"But it's over." He said it as a statement rather than a question.
"It's over." I squeezed his hand and then pulled back. "It's time we both went our own way. I need to find out who I am without you around. For me."
He nodded, but his head dropped as he wrapped both hands around his coffee mug. "I don't like it. I still care about you, Lainey. I probably always will."
"I care about you too." And I meant it. "But caring about someone doesn't mean we're meant to be together."
"I know," he said sadly. Then, like he understood this was it, and we were really over, he stood up and I followed him to the door. "I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry. For all of it."
"Hold on one second," I told him, rushing back to the kitchen where I’d left my purse. I pulled the rings from the outer pocket, and stared down at them for a second. Brandon would refusethem, but they did belong to him. I didn't want to hold anything back. Besides if he sold this engagement ring alone, it might recoup a large portion of the wedding funds lost.
So I walked back out and held them out to him. "Here. These belong to you."
He took them and stared at them for a long moment before slipping them into his pocket. "God, this sucks," he grumbled. Then he pulled me into a hug and I let myself hold him one last time, for all the years we'd spent together and all the memories we'd made.
I'd survive without him, though it'd take time to adjust to his permanent absence. But it was for the best. We didn't belong together anymore. My heart belonged to someone else I couldn’t have, either.
"Take care of yourself," he said when he pulled back, and there were tears in his eyes.
"You too," I told him sadly.
He walked out and I watched him through the window as he got in his car and drove away. I felt lighter somehow, as if a weight I'd been carrying for months had finally lifted. But that momentary reprieve was short-lived. I went from calm and sad to frightened and on edge the instant the door burst open and Kade stormed in, his face dark with anger.
"Are you seriously going back to that sleazeball?" he snarled, and I recoiled in shock.
Was he stalking me now?
21
KADE
I stood outside the bakery and watched through the window as Lainey hugged Brandon. The rage I felt was no normal temper surge; it was ungodly—unholy. Seeing her even speaking to him set me off, and I'd been perfectly calm.
The annulment paperwork was folded in my pocket, signed and ready to go, and I'd driven here to give it to her. But I’d planned to tell her I didn't want to sign it. I should've told her two days ago when I drove here for that purpose, but we'd been interrupted and I never got the chance. I thought coming at the end of the day would give me the perfect reason to make her sit down and talk with me.
But now she was wrapped in his arms and all I could see was red.
I waited until he walked out and got in his car before I stormed through the door. It slammed against the wall hard enough to make Lainey jump. She spun around and her eyes went wide when she saw me.
"Are you seriously going back to that sleazeball?" I snarled without any regard to how it might affect her. I was hurt. MaybeI wasn't meant to see that, and yes, she’d tried to break it off with me and push me away, but seeing that cut me deep.
"Kade—" she started, but I cut her off.
"I can't believe you. Two days ago you were in my arms and now you're back with him? What was I, just a placeholder until he came crawling back?"
"That's not what this is." Her voice was firm, but I wasn't listening.
"Then what is it? Because from where I'm standing, it looks pretty clear." I gestured toward the window where Brandon's car had just pulled away. "You told me it was over with him and the first chance you get, you're right back in his arms."
"You don't understand?—"
"I understand perfectly." The anger was building and I couldn't stop it from snowballing down this slippery slope toward me losing my mind. "You got what you wanted from me. The money, the help with the bakery, all of it. And now that he's apologized, you're running right back to him."
"Stop it." Her eyes flashed and she moved toward me. "You're not listening to me."
"Why should I listen when I can see what's happening with my own eyes?" I clenched my jaw to avoid slinging insults or cussing. She didn't deserve that, and at least I was in my right mind enough not to stoop to that level.
"I wasn't going back to Brandon!" She shouted it loud enough that I actually stopped talking. "He came here to apologize and I gave him his ring back. That's it. That's all that happened."
