Page 18 of Confusing Cade
I opened my mouth to push back on her, but she rushed onward.
“It’s one an afternoon, Bella. It’s not like he’s asking you to sign your soul over to him,” Kyra added. “You might even find it... I don’t know, therapeutic. Maybe being there could help you lay some of that grief to rest.”
Her words hung in the air, heavy but not wrong.She’s kind of right.The grief I carried was a beast, always threatening to pull me under into a vast ocean of sadness. It had been exhausting, treading water through that and everything else just to keep my head above the surface. Cutting that weight loose, even a little, sounded tempting. And then there was Cade. The thought of him stirred something else, a flicker of heat I hated admitting. That lazy smirk of his, the way his voice dipped when he said my name, like it was a secret he was letting me in on. It was infuriating.
And straight-up fire.
I poked at some cheese, dodging Kyra’s stare. “He’s got no business asking me for shit. But still...” I trailed off, pissed at the heat crawling up my neck. “There’s just something about him, Kyra.”
Kyra’s lips quirked, like she was holding back a smirk. She leaned in, voice low. “What’s the worst that could happen?”
I sighed, swirling the wine in my glass, watching it catch the light. She really did have a point, as much as I hated it. The grief,the anger, the stupid, stubborn spark I still felt when I thought of the Weston family...maybe facing him head-on will cut through some of that.
“There’s something else,” Kyra said, her voice carrying a sharp edge that snapped my gaze to her.
“What?” I asked, wary, the wineglass stilling in my hand.
She shifted, looking a bit sheepish as her fingers traced the rim of her glass. “I ran into Cade at the gym the other day, and he asked me to help convince you to do this.” Her eyes flicked to me. “He mentioned he’d work on getting the bar a better deal for the lease renewal.”
I stared, my jaw dropping. “Seriously?”
“That’s not why I think you should do it,” Kyra said quickly, raising her hands defensively. “I was testing him, seeing how far he’d go. And Bella, he’s serious about this. He wants you involved.” She leaned forward, her voice lowering. “He also said something about opening doors with his network. That could be huge for your career.”
I snorted. The idea was almost laughable. “Now I know I probably shouldn’t.”
“Bella, please...” Kyra’s eyes softened, pleading, but there was a glint of determination there too.
I set the glass down, the soft clink against the table sounding louder than it should. My chest tightened, a mix of defiance and curiosity stirring. Cade’s promises, his world of favors was tempting. But it also meant digging up the past, and I wasn’t sure I was ready.Still... “Okay,” I said finally, the word heavy with reluctance. “I’ll think about it.”
Kyra’s face lit up, her smile all confident and hype. “You’re not gonna regret this, Bella. Swear.” I forced a half smile, hoping she was onto something.
“Okay, so last night at the bar, this total creep rolls in, wedding band tan line screaming ‘married,’ but he’s clearly on the prowl,” Kyra said. “Such a lame move. Guys, am I right?”
I groaned. She dished how two savvy women shut him down before he found some other chick. But we laughed, which was what I had truly needed with my best friend tonight. She was good for my soul, always had been.
Still, as I popped some prosciutto, half tuned in to her story, I couldn’t shake Cade’s image, and how slick and charming he’d be at that ribbon cutting. Part of me was totally not stoked about it.
And part of me felt more energized than I had in a long time.Was that because of seeing Cade or of supporting something my father had once dreamed about coming to life?
CHAPTER NINE
CADE
I was on my second bourbon when David walked through the front door of Café Maison, a long-standing watering hole near the northernmost bridge connecting Palm Beach to the mainland. He clapped my shoulder as he walked up to the empty seat next to me at the bar, then pointed at my empty first glass, which the bartender hadn’t yet taken away. “Two already?”
