She chuckles softly. “They sound like the kind of friends you’d want around all the time.”
“Yeah, they are. They’re good people. That’s why I’m positively sure you’ll get along with them just fine. What about you? What are your friends like?”
She chuckles softly. “I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I don’t have many,” she murmurs, her gaze fixed on the view outside her window. “I have plenty of acquaintances, mostly through work, but no close friends I call or catch up with regularly. After Adrian and I got married, I slowly drifted away from them. My life became all about him. It’s sad, I know, but I was so in love—so naïve, that I truly believed he was all I needed. And when Zac was born, I stopped seeing my friends altogether.”
“Do you regret it?”
“I don’t regret ever missing out on quality time with my family, but sometimes I wish I had a life outside the home too. Adrian kept a close circle of friends over the years, and whenever he spent time with them, I’d feel a small twinge of jealousy and regret for not staying in touch with my own.”
“Have you ever tried reaching out to them?”
“No.” She shakes her head slowly. “I don’t want them to think I’m only contacting them because Adrian and I are divorced now.”
“I’m sure they’d love to hear from you, regardless of your situation. You never know—you’ve probably been on their mind more than you think.”
“Maybe. I don’t know.” She lets out a long, heavy sigh and shrugs. “It wouldn’t make much difference anyway. I’ve been so busy with life lately that I’d only end up disappointing them if they came back into the picture.”
“If it helps at all, you’re already becoming a good friend of mine.”
“Ditto, Kaden. Ditto.” The smile she gives me, is soft, beautiful—warm. And I return one of my own.
Switching on the radio, we drive the rest of the way in easy silence, lost in the music that fills the car, my eyes stealing glances at her now and then. This wonderfully beautiful woman has had her whole world tipped upside down, yet she’d rather face it alone than seek help or support from anyone.
Apart from her family, she has no one to confide in, no one to keep her company when life grows too heavy, too dark. Having close friendships can be quite salvaging, even lifesaving. I know without Jason, my own life would look very different from how it is now.
And here she is, with no one she can lean on, no one to turn to when she just wants a brief escape.
The thought tugs at my chest, sharp and insistent, hardening my resolve to nurture and strengthen the friendship we’ve begun to build.
I have to tell her tonight. It’s been chipping away at me like a flesh-eating parasite, that’s becoming harder to ignoreas each day passes. I know it might mean losing her—and Zac too—as much as the thought tears at me. But it’s a risk I’m willing to take if there’s even the slightest chance she might one day forgive me.
No matter the outcome, I have to be honest with her. There can’t be any secrets between us. Especially after everything she’s been through with Adrian—the lies, the betrayal, the heartbreak. I will never forgive myself if I hurt her too.
If she can somehow see the man I am now, the man I’m working so hard to become, then I hope that will be enough for her to stay.
We reach Chris and Gemma’s place within twenty minutes, the Amarok rumbling softly as it glides into a guest parking spot. Like mine, the building is relatively new, four stories tall with an underground garage. The only difference is that it faces the busy highway, something I’m sure would be quite irritating with how noisy it must get during the day.
Stepping out of the car, we follow the concrete pathway in silence towards the front door. It’s one of those secured glass entrances, accessible only by a key fob. I press thirty-six on the intercom; it rings twice before someone answers.
“Yo!”
“Chris, it’s Kaden. Buzz us in?”
“Hell yeah!” he shouts through the speakers, loud enough for the whole complex to hear. “Everyone, shut up! My boy, Kaden’s here!”
The next thing we hear is a burst of cheers in the background, followed by Gemma yelling at Chris to hurry up and let us in.
I roll my eyes, while Hope chuckles, her hand lifting to her mouth to muffle her laugh. The building door buzzes, signalling it’s unlocked, and we enter inside.
“They sound like a lot of fun,” Hope says, as I press the button on the elevator to the third floor.
“Yeah, Chris is your typical class clown. It’s hard to believe that he used to be a bit of a playboy.”
The elevator doors slide open and we step inside. “A playboy huh? And what does Gemma think about that?”
“Well, let’s just say...she was the female equivalent of him.”
“Ah! Got it. No need for further explanation. And what about you?”
