CHAPTER 13
Jason
I can think of a million better ways to spend my time than babysitting Kaden’s drunk arse while he drowns his sorrows in whisky. The moment he walked into my bar, looking like the most miserable bastard alive, I knew I was in for a long night.
It’s been weeks since I last saw him after that heated confrontation with Lucia at his house. Occasionally I’d call or send a quick message to check in with him, but neither of us has made any actual effort to hang out in person.
Since he moved in with his mistress, there’s been this undeniable distance growing between us. And honestly, it really fucking sucks. I miss my best mate.
In all my years of knowing Kaden, we’ve never once let a woman come between us—not even my sorry excuse for an ex-wife could shake our once solid friendship.
But everything changed the moment Lucia came into the picture.
It’s as if Kaden has become a complete stranger—someone I barely recognised.
Now he seems to be spiralling towards a destructive path with her, one that I’m not sure how to pull him out from.
Nursing his fifth whisky neat, he stares at me with heavy, bloodshot eyes.
The slight swaying of his body on the stool tells me he’s well past his limit.
“Two months, Jason. Two fucking months, and I still haven’t heard from her!
” His voice wavers, a raw mix of desperation and frustration.
“It’s really fucking gutting me!” I rest my elbows on the counter, leaning forward until I’m at eye level with him.
“I don’t know what else to tell you, Kaden,” I reply with a neutral tone.
“Sky has made it clear that she doesn’t want to be found.
Perhaps it’s time to take that as a sign to start moving on.
Isn’t that’s why you moved in with Lucia? ”
He releases a sharp exhale, shaking his head as though his new reality is pressing down heavy on him.
“I have no idea what I’m doing, man,” he murmurs, his fingers tightening around the whisky tumbler.
“Since moving in with Lucy, we’ve been fighting more, and her jealousy over Sky is driving a wedge between us.
It’s making me question whether I’ve made a huge mistake. ”
“Are you having regrets moving in with her? If so, just say the word, and I’ll have a room ready for you at my place in no time,” I reassure him.
A faint smile crosses his face. “Thanks, man, I really appreciate it. But if I walk away now, everything I’ve sacrificed would be for nothing. I have to at least try and make this work.”
“Kaden, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but you’re not exactly radiating with joy and excitement right now. Most of the time you’ve been distant and miserable. You haven’t been yourself lately, and it’s starting to worry me.”
“I’m miserable because I lost my wife. And before you say anything, I already know I deserve it. It just... fucking hurts, that’s all.”
In that moment, Gemma strolls up and asks if I’m ready to leave. Before I can answer, Kaden cuts in, surprising both Gemma and me with his next comment.
“Why do you look familiar?” he slurs, tilting his head slightly to the side in curiosity.
“Where have I seen you before?”
Gemma blinks in confusion at first, then her eyes widen as recognition strikes. “Oh, yeah!” she exclaims. “I remember you. You’re that guy from the gym... with the crazy girlfriend.”
I arch an eyebrow at Kaden, who shifts uncomfortably in his seat, casting a sheepish glance between Gemma and me. “You two have met before?” I ask, my curiosity directed at no one in particular.
Kaden rubs the back of his neck, letting out an awkward chuckle. “Yeah, about that. I need to apologise for the way she spoke to you that day. She was completely out of line. Lucy can get a little jealous and possessive sometimes.”
A dry, sarcastic laugh slips out before I can hold it back, prompting both Gemma and Kaden to snap their heads toward me. “What?” I casually shrug. “I’m agreeing with you, although, I’d also add that Lucia’s plenty of other things too. Anyway, do I even want to know what happened?”
“His girlfriend thought I was hitting on him at the gym and completely lost it, when all we were doing was talking,” Gemma recalls.
I look over at Kaden, his attention glued to his tumbler as he anxiously twirls it between his fingers. Judging by the expression on his face, it’s clear he’s embarrassed by the whole ordeal. If I was dating someone like Lucia, I’d be feeling the same way too.
“Don’t take it to heart, Gem. She’s not exactly all there. She’s got what some might call a few loose screws,” I quip.
Kaden shoots me a sharp scowl. “Bro, that’s my girlfriend you’re talking about,” he mutters.
