Page 18 of Fragile Kiss (Fragile 2)
He stopped, and he felt his heart take a single hard thud before it froze for just a moment. That was Andrew’s car.
As he realized it his brain put all the pieces together, and suddenly the shape of the car there in the dark was as clear as day. Andrew had come to stay at Lillian’s house a few months ago when he was in town on business. It was the first time they had seen each other in years since, his sister Amelia’s death. They had a grand time catching up, but Cayden sensed that something was up the minute Andrew walked in the house.
I knew it, he fumed, unable to tear his eyes away from the screen. I knew he would make his move as soon as I was out of the picture. His brain started to fly to the extremes. Maybe Andrew had been subtly suggesting Lillian break it off. That way it wasn’t technically cheating. That must have been what happened. It had to be. Why else would Andrew be over at her house? The timing was too perfect.
Cayden wondered how long Andrew had been there. Perhaps since right after he left. Lillian probably called him s
obbing, since he was the only person she was close to besides Cayden—when they were still together, that is. Andrew probably drove over right then to be with her.
He fluctuated between anger and sorrow, wondering how he would ever be able to return home when that was going on next door. Los Angeles was great but he wasn’t sure he wanted to move here permanently, even as much as Janine would love that. She was already spreading the word about him; he had accepted a couple of new clients just to help him kill time. He was getting calls every day about meeting more potential ones, but he kept turning them down because he had set his eyes on one thing: returning home to be with Lillian. And he couldn’t establish himself here too much if he wanted to go somewhere else as soon as possible.
He hated the thought of her getting together with Andrew, but it made sense why she broke up with him so suddenly and why she was so adamant they both move on. Something just didn’t quite click about this to him, though. Lillian wasn’t the type to do this.
That’s what I said about the others, too, he reminded himself, and put the phone down a little too hard. Scooping it back up, he scrutinized the screen for any sign of cracks. There were none. He sighed and put it back down, letting himself crash back down on the bed.
“I can’t believe it,” he muttered to the ceiling, staring at it and half-wishing there was a TV screen up there to distract him. He had never been so upset about a breakup before; he couldn’t figure out why he was thinking about it so much. Maybe it was the suddenness of it. He couldn’t tell.
At last he got up to get a glass of water and check his phone. Now would be a good time to respond to all those messages that had been building up over the last few hours. Act normal, he told himself, opening the text at the top. Nothing is wrong, as far as anyone else knows.
The message was from one of the extra clients he had taken on. Her name was Katharina, and she was the type of physically gorgeous that had made her an immediate celebrity on social media. When he had met her last week, the day before the breakup, he noted how beautiful she was but didn’t think any further of it.
Handsome, the message read, I’ve got nothing to do tomorrow. What are your plans?
Cayden heard her accent in his head as he read it. It was so thick that it was nearly impossible to forget. He couldn’t remember where she was from originally, but he wondered if all the women there looked like she did. When he tried to picture anyone else, Lillian appeared in his mind. His miserable mood resurfaced.
I don’t want to do anything, he thought in reply. I especially don’t want to see another woman. The idea of it put him in a worse mood, because when he saw himself with someone else he saw Lillian with Andrew. And he knew that it shouldn’t be Andrew next to her. It should be him.
He slammed his fist against the wall, suddenly feeling very hot. Pressure built up inside and he heard a yell rip through his throat. Somewhere in the back of his mind he told himself it was okay, since Janine and her husband weren’t home. The space was all his for now.
Stomping across the room he flung the window open wider and leaned before it, pressing his forearms on either side. His heart pounded, his blood pumped, and after a moment he let out another groan. This one didn’t sound so angry.
I just want to fix it, he admitted. I just want to fix this. I don’t want it to be this way.
Quietly, he heard Lillian’s voice reading the text she had sent. We should both see other people. I think it will help put things in perspective.
“Yeah,” he grunted, “you saying this weekend was a mistake also put some things in perspective.”
The room felt small and tight. He needed to get out. Snatching his phone he walked out, skipping down the stairs two at a time until he was on the sidewalk. A hint of wind cooled off his skin.
We should both see other people. I think it will help put things in perspective.
He didn’t want to hear it again, but it wouldn’t stop. Finally, when he had walked for a few minutes, he made a decision.
Maybe I should go with Katharina. Hesitantly, he opened her message again and stared at it. At least it will be a distraction.
Trying to ignore the fact that it still felt wrong to be agreeing to go out with another woman, he typed a response. I’m also doing nothing tomorrow.
Sending the message strangely made him feel a bit better. He looked around at where he stood, at the neighborhood he hadn’t really explored yet, but felt disconnected. He turned back.
The phone buzzed. It was her.
We can find some way to pass the time together. Join me for dinner. The Japanese restaurant near my gym.
It didn’t sound like much of a question, and he didn’t have the energy to fabricate some excuse. See you then, he replied, and slipped his phone back into his pocket. Something excited him about tomorrow, somewhere between the pain of losing Lillian and the uncertainty of the future.
I guess I’ll just make the best of it, he thought, and sent his answer: See you there.
“POSE!”
