“Do you need me to carry you, or can you walk?”
“I can walk,” she slurs.
I pick up her purse and tuck it under my arm, using both hands to carefully ease her out of the car. She leans into me straight away, and once the door is closed and locked, we make our slow way to her front door.
“Are your keys in here?” I ask once we’re on her porch, holding the purse up between us.
She nods, swaying just a little while I rummage through her bag for her keys and unlock the door.
I guide her straight to the kitchen, fill a glass from the tap, and lift it to her mouth. She drinks it without protest, gulping it down until there’s not a single drop left.
“Good girl. Now, do you need to use the bathroom?”
She nods.
Calmly and softly, I ask her to show me the way to her bedroom. She points to the door at the end of the hallway, and leads us straight there and into the ensuite.
“I’ll be right outside this door, okay?” I reassure her.
Shutting the bathroom door quietly behind me, I remain in place until I hear the tap running, leaving her to do her business while I straighten the bed, making sure it’s ready for her to slide under the covers.
A few minutes later, Hope emerges from the bathroom, still in her dress, but without her shoes, her face clean and make-up free. I stand at the edge of the bed and lift the coversfor her. She slips in effortlessly, curling onto her side facing me, one arm sliding under her pillow.
Sitting on the edge, I tuck the covers snugly around her, brushing the loose strands back from her face. Her eyes grow heavy, fluttering shut and opening again more slowly each time, until they stay closed.
When I go to stand, her delicate hand on my thigh pauses my movement.
“Thank you, Kaden,” she murmurs softly, eyes still closed. “It’s been so long since I’ve had this much fun… and it was all because of you. Always you,” she exhales a long, contented sigh.
I place my hand over hers, my thumb tracing gentle circles over her knuckles. “You deserve to enjoy yourself from time to time. You should never feel guilty for that.”
“But do I deserve you?” she whispers. “You’ve become such a good friend, someone I trust. And I know I shouldn’t feel this way about you, but I really like you, Kaden. More than I thought I would. More than I should. And now I don’t know what to do.”
It’s true what they say about drunk mouths speaking sober minds. Even in her inebriated, half-asleep state, I know her words are genuine—things that have been weighing on her for quite some time, only now finding their voice through the haze of alcohol.
My eyes close, the dull ache in my chest tightening at her admission. I wanted to tell her tonight. I wanted to finally confess everything, but not when she’s like this. Not when this conversation would likely be forgotten by morning.
“Oh, angel… I think you have it all backwards,” I whisper softly to her. “It’s me who should be asking you that. Because once you find out the truth, I’m not sure if you’ll still feel the same way about me.”
The quiet rhythm of her snoring is all the confirmation I need that she’s fallen asleep. I lift her hand, pressing a gentle kiss to her knuckles, then set it carefully back on the mattress.
I rise to my feet, and quickly fetch a bottle of water and some Advil from the kitchen, before returning to her room.
Setting the items on the bedside table, I lean down and kiss her softly on the temple.
“Sweet dreams, beautiful.”
I linger a few minutes longer, just watching her sleep, peaceful and angelic. Then, I quietly slip out, careful not to wake her as I close the bedroom door behind me.
On the way to the car, I rehearse the words over and over—what I will say and how I will say it.
Because one way or another, the next time we meet, I won’t be walking away until she finally knows the truth about me.
Chapter 31
Hope
I jolt awake to the relentless pounding on my front door, already cursing whoever has torn me from a deep, peaceful sleep. My body aches all over, and my head feels like it’s going to split in two, even after a good night’s rest. I could probably do with a few more hours of sleep after whoever’s at the door finally leaves me alone.
