Page 62 of Fragile Kiss (Fragile 2)
“Welcome to the deep-thinkers’ club!” Lillian held up her hand to give him a high-five. Seeing the little smile on her face—the tiny, real smile, not the forced one—brought a huge grin to his own.
“I hate being away from you, Lil.” He didn’t even realize he’d said it until it was out. That wasn’t part of my rehearsed lines, he thought, starting to panic just a little. What am I supposed to say next? That threw my whole rhythm off!
“Your plants hate being away from you, too.” It was her way of trying to avoid talking about this, and they both knew it.
He didn’t let that stop him. Already, he was in too deep; this was now or never. “I don’t want to stay in Los Angeles.”
“Where do you want to be?”
“With you,” he said so quickly he almost cut her off.
Lillian just looked at him. “Cayden...”
“I don’t care, Lil. I want to be where you are. If it’s back home, I’ll be there. I’m planning to move back next week anyway.”
“But you have so many people who want to hire you in Los Angeles,” she protested.
“So do you.”
She looked down.
“And if you decide that you want to go back for a while, work with all these people who also want you...” So many words fought to come out, he wasn’t sure where to start. “I’ll come with you. I don’t care. I just—I can’t stand being apart from you any longer.”
“I hold you back, Cayden.” Her voice was low and level. “It started with the parties you had at your house, then me getting hopelessly drunk on my own porch. You literally had to save me in my own house.”
“I loved it.”
“It’s embarrassing,” she snapped. “Your life is so carefree and fun. Mine is full of medicines and food journals and not-fun stuff.”
“It doesn’t matter to me.” He leaned forward. “Lil, I don’t fall for someone because they’re not on meds and are in perfect health. I mean, you know my relationship history, with my parents and then with my ex. I don’t just choose someone out of nowhere. I’m careful with who I start something with.”
“You’re flattering.” Lillian hugged her knees tighter. The unfriendly white light of the bedside lamp reflected off a fresh clump of tears rimming her eyelid.
Cayden ran his hands through his hair and looked at the clock on the wall. Two-thirty in the morning. “I don’t know what I can say that will convince you that my life is richer with you in it.”
She turned her head towards him very slightly, but enough for him to notice. She’s listening, he thought, and turned his chair to face her. “This might be corny,” he began, putting his hand on her arm. She didn’t move it. “But I feel like something is missing when I’m not with you. These last few months have been agonizing for me. Lil, I’m serious. You have to believe me.”
“There are so many gorgeous women in Los Angeles, though,” she whispered. “Women who have no health problems and who love to party and travel.”
“But Lil,” he leaned closer, looking directly in her dark eyes, “they aren’t you.”
A tear fell to her chin.
He wiped it away with his thumb. “You’re strong in places that I’m not. It kills me to say it, because I want to be the one who can take perfect care of you. But the truth is, you take care of me as much as I do you, whether you realize it or not—if not more. Probably more, actually. It’s just my ego talking.”
She sniffed. “Cayden.”
“Please, Lil. Try to believe what I’m saying. I couldn’t tell you back in Los Angeles. I was going to talk with you tonight about it, but you were gone. I can’t keep it in any longer.”
The corner of her mouth twitched. “I’m going to ignore that innuendo.”
He chuckled. “Unintended.”
They looked at each other.
“Do you believe me?” he asked, hoping he would be able to hear her past the thud of his heart and the beeping of the machines. He thought he saw her nod, but it was so slight he couldn’t be sure. He took a breath and forced his voice out. “Can we try again? Now that I’m not going to be gone any longer, can we give it another whirl?”
He felt her skin against his hand, the tiny goose bumps rising in the chill of the night. He saw every individual eyelash and freckle. Please say yes, he begged silently. I couldn’t bear to be away from this beautiful creature again.
