Well, not everything. There’s no way in hellI’d takeback that night with you,” I admitted. “Or every single minute we shared together.”
Her body went rigid. “You’re an asshole, you know that?” She stood and paced in front of the couch, seeming to draw strength from her anger—an anger that was currently being directed at me. “If you needed money for Lily, all you had to do was ask.”
“Absolutely no fucking way. That is completely out of the question.” I shook my head and stood. I didn’t take handouts. Plain and simple. It was a promise I made myself when I took custody of Lily rather than having her end up in foster care. I would take full responsibility forher and her needs and I’d do whatever it took to support her. End of story.
Alexa spun towards me, her hands landing on her hips. “I knew what you did and I had no right to be hurt by it, but the fact that you could betray me that way, after the night we shared—by turning to adult movies rather than put your macho ego aside and ask for the money…” She wiped away the tears that had escaped the corners of her eyes. “I can’t forgive that…I can’t get over it. I’m sorry.”
“I am, too.” I stood and kissed her forehead, before disappearing through the front door and leaving her apartment.
Fuck!The curse ripped through my chest as I peeled out of her complex. I slammed my hand against my dash, cursing as I accelerated toward home.
After driving around aimlessly until I got my heart rate under control, I was surprised to see an hour had passed. Being with her today, watching her break down, I knew there was no way in fuck I could walk away and forget her. I’d wanted to hold her, wipe away her tears, kiss away her sobs and make everything right again. But she wasn’t mine anymore. And that realization was like a punch to the gut. Fuck it. I was not giving her up this easily.
Just the thought of going back home without her, back to my empty life, and waking up to an empty bed every morning… No. I wouldn’t settle. Not this time. I wanted to see her lift Lily onto her hip again, make her giggle the way she had before. Maybe I wasn’t worthy of her love, but I was just selfish enough to try.
I made a quick phone call, asking Sophia if she wouldn’t mind staying with Lily a little longer. Hell, what I was about to do could take five minutes or all night if I had my way. I told Lily I loved her and to listen to Sophia.
“Love you, Caden!” her little voice rang in my ear.
“Love you too, baby girl.” Lily’s faith in me calmed me more than a little bit, and I pulled a U-turn, anxious to get back to Lex.
I knocked at the door I had fled from just over an hour ago, but this time, my nerves were crackling. She’d made it clear she was no longer interested, but her tears told me there was more to it. She was still hurting, so maybe I still had a chance to fix this.
“Go away, Kenz!” Alexa’s muffled voice called from inside. “Vodka won’t fix me this time.”
I knocked again. “It’s Cade.”
The door flew open. The sweet scent of her skin and her hazy blue eyes sent a streak of desire straight down my spine.
“Cade?” She swayed on her feet and I reached out to steady her, gripping her upper arms. I couldn’t seem to stop touching her, even though she practically winced each time I did so.
“Whoa. I’ve got you.” I needed to get my shit together, to find the right words to make her understand. But I’d never been good at romantic speeches, and I doubted that was going to change now. I’d just have to find a way, without words, to show her exactly how I felt.
And more importantly, I had to make sure she believed in me. Inus.
Chapter 23
Alexa
“Cade? What are you doing here?” I stepped back, out of his grasp. “I called MacKenzie after you left and thought it was her coming to…come over.” I’d been about to say cheer me up, but doing so would have implied I was a complete wreck. I didn’t want to give him that kind of power over me.
“Can I come in?”
My brain had apparently taken a leave of absence, because I stepped back, allowing him to enter my apartment yet again. His musky scent washed over me, and I wanted nothing more than to bury my face in his neck and inhale.No, Alexa. No. Crap, maybe the three vodka shots I’d slammed in quick succession after he’d left hadn’t been such a good idea. My hands were already shaking and I was struggling to remain upright.
I retreated into the kitchen and downed one more shot for good measure, before Cade entered the kitchen behind me. He recapped the bottle of vodka and placed it back inside the freezer.
