Chapter 46 #2
"What's to understand?" My father leant forward, his voice dropping so only I could hear.
"This business, our business, requires a certain kind of partner.
Someone who can stand up to pressure. Someone who won't break, no matter what's thrown at them.
" His eyes gleamed with something like respect.
"That girl has just been interrogated, ridiculed, and humiliated by me, and yet she just stood up to me in a public restaurant.
Do you have any idea how rare that is?" I didn't know what to say.
This was not the reaction I'd expected, not even close.
"If you want to succeed me one day," my father continued, "if you want to lead this family, you need someone like her by your side. Someone who will challenge you, not just obey you. Someone who can weather the storms that are coming." I found my voice at last.
"She hates me right now. After what happened-"
"So fix it," my father cut me off, impatient.
"Whatever you did, whatever mistake you made, fix it.
Earn her forgiveness. Earn her trust back.
" He glanced toward the door where Cadence had disappeared.
"Now go get your girl. They're serving dessert soon.
" I stood, still stunned by this unexpected turn.
As I turned to leave, my father caught my arm.
"Logan," he said, his voice suddenly serious. "Don't lose her. Women like that, they're rare. And they're worth fighting for." Then he looked down at the wedding band that, even after fourteen years, he still hadn’t removed. “Even when they are gone, they are still worth fighting for.”
I nodded, unable to form words, and hurried out of the restaurant, my mind racing.
The cool night air hit me like a slap, clearing some of the fog from my thoughts.
I scanned the street, looking for any sign of Cadence, and spotted a flash of black turning the corner at the end of the street.
I ran to my car, jumped in, and pulled away from the pavement with a screech of tires.
I caught up to her a few streets later, walking quickly despite her heels, her arms wrapped around herself in the chill evening air. I pulled alongside her, rolling down the window.
"Cadence," I called. "Get in the car." She ignored me, continuing to walk, her gaze fixed straight ahead. I cursed under my breath, pulling ahead and parking, then jumping out to intercept her.
"Cadence, stop," I said, moving to block her path. "My father isn't angry. He wants you to come back." She finally looked at me then, her eyes blazing with a fury that took my breath away.
"I don't give a fuck what your father wants," she spat. "He can go to hell, and you can join him there."
"You don't understand," I said, reaching for her arm. "He actually liked what you did. He said-"
"Don't touch me!" she screamed, jerking away with such force that she nearly stumbled. "Don't you dare touch me!" A couple walking on the other side of the street slowed, watching us with concern. I lowered my voice, acutely aware of the scene we were creating.
"Cadence, please. Just get in the car. We can talk about this at home."
"Home?" she laughed, the sound bitter and broken. "That place isn't my home. It's my prison."
"You're being dramatic," I said, frustration rising. "Just get in the car before you make an even bigger scene." Her face contorted with rage.
"Fuck you, Logan. Fuck you and your father and your whole goddamn family." She tried to push past me, but I moved to block her again. The fear of her walking alone at night, vulnerable and unprotected, overrode my better judgement. I reached for her again, intending to guide her to the car.
"I said don't fucking touch me!" she screamed, and before I could react, she slammed her fist into my car window with enough force that I heard the glass crack. Blood bloomed across her knuckles, but she didn't seem to notice or care.
"Jesus Christ, Cadence!" I shouted, my own temper finally snapping. "Stop acting like a fucking child and get in the car!" More people were watching now, a small crowd gathering at the commotion. Cadence's chest heaved with each breath, her eyes wild, blood dripping from her hand onto the sidewalk.
"Drop dead, Logan," she said, her voice suddenly cold and flat. "Just drop fucking dead."
Something in me broke then, the last thread of patience, of restraint, of the careful control I'd been maintaining since that night in the woods. I turned away from her, storming around to the driver's side of the car.
"Fine," I snarled, yanking open the door.
"Walk home. See if I care." I slammed the door and started the engine, peeling away from the Pavement with a screech of tires.
In the rearview mirror, I caught a glimpse of Cadence standing alone on the sidewalk, a small, solitary figure growing smaller as I drove away.
The rage carried me halfway home before it began to fade, replaced by a cold, sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.
What had I done? I'd left her alone, injured and vulnerable, in a city that was far from safe at night.
I thought of turning around, of going back for her, but the memory of her face, twisted with hatred as she told me to drop dead, kept me driving forward.
She wouldn't get in the car even if I did go back.
And Cole would be more level-headed about this; he could go get her while I calmed down.
I pulled into the driveway of Covenant House, the grand facade looming against the night sky.
The lights were on inside, warm yellow squares against the darkness.
As I got out of the car, I noticed the front door was ajar, a sliver of light spilling onto the porch.
A sense of unease prickled at the back of my neck.
I pushed open the door, stepping into the entryway.
"Cole?" I called, my voice echoing in the high-ceilinged foyer. "Ryder?"
A figure emerged from the shadows of the living room, moving with a frantic energy that I recognised immediately. Ryder's face was pale, his eyes wild, his hair dishevelled as if he'd been running his hands through it repeatedly.
"Where is she?" he demanded, crossing the space between us in three long strides. "Where's Cade?"
"She's-" I began, but Ryder cut me off, grabbing the front of my shirt with both hands.
"Tell me she's with you," he said, his voice cracking with desperation. "Tell me she's in the car." The sick feeling in my stomach intensified, spreading through my chest like ice.
"No," I said, the word barely audible. "She's not. We had a fight. I left her in the city." Ryder's face drained of what little colour it had left. "You what?" he whispered, then louder, "You fucking what?" Cole came running down the stairs, his own eyes wide.
“What’s going on, where’s Cade?” he asked, looking around me, and the sense of dread rose inside me.
“He’s left her out there alone,” Ryder ranted. “He fucking left her, and now they are going to get her.”