Page 35 of Silent Secrets

“Et tu, Brute?”

Caiden staggers as if struck, falling to his knees. Hadley’s giggles turn into full out laughter and I can’t help but join her. That’s one thing that Caiden is always good for—a laugh and knowing how to break up tension.

“You’re an idiot,” I tell him as I reach for the door again. “But you still didn’t answer me. What are you doing here?”

Caiden climbs to his feet, following me and Hadley into the room. He glances at Hadley for a moment before sobering as his eyes lock on mine.

“I wanted to check on you.”

Oh. He wanted to make sure I was okay after my father’s text. His parents must have messaged him, too.

I nod. “I’m… I’ll be fine.”

Hadley frowns as she glances between us, frowning as she tries to work out what we’re talking about. But she doesn’t ask, which I give her points for because it’s obvious that she wants to. Do I want her to know? And if I do want her to know, how much do I tell her? I hate knowing that I’m keeping something from her—though it’s not the only thing I’m keeping from her, is it? After our parents are gone tonight, the guys and I need to have a conversation.

“My father texted me a few minutes ago to tell me he and the others’ parents will be joining us for dinner tonight,” I tell her, avoiding Caiden’s eyes.

“And Caiden came to ask if you were okay, because you don’t get along with your father?”

I nod slowly, my eyes turning to Caiden in question. Did he tell her? He shrugs and shakes his head. If it wasn’t him, that only left one other person—Marcos.

“No one told me,” she says quietly, laying her hand on my arm. “It was something that Marcos said that might have implied it, but no one told me anything. But if the two of you don’t get along, then why is he coming?”

Shit, I didn’t think that far ahead.

“Probably because the rest of the parents are coming. He doesn’t want to seem like the dick he is by not showing up,” Caiden speaks up when I don’t answer. He turns his eyes on me once more. “Are you sure you’re fine?”

“I’ll be fine, Cade. Thank you.”

Caiden nods, lifting his hand to cup my cheek and I lean into the touch. I don’t know what I’d do or where I’d be without him. No, that’s not true. I know where I’d be and it wouldn’t be here. It wouldn’t be anywhere.

Caiden leans in until our lips are almost touching before he speaks. “You know I worry about you.”

“I know, and I love you for it.” I close the distance and kiss him softly before pulling back. “Now, get out and stop distracting us.”

Caiden laughs as he steps back, lifting his hand up in surrender. “I get it. I can see that I’m not wanted here.”

I roll my eyes and make a face as I turn to Hadley, finding her grinning up at me. It’s easy for me to return her smile, and for once, Caiden really doesn’t need to worry about me. Or at least not yet, because I have a beautiful woman to distract me from my self-loathing thoughts that my father has tried to drill into my brain.

Caiden pauses in the doorway, glancing over his shoulder at the pair of us. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

“Is there anything you wouldn’t do?” I call back with a laugh.

He thinks about it for a moment before shaking his head. “Maybe I should say, do something you wouldn’t usually do?”

Caiden winks, his smirk still firmly in place, before ducking out of the room and shutting the door behind him.

“At least things are never dull with Caiden around,” Hadley says.

I chuckle, glancing at her before nodding my agreement. After a moment of hesitation, I grab her hand and pull her over to the table, and we settle into our chairs. I keep ahold of her hand and when she doesn’t complain, I intertwine our fingers.

“So…” Hadley glances at me from the corner of her eye. “The first thing I want to know… you got a text? Because my cell phone doesn’t work here and that’s totally not fair.”

“Our phones work on a slightly different network, I’d think. We are in a different realm, after all. I should’ve realized sooner that you didn’t have one. Grace wouldn’t think of it. Their generation hasn’t taken to cell phones well, though they seem to love their tablets.” I shrug, running a hand through my hair as she nods.

“Thank you, Kai. I’d appreciate it. Not that I have anyone to talk to, but it’s something familiar.”

“You can always talk to me, angel. I’ll make sure that mine and the guys’ numbers are in there. And then as you meet people, you can get their numbers too if you want.”

---