Page 9 of Cade

“Is there a day or time that doesn’t work for you?” He needed to get this over with quickly because actually talking to her was bringing back memories that he kept locked away for a reason.

“No. Just after work and I can do any day.”

“I’ll set it up in the app for as soon as we can, then. I’m really sorry about this, April.”

“Me too,” April’s quiet voice came back again.

Cade ended the call and quickly arranged their date, sending it over to April, and set his phone down. To say his day had taken a turn was an understatement.

In the years since he’d last seen April, he’d managed to push her out of his mind and forget the pain he felt at letting her go. Now, though, the pain was back, and it was worse knowing that she had blamed herself.

He was also completely positive that she had never meant to reveal that she was taking the blame for the break up. Cade wondered if she even realized what she said.

Either way, now he was going on a date with her again, many years too late. He would take the time to make sure that she knew for sure that she had done nothing wrong with their relationship. He wanted to use the time that they had to spend together to build her back up a little, even if he knew he’d be walking away again.

Talking to her again, hearing her voice, made him realize just how much he missed her. He had told April things that he would never take back, but at the same time he wished had hadn’t opened up to her like that. Not because she wasn’t a great listener, but because he put the burden of his thoughts on her.

Growing up had been hard with his father. The man wasn’t physically abusive, but neither was he kind. Facing the pressure of needing to be perfect and having your whole life planned out before you was stressful.

His father never missed an opportunity to make Cade feel awful or stupid. It was his specialty, always telling him he needed to toughen up and grow a spine. That lasted well into his twenties. Jake was the only other person outside of his mother and sister that knew the true extent of his father’s actions.

Cade hadn’t given in to his demands much after he’d met Jake and then quickly they had their whole friend group together, something his father had always hated. The words had never stopped from his father. Cade had just gotten better at turning them out.

Then he’d started pressing for Cade to marry. Once that began, it was a whole new level of insults and accusations that questioned everything Cade thought she knew about that man. When that hadn’t worked, the insults had moved to Jake and, eventually, Lauren.

To everyone’s complete surprise, that was where Cade had drawn the line. While he’d become used to handling his father’s special brand of crazy, it wasn’t right for him to involve Lauren simply for existing. That had led to Cade cutting him out of his life and the company and to where he was now.

Catherine’s voice interrupted his train of thought as she let herself into his apartment. She was always at the highest energy level, and while he loved her, she was a bit too much for him right now. He opened his mouth to tell her so as she sat down next to him.

“I hear you’re going on a date?”

How the hell did she know already? “Where’d you hear that one?”

“I know that you’re next, so a date must be soon. I wanted to see if I can get in on the pool to throw a woman at you.” She winked and slipped off her heels, pulling her feet up on the sofa.

“No.” Cade stood, trying to end that conversation.

“I can just ask the guys, but I think I have someone that might be perfect for you,” Catherine whined.

“Don’t do that voice. It doesn’t work on anyone and it sounds terrible,” Cade reminded her.

“It works on some people. You’re just cold and heartless.”

Cade shrugged. He’d been called worse.

“It was worth a shot. But I could make you a deal. If you let me do this, then I won’t bother you for a year about dating someone.”

A bubble of shocked laughter escaped him. “That’s a lie if I ever heard one.”

“I’m just trying to be helpful,” she smiled back at him.

“You’re trying to be a pest.”

“I did a good job with Jake and Lauren. Who’s to say I wouldn’t do that for you, too?”

“I already have a date this week. Let’s see how that one goes before we even have this conversation again. What’s going on with you?”

Catherine wasn’t usually pouty or whiney. She could do it, but normally she was more of the strong, independent type of woman that just demanded everyone follow her lead. It usually worked well for her, too.

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