Chapter forty-three Melody
Chapter forty-three
Melody
Dinner is tense—forks hitting plates, chewing, and glasses clinking. I can feel how thick the atmosphere is, but nothing compares to the chaos unfolding inside my head.
Kaden kissed me.
He still wants me.
No one has any clue as to why he’s actually here except me.
But that’s not enough to erase what he’s done.
It took me years to heal from him, and I’m not going to let a declaration of obsession and a promise to follow me to the ends of the Earth destroy the progress I made.
Not when I’ve been hurting for so long, and he couldn’t even bother to reach out.
He ruined me once, and I can’t let that happen again. No matter how bittersweet it felt to have his lips on mine. All I feel is rage now.
How could he do this to us?
Leave without a word and then pop back up when my life has become breezy?
It isn’t fair…
Dylan is seated beside me, picking at his chicken before he clears his throat. “The sales projections say we’re a year ahead of schedule. I’m thinking about opening an office in Texas soon.”
Dad’s brows lift. “That’s great. How is your turnover rate?”
“Ten percent,” Dylan preens.
Kaden is across from me, eating like he’s been starving for years as he shovels yams and chicken into his mouth. He’s hunched over, his eyes flickering up to my fiancé as if he’s disturbed his meal entirely. “You know, Dylan…” He sings as he sits back in his chair.
I can already feel my headache forming as I take a long sip of my rosé.
“Everything I learn about you is against my will,” Kaden says, tilting his head in a challenge.
My fiancé‘s jaw twinges. “Dude, what is your issue with me?”
Dad’s face is turning red. He’s already pissed off from earlier, and his son isn’t making matters any better. Mom fidgets in her chair, waving a hand to try to calm the room from the explosion that’s lurking in the distance. “Nothing is wrong. Let’s just enjoy dinner—”
“Something is very wrong,” Kaden interrupts. “I just can’t decide if it’s Melody’s chicken, which you burned by the way, or the fact that I don’t like you.”
Dad’s knife pauses as his teeth grind and his cold stare bites into his son. It’s a warning, but one that Kaden clearly isn’t listening to.
Instead, my brother sits back, crossing his arms over his chest as he rakes his gaze judgmentally across Dylan. “You’re a lot like a fucking golden retriever who learned how to file taxes, you know? A real dog.”
“Kaden!” Mom gasps.
There’s something in his voice that makes me pause—a note that implies secrecy. It’s a thinly veiled threat, shrouded in humor so sharp it almost passes for a joke.
But it isn’t a joke.
His words are a freshly sharpened blade.
Dylan gets this look—it’s the same one I’ve seen him use when he’s speaking with investors who belittle his company. His smile becomes thin and strained as he sets his fork down. “Wow,” he says lightly. “That’s specific. Should I be flattered you think I can do taxes?”
Kaden doesn’t laugh as he leans forward now, resting his forearms on the edge of the table. His eyes are locked on my fiancé—hunting.
Dad clears his throat roughly. “That’s enough. Both of you.”
Kaden tilts his head, slow and conniving. “No, I’m serious,” he says, gaze never leaving Dylan. “You’ve got that look—eager, loyal, and always wagging your tail when someone calls you a good boy.” His lips curl further. “If only you knew how to sit.”
Dylan’s jaw flexes tightly. “If you have something to say, then say it.”
There’s a flicker in Kaden’s eyes. Satisfaction. My fiancé is playing right into his hands. “Oh, I will,” he croons low. “Just not here.”
My stomach drops—a pile of rocks weighing me down. If there’s one thing I know about the man across from me, it’s that he doesn’t hold his tongue.
“Kaden,” I warn, my voice level. “Don’t.”
His gaze flickers to me for the first time since he started circling Dylan. There’s amusement glowing in his features. “Relax,” he murmurs. “We’re just talking.”
“No,” Dad snaps loudly. “You’re provoking.”
Mom’s eyes are wide as they ping pong between both men, squaring off. Her hand trembles with nerves beside her plate as the overhead chandelier becomes too bright.
Dylan straightens in his chair, his full attention centered on Kaden. “You want to do this?” He asks evenly. “Then let’s do this.”
My brother’s smile deepens in victory.
I grab my finacé‘s leg under the table, my fingers biting into his jeans so tightly that I can feel his blood rushing.
“Kaden,” I warn again.
They’re two live wires, both ready to strike.