“My point exactly!” “Are you ever going to give her a chance?” Kaden asks, his tone tentative.
I walk around the counter until I’m standing beside him.
He swivels to face me, and I take a steady breath before speaking.
“Honestly, anyone who goes out of their way to deliberately hurt people and destroy relationships will never have a seat at my table. I’m sorry, Kaden, but I can’t imagine the three of us having Sunday afternoon BBQs like we used to when Skylar was still here. ”
Kaden’s shoulders deflate a little, a subtle look of disappointment and hurt passing over his tired face. Call me harsh—I don’t care. But I stand by what I said. I’ll never accept that homewrecking wench. Ever.
I place a firm hand on his shoulder and jerk my head toward the door. “Now, come on, you’ve had your fill for tonight. I’ll drive you home,” I tell him, then shift my focus to Gemma, still watching us from behind the counter. “You good to go, babe?”
Kaden frowns at me. “Babe?”
I palm the back of my neck, letting out a sheepish chuckle. “Yeah, we’re casually seeing each other.”
The smug bastard smirks at me, then empties the rest of his whisky in one gulp before rising from his seat. As he brushes past, he murmurs something loud enough for only me and Gemma to hear. “Bout fucking time you got laid.”
He stumbles towards the door, his steps sluggish and uneven, and when I look back at Gemma, she flashes me a sly grin, clearly amused by Kaden’s remark. I follow her out, pausing every few seconds to say goodbye to the closing staff.
As soon as we step outside, I scan the area for Kaden and spot him leaning against the passenger side of my Ranger. I unlock the door for him, but just as he reaches for the handle, he suddenly turns the other way, bends over, and vomits on the ground.
“Ew, gross,” Gemma mutters under her breath.
We both stand frozen, watching Kaden hurl out the rest of his whisky, and maybe parts of his dinner too, while silently hoping he won’t need to go for a second round on the ride back to his place.
I walk into my house, appreciating the peace and quiet that greets me.
Over time, I’ve learned that when the house is silent, it usually means Mila is tucked away in the library with a paperback or lounging by the pool on the deck, absorbed in an audiobook, while my son rests peacefully in his room.
Taking a quick detour to Jake’s room, I gently kiss his forehead before crossing the hallway to the library, only to find it empty. Mila is nowhere in sight. I make my way downstairs to the kitchen, pop open two beers from the fridge, and step out onto the deck.
There I find Mila stretched out on one of the pool loungers, the baby monitor resting in her hand, AirPods in her ears, and her gaze lost in the night sky. God, she’s stunning!
I take the seat beside her, and she immediately sits up. She pulls out her Airpods and greets me with a warm smile. “Hey, you just got in?”
Handing her a beer which she happily accepts, I nod. “Yeah, sorry I’m late. Had to drive Kaden’s drunk arse home from the bar. Had to wait for him to finish puking his guts out first.”
Mila scrunches her nose in disgust, and a soft laugh escapes me.
“Interesting night then?” she asks.
“Always,” I reply with a wink. “So, whatchya listening to over there?”
“Some billionaire romance audiobook.”
“I see. So you’re into rich, hot men, are ya?” I joke, a touch of curiosity in my voice.
She scoffs out a laugh. “Oh, heck no! Having wealth and power doesn’t mean a thing to me. I only enjoy reading about it, but it’s not something I look for or desperately want in a man.”
“Your Prince Charming seems to fit the bill though.”
She lifts an eyebrow in question. “Who? Dean?”
Taking a sip of my beer, I nod. “Yeah, Mr preppy boy, Dean.”
Mila snorts, almost spitting out her drink. “You’re funny, you know that.” She laughs softly. “But, no, Dean isn’t filthy rich or powerful. He does come from a bit of wealth, but he’s no self-made millionaire.” She leans back on her chair and takes another swig of her beer.
“So you and Dean, huh?”
She flashes a wide grin, and for some reason, it doesn’t sit right with me.
“It’s still early days, but so far, he’s been a complete gentleman,” she says, her gaze drifting to the sky as a dreamy smile tug at her lips.
