Chapter 32
Chapter Thirty-Two
Brielle
I stepped inside the elevator, my heart rapidly beating and my palms a sweaty mess. I honestly didn’t know what to expect tonight, which made me more of a nervous wreck. As soon as the doors opened, I saw Caden walking towards me.
“Thanks for coming. Can I make you a drink?”
“Yes. Please. A martini if it’s not too much trouble.”
“No trouble at all. In fact, I’ll make one for myself as well.”
I followed him into the living room and noticed all the furniture was different.
“You got new furniture?”
“I did. Do you like it?”
“I do.” I grinned. “It’s very chic.”
“I felt the need for a change.” He handed me my martini. “Have a seat.” He gestured.
I took a deep breath before sipping my martini and sitting down. My heart raced as I tried convincing my body to settle down. He sat beside me and set his drink on the coffee table. When he turned to me, our eyes locked, and he took the drink from my hand and put it down next to his. Bringing his hand up to my cheek, he softly stroked it.
“I asked you to come here tonight because there are some things I want to talk to you about. One being about us.”
I took in a breath and went to speak, but he stopped me before the words came out.
“Let me finish.” He smiled. “From the moment I laid eyes on you back in Texas, I felt like I’d been hit by a bus. And even worse, when I saw you out of disguise. I knew right then and there that I wanted you, which you know to be true since I agreed to pay you seventy-five thousand dollars a month. Which you gracefully negotiated your way to eighty thousand.” He grinned. “What you didn’t know then was that I was willing to pay that just so I could see you as much as I wanted to. I had or tried to convince myself it was only for sex, but it wasn’t. It was for much more, but I just couldn’t and didn’t want to admit it. The more time we spent together, the harder I fell for you. The more I got to know you, the more I fell for you. When I was with you, for the first time in years, I was a happy man and didn’t deserve to be. That’s why I got so angry when you’d ask me about my past or if anything was wrong. Everything was wrong. Not with you, but with me.” I swallowed hard. “There’s something I need to tell you about my past.”
“Caden, I already know,” I softly spoke.
“What? How?”
“About a month after you found out about Stella and told me you never wanted to see me again, I went to Kyle’s restaurant and begged him to tell me what was happening with you. I needed to know because I knew you weren’t okay, which bothered me. I guess I just needed to know for closure. I needed to know that it wasn’t me you were actually running from. You could say it somewhat soothed the sting of rejection.”
“And yet you’re here, and you invited me into your home and let me take you and your daughter to dinner. I was terrified because my feelings for you were so strong that I was afraid I would let you down somehow. That I would ruin your life like I did Cassandra’s. I was relieved when I found out about Stella because it was my way out, unlike you think. It was my reason to let you go so I didn’t hurt you. But I couldn’t let you go. I tried. I did. Hence the reason for the new furniture.”
“What?” I softly laughed.
“You spent a lot of time here, and we had sex on various furniture in this room. It reminded me too much of our time together, so I thought bringing in some new things would ease the pain somehow and make me forget about you.”
“Caden.” I brought my hand up to his cheek. “What about the bedroom?” I smiled.
“That’s all new, too. I couldn’t sleep in that bed. The scent of you still lingered every single night.”
“Seriously? You bought a new bedroom set?”
“I did.” The corners of his mouth curved upwards.
He took hold of both my hands and gently squeezed them.
“I’m in love with you, Brielle, and I am extremely fond of Stella. I asked you here tonight because I would like to start over. I’m trying to say that I want to be with you, and I’m hoping you can forgive me for all the mistakes I made, and you’ll say you want to be with me too.”
Finally, my heart returned to its normal rhythm, and the knot in my belly dissipated.
“Of course, I want to be with you,” I spoke as tears filled my eyes. “I always have. I love you, Caden Chamberlain.”
He closed his eyes for a moment and sighed in relief. He let go of my hands, brought his up to my face, and wiped away the tears that were beginning to fall.
“You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say those words, and I promise I will be everything to you. I will give you my best. I want you to tell me if I ever let you down.”
“You’re never going to let me down. You are a beautiful man, inside and out, and I’m the luckiest woman in the world that you chose me.”
He pulled me into him and held my head tightly against his shoulder. Feeling his arms around me again made me whole and complete. He broke our embrace and brushed his lips against mine.
“How long until you have to be home?” he asked.
“Tomorrow morning.” I smiled.
“Perfect.” His lips pressed against mine with a smile.