This was a mistake. “You are so dramatic, you know that?”
“When it comes to my kids, yup. I know I’m dramatic. You andBethanne are my world. There is nothing I wouldn’t do to protect you both.”
“You can’t protect us always, Dad.”
“No, I can’t. And I hate it.”
I smile. He really is an amazing father. “So, how do Iseparate these unwanted feelings?”
“You shove them down so far you can’t see them during thebattle, and after it’s over, you face them head-on. Because if I’ve learnedanything, it’s that they don’t stay buried, no matter how hard you try.”
That’s what I was afraid of. I will never be rid of this…andI really need to be so I can stop thinking of Cayden every day.
ChapterEleven
HADLEY
This is a mistake that I am not going to make.
I tell myself that and start to walk away, but before I getfive steps from Cayden’s apartment building, I hear him call my name.
“Hadley?”
Shit.
I turn and attempt my nonchalant smile. “Hey, Cayden. Funnyseeing you here.”
He looks at his building and then to me. “Other than thefact I live here.”
“You do?” I play dumb, and from the look on his face, notvery well.
“You’ve been here.”
“Oh! I forgot about that.”
He laughs. “Sure you did.”
Maybe one of those manholes will blow and then I can fall init and never come out. That would work for me right about now.
I watch as he moves towards me, like a predator stalking hisprey, and that’s pretty much what I am right now. I’m the dumb deer who wantssome bark and he’s the hunter that has me in his sights.
“I should go,” I try to evade.
“Why are you here?”
Because I’m a dumb girl and wanted to see you.
“It’s about the case.”
“So, you are here to see me.”
Yeah, that manhole is looking pretty nice.
I can keep lying, which I should be good at considering mycareer choice, or I can come clean.
I’ll go with lying.
“No, I didn’t say that. I was saying that we should discussthe case.”
