I stepped back, creating space between us. “I get it, okay? You don’t have to worry about me getting any more attached to you than I already am, because I’m pulling myself away. I can’t compromise myself for someone who doesn’t see me. You said it yourself. The most valuable currency we have to offer is our time. If it’s important, we sacrifice for it, we make the time, and I’ve given you so much of mine. But I’m done. I can’t do it anymore.”
I wiped the tears from my cheeks as more came, defeating my attempts altogether.
As Damien took a step toward me, I took one back. “Cay, please. I can explain everything.”
I shook my head. “It’s too late.”
“It can’t be.”
“The worst part is, I would have handed you every piece of me. Everything. If you had only tried a little harder to catch me, you would have. But it’s a good thing you didn’t. You won’t give me any piece of you, only enough to keep me on the line.”
“Cadence. Please.”
“I need you to leave, and as I said before, don’t call me anymore.”
Damien didn’t move. He seemed frozen. Those ice blue eyes focused on me, and his red hair looked as if he’d run his hands through it over and over.
He was every bit as handsome as I remembered.
But I needed to stay strong. I needed it for me.
“Okay. Fine. You win.”He gave me one last look, pain lingering in his eyes, before walking out the door.
As the door shut behind him, my body gave out and I slid to the floor.
Chapter Thirty
Damien
Spring
Iwas officially in my sad-boy era.
Alone in the house I’d bought almost a year ago to be closer to Violet and the kids, the silence that surrounded me was louder than any other noise. The place was empty, the walls bare. I’d never been here long enough to actually settle in.
My home was just like me. Empty on the inside.
Sure, I had the essentials. But nothing in here made it mine. I’d even left the interior the pale blue color from the previous owners.
The only indication I lived here was the plethora of take-out containers that I’d stacked in the kitchen.
Thanks to the new delivery services, both food and groceries were brought straight to my door. I only went outside for band stuff or to go to Violet’s.
It’d been three months since Cadence kicked me out of her life, with good reason. I’d written a handful of woeful songs toencompass my tortured feelings. The band was thrilled with the progress, for obvious reasons, but I’d only wanted to make those emotions disappear.
Spoiler alert—they didn’t.
You know the saying: You don’t realize what you have until it’s gone?
Yep. Totally true.
Although, I knew what I had.
My arm had been twisted into letting her go. A pawn in Elijah’s world.We both were.
I didn’t want to let her go then, and I honestly didn’t want to let her go now, but I had to try to move forward.She had made it clear where she stood.
I’d tried to get Cadence to listen to me, to hear me out, plead my case.
