“Right,” Sean said, his words laced with disbelief. “Because that’s all she means to ye? The mother of our future hope?”
There was a pause. When Caden finally spoke, he sounded quieter, more subdued. “I can’t allow her to mean anything more.”
The hell did that mean?
“Why not?” Sean pressed, gentler now, but no less insistent. “Ye should get to know her. She’s pretty awesome, ye know.”
Oh Sean. That made me smile.
“I don’t doubt it,” Caden replied, his voice softening slightly, the edge of certainty wavering. “But it’s best I keep my distance.”
“Why?” Sean pressed, and I could hear a note of frustration creeping into his rhythm.
“Because it’s what I want,” Caden said firmly, his reply clipped and final.
Another tense silence fell between them.
“Fine, if it’s what ye want,” Sean finally said. “Anything else ye want to tell me?”
There was a brief pause before Caden spoke again, his tone carrying the torment of regret. “I shouldn’t have been angry with Emma for not telling me about her translation. I was wrong to expect it from her.”
Sean’s response came quickly, skeptical and edged. “And why is that?”
Caden exhaled, and I could almost hear a fraction of remorse in his sigh. “I hadn’t given her any reason to trust me with such information. Honestly, I’m lucky she hasn’t killed me after what we put her through at Coastal. Every time I see her arm…” His voice faltered, raw emotion slipping through. “I keep thinking about how much she must hate me.”
As I listened to his confession, a sharp pang hit me—anger, hurt, or maybe something more complicated I didn’t want to admit.
Sean spoke again, the earlier edge stripped away completely. “Is that why ye want to keep your distance? Because yer afraid she might not forgive ye?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. No. I just think it’s for the best.”
Nothing else was said, but the heaviness in the room spoke volumes.
Sean finally broke the quiet, sounding a little tired. “All right, if that’s what ye think is best. Now can we wrap this up? I’m starving.”
Caden chuckled softly, chasing the tension from the room. “Sure. Why don’t you head down to the kitchen and get us something? I’ll go get Emma from her room.”
Fuck.I needed to get there before him. But how?
“Sounds like a plan,” Sean said. I heard the rustle of fabric as Sean stood up from the chair, followed by the soft creak of the chair settling back into place. Caden’s footsteps were faint as he moved, likely heading toward the door. “I’m hoping for something more than leftover crumbs.”
“I’ll cook you something myself if necessary,” Caden replied, his tone warm with amusement.
“I’m notthathungry,” Sean said playfully, which must’ve earned him a punch or something, as he added a grunted “ouch.”
The door creaked open, and I heard their footsteps growing fainter.
The room grew very still, with only the faint echoes of their departure lingering.
I remained hidden behind the couch, trying to steady my heartbeat, racing from the intensity of the conversation.
I had managed to portal back into my room right before Caden came knocking on my door. I told him I was too tired to eat and asked for a rain check, my mind still reeling from the conversation between him and Sean.
But not ten minutes later, another knock echoed through the room.
Grumbling, I wondered what a girl had to do around here to get some rest. As I opened the door, three figures materialized before me. I recognized them from Caden’s team—Rocco, Emile, and Kate.
My eyebrows raised in surprise.