“Ask him where he was two days ago,” Kaden urges, his brows lifting.
Dylan’s hands slam down on the table as he pushes out of his chair so fast it topples to the ground. I jump, my eyes widening as my fiancé points a finger across the table. “I was in fucking California taking care of business. Where the fuck have you been for six years?! Huh?”
“That’s enough!” Dad shouts, standing. “Dinner is over.”
Kaden’s words strike a chord deep inside of me.
Ask him where he was two days ago.
How would my brother know where Dylan was? Why would he bring it up now? And why is Dylan being so defensive about it?
Kaden rises, groaning as he tosses his napkin aside. “The food was great, Melody. Dylan, amazing talk. It really helped get some things off my chest.”
“I’m going to fucking kill you,” Dylan hisses, his fists balled by his sides.
Kaden barks a laugh. “Someone keep this guy away from the knives. You’re a riot.”
“That’s it,” Dad bites. “Everyone, go to bed before someone flips the god damned table.”
“No one is flipping my table,” Mom cuts in with a stern glare. “Kaden, go to the living room. Dylan, go upstairs.” My fiancé tries to protest before her head whips around to him, and her eyes narrow. “NOW!”
Kaden saunters over to the couch, his shoulders shaking as he tucks his hands behind his head and faces away from us. He thinks this is funny.
Dylan sighs, picking up his chair before sliding it back in and trudging up the steps. The moment the door slams, Kaden turns around, opening his mouth.
“Don’t,” Mom warns.
His lips roll in as he nods.
Dad stares at the table before running a hand through his greying hair. “I can’t take anymore tonight. My blood pressure is through the roof.”
Mom places a gentle hand on his shoulder as the other rubs his back. “Let’s just get some sleep. Everyone will be much better in the morning.”
I collect the plates as they retire upstairs, their feet dragging heavily. I can feel Kaden’s eyes on me as I dump the rest of the food and clean the kitchen. He doesn’t say anything, but something rests on the tip of my tongue.
I’m still thinking about what he said earlier…
“Kaden,” I call softly as I run my hands under the suds.
“Yeah, Sunny?”
I close my eyes at the nickname and how easily it still rolls off his tongue. It’s pure nostalgia, but that can’t save what’s been broken. “What did you mean earlier?”
He sighs, rustling the sofa as he plops down. “You caught that?”
“Yes…”
He hums. “Your fiancé isn’t who he says he is.”
My hands grip the plate I’m washing so hard that I could shatter it. Is this his plan? Try to convince me that Dylan is some fucking villain, so he can have me back?
I fell for his tricks once, and it won’t happen again.
“Sure he isn’t,” I mutter, slapping the plate onto the drying rack. The sound echoes around the kitchen.
“You always do this,” Kaden says lightly.
I whip around, my heart pounding. “Do what?”
“Deflect,” he says matter-of-factly. “You do it when you’re scared.”
“I’m not scared,” I argue. “You come in here and make some crazy accusation—”
“It isn’t an accusation if it’s true, Melody.”
I scoff, crossing my arms. “You know what? I’m tired. I’m going to bed.” I pad toward the stairs, ignoring the presence of my phantom as he watches me.
“When are you going to start asking the right questions?” Kaden calls after me.
I pause mid-step, my brow furrowing. There’s a beat of contemplation before I recognize his mind game. “When you finally learn to accept that what happened between us is over.”
He chuckles bitterly, the sound low and rough, making my spine tingle. “I already told you that wasn’t happening, pretty girl. I have a wager for you.”
I rest my head back against my shoulders, blowing out a breath as I turn to him. “I don’t have time for your games, Kaden.”
He’s standing now, his hands tucked into his jeans. “No games when it comes to us.”
My eyes narrow. “There is no us. You made sure of that.”
His head tilts, his gaze becoming dangerous. “Okay, Sunny. If I can get you to admit that you still want me, I get you.”
A sharp, abrupt laugh bubbles from me. “Oh, yeah? That’s never going to happen.”
“Then do you accept?” He asks.
It’s dangerous. I would be making a deal with the devil himself, but Kaden has no idea who I am now. I’ve overcome and conquered the loss of him while he was still breathing. I’ve paved my own path in life and accomplished everything I set out to. I’m not his prey anymore.
I tilt my head. “Sure. If you can get me to utter the words, I’m all yours.”
Fat fucking chance.
His grin stretches, growing wicked. “Then it’s a deal.”