Chapter 30
Kaden
Hope saunters towards my car, looking like a dream I never want to wake from.
She wears a pastel-green maxi dress that cling to her small waist and round hips, and makes her long, fiery hair glow even brighter against the darkness of night.
Every step she takes radiates strength and confidence, her spine straight, chin lifted, never a hint of slouching.
I can’t help the smile spreading across my face as she slides into the passenger seat, closing the door with gentle care, mindful of how new the car still is.
“Thanks for picking me up,” she says, fastening her seatbelt and giving it a small tug to make sure it’s clicked in securely.
“Of course. I did ask you to join me tonight, so it was only gentlemanly of me to do so.”
We’re on our way to Gemma and Chris’ housewarming, my first social gathering in two years, and with a woman by my side, no less. I’m nervous about how the evening will go, particularly since this is the first time my friends, apart from Jason, will meet Hope.
When I called her two nights ago, after a week of back-and-forth texting, I asked casually what she had planned for the weekend.
As soon as she mentioned that Zac would be with his dad and she’d be spending the time alone, drinking wine in front of the TV, I didn’t hesitate.
The opportunity was too perfect—not to ask her out, exactly, but to invite her to Gemma and Chris’ housewarming.
She was reluctant at first, saying it had been so long since she’d been to a party that she’d probably be a little rusty around people. I normally would’ve just left it at that, but I couldn’t bear to have her spend the weekend alone.
Eventually, I wore her down, assuring her that she deserved at least one evening to truly enjoy herself, after spending so long putting others first. A night to socialise, have a few drinks, and let her hair down, without worrying about anything. And she could do it all in good company.
She accepted the invitation, and now, here we are, heading to our first social outing together.
“So, what are Gemma and Chris like?” Hope asks as I pull out of her driveway and onto the street.
“They’re very easy-going. Funny thing is, I can’t think of any other two people who suit each other better than they do. They’re so alike, with so much in common, it’s almost scary.”
“How so?”
“Gem and Chris are the no-nonsense kind—straightforward, pretty cruisy, but also a little wild and free-spirited. They’re not usually interested in drama. I’m pretty sure they’re allergic to it.”
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 na?ve, 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 ignore as 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?”
“What about me?”
“Were you a bit of a playboy too?” she asks casually, without a hint of judgement, a knowing smirk tugging at the corners of her lips.
“In my late teens, early twenties,” I admit, honestly. “When all I cared about was making money and having fun.” I give her a quick wink. “And you?”
Her cheeks go rosy, her expression almost shy by the way she bites her bottom lip.
The elevator doors open once more and we walk towards apartment thirty-six at the end of the corridor.
“I’ve only ever been with one man,” she finally says.
I come to an abrupt stop, the admission striking me by complete surprise.
She halts beside me, the crease between her brows deepening as confusion settles in.
“What?” she says curiously.
“You’ve only been with Adrian?”
She nods. “Yeah. We were high school sweethearts. He broke up with me after graduation, then we got back together when I was halfway through my uni course. He dated other women, of course, during our break, but I just focused mostly on my studies.”
“Man, Adrian is quite literally the most stupid man in the world.”
She shrugs her shoulders. “It is what it is.”
That’s the last thing she says on the subject before Chris’s door swings open and the devil himself appears, his long dirty blonde hair up in a man bun, wearing nothing but a pair of ripped jeans.
Hope’s gaze drops instantly to his bare torso, her eyes widening, and I just want scream at him to put a fucking shirt on.
“I thought I heard someone talking outside. What the hell are you guys doing just standing out there? Get in here you two!” Chris hollers, waving for us to come in.
Hope chuckles under her breath, and I shake my head.
We follow Chris inside, and the moment we step through the door, I immediately take in the crowded room. At least twenty or so people are scattered across every corner, a ’90s R&B track pulsing through the air.
From some of the familiar faces that turn our way, I recognise them instantly as Jason’s employees, while the others seem to be Gemma’s colleagues from the recruitment agency she works at.
“Kaden!” Gemma calls from across the living room, looking radiant as ever in a tight yellow dress that reminds me of sunshine, her golden hair and bright blue eyes glowing. She launches herself at me, and I catch her just in time before we end up hitting the floor.
“I’m so glad you guys could make it,” she says as she turns towards Hope.
“Thank you for having me,” Hope murmurs, her voice soft but carrying over the loud beat of the music. “You have a beautiful home.”