“He’s smart, handsome, and funny. But the most important thing is that he’s been patient and respectful, which I really appreciate.
He’s taking me on a little cruise in his yacht next week.
I’ve never been on one before, so I’m really excited. ”
A small stab of jealousy pricks at me, but I manage to summon a smile.
“I’m happy for you, Mila. You deserve all the happiness in the world, and I really hope he treats you right.
If he doesn’t, though...” I grin playfully, my tone light yet carrying a hint of promise.
“Just say the word, and I’ll gladly hunt him down for you. ”
There’s no question in my mind—I’d do anything for her, even if it meant kicking down Dean’s door and introducing my knee to his balls if he ever hurt her in any way. I don’t know where this surge of protectiveness came from, but I’m not about to ignore it now.
We finish the last of our beer and set the empty bottles down on the ground between us. Lying side by side on our backs, our eyes wandering across the star-speckled sky, I hear Mila let out a deep sigh.
“What’s on your mind, Rivera?” I ask.
She shakes her head shyly. “I don’t think it’s appropriate to ask considering it’s such a personal question.”
“It’s okay. I’m a big boy. I can handle it,” I assure her, “and besides, it’s your turn to ask the thirteenth question.”
She hesitates for a moment, her mind carefully considering how to phrase her next question. After a brief pause, she finally asks, “What happened between you and Elena?”
I slowly turn my head to face her, offering an amused smile.
“I’ve been wondering when you’d finally ask me that,” I say with a long, heavy breath.
“As you know, Elena and I have been separated for a couple of years now. Without delving into a full memoir, I was the one who ended it after I found out she’d been having an affair.
Not just with one man, but with several. ”
Her eyes widen in shock and disbelief. “I’m so sorry, Jason. That’s absolutely horrible!”
I shrug nonchalantly, letting her know it no longer affects me like it used to. The love I once held for Elena died the moment she opened her legs to another man. “It is what it is. We’ve both moved on, and our priority now is what’s best for Jake.”
“Can I ask how you found out?”
Clearing my throat, I shift onto my side, so that I’m now fully facing her.
“After I returned home from a food and wine convention, it was just me and Jake at home, who was close to three at the time. Elena was out with her friends when Jake randomly blurted out over dinner that he heard his mummy screaming in the bedroom. He said it woke him up from his nap and when he went to our bedroom, he saw Ben, his nineteen-year-old swimming instructor, lying on the bed with his mum. That’s when Elena apparently screamed at him to go back to his room.
“It didn’t take long for me to piece together what actually happened.
The next day, I reached out to a friend of mine who used to work at the police station with me.
He’s now a private investigator. I paid him to follow Elena and hack her phone.
Within a week, he uncovered all of her affairs—and more, though I won’t get into those details.
That night, after Elena came home from work, I immediately confronted her, shoving all the evidence in her hands and told her to get the fuck out of my house. That was the end of it.”
Mila sits up, pulling her knees close to her chest, her expression tinged with sadness.
“It feels like there’s no such thing as loyalty anymore,’ she murmurs, shaking her head in disbelief. “If that can happen to good, honest people like you and my sister, what chance do people like me have? It makes the idea of committing to someone feel so much more frightening.”
“It’s definitely a risk, but one worth taking if there’s even the smallest chance of finding someone who truly deserves your love and trust,” I tell her, hoping to ease some of her worries.
“You’re still young, so don’t let hope slip away.
Your heart is more resilient than you realise.
Even if you face a few heartbreaks along the way, remember that each one only makes you stronger and wiser.
And when you finally meet the right person, your heart will know exactly who it was always meant for. ”
She rests her cheek on her knees, her gaze locked on mine, and I swear I can almost see the flecks of amber and gold in her beautiful whisky-brown eyes. “Jason, I hope you know that any woman fortunate enough to win your heart will be the luckiest woman alive.”
I hold her gaze a beat longer, the words I’m dying to say lodged in the tip of my throat.
I wish I could tell her what I really think—that any man would be lucky to have her in his life too.
That she deserves the whole world, and I’d be more than happy to give it to her.
But in the end, all I do is smile appreciatively, letting the chance to confess my truth slip quietly away, just like the wind.