Chapter 12
CAIDEN
C aiden: I made it to Waffle House. Will you be here soon? Should I go ahead and grab a table?
The inside of the Waffle House is almost completely empty. Just one dragon sitting alone in a booth and a couple at the counter.
Selene: Yes, please! I just parked.
Caiden: :]
Despite my smile emoji, my heart races and I shift from foot to foot. I’m excited to see Selene, but the idea of telling her about Sebastian makes me want to melt into the floor. How will she react when I tell her I punched that prick in the face? Will she believe me when I tell her how awful he is?
I snag a booth in the corner and fidget my thumbs while I wait for Selene to join me. The few moments it takes for her to enter the diner drag on. Where is she?
When Selene enters the diner, I perk up. She’s wearing a coordinating athletic set in pink with red hearts that hugs her curves. Damn, does she look good.
But Selene looks dejected, her shoulders slumped and her antennae dropping. My smile falters. What happened?
“Hey, Caiden.” She gives me a quick kiss on the cheek before scooting into her side of the booth. “How was work?”
“It was fine,” I answer, brows furrowed. “How was your night? Did the second night at the gallery go alright?”
She nods. “I even sold another piece. Can you believe it? And then I went to my studio after to see if I could get anything done.”
“Did you?”
She shrugs. “I just kind of took inventory. I have a lot on my mind.”
At that moment the server, an older human woman with white hair, comes to take our order. Selene and I both know exactly what we want. A grilled cheese sandwich, add tomato, with a side of fries for her, an All-Star breakfast for me, hold the meat, and two coffees.
“What’s on your mind?” I ask. What could be going on with her? I hope it’s nothing serious.
She releases a heavy sigh. “It’s nothing that concerns you.”
I reach across the table, taking her soft hands in mine. “You can tell me anything, Selene. Let me be that person for you.”
A small frown pulls at the corners of her mouth. “Can we talk about something else? Anything else?”
“Sure.” I chew my bottom lip. Do I bring up Sebastian when she’s in such a weird mood?
But if I’m going to make this relationship successful, I need to be upfront and honest. Even if she’s not ready to be that way with me.
I squeeze her hands. “I actually need to talk to you about something.”
Selene’s antennae perk up for the first time since she walked through the door. “What’s going on?”
Fuck. I hate that I’m about to take that little bit of a mood elevation away from her. “I know the owner of the gallery you’re showing at.”
She stiffens and opens her mouth to say something, but I cut her off. “And I assume you’ve seen his black eye that he’s currently sporting.”
“What?” She cringes, her lips pressing together in a thin line. “What about it?”
I suck in a breath. “It was me.”
Selene’s eyes widen and her mouth falls open. “ You did that to him?”
“Yes.”
Her hands go slack in mine, and she pulls them away and ice crawls up my spine. Oh no.
“Shit,” she murmurs. “That explains so much.”
I cock an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
Selene shakes her head, closing her eyes as if she hopes to disappear. “I had a confrontation with him.”
“What happened?” I ask, fists clenched so tight that my nails dig into my skin.
“He said he knew who you were and then said some horrible things.”
I relax, the tension leaving my body. “That’s it? That asshole can say whatever he wants about me. It doesn’t bother me.”
She buries her face in her hands with a groan. “That’s not all.”
I lean forward in my seat, speaking softly, “What happened?”
A sob escapes her throat, sending a jolt of pain straight to my heart. She lifts her face from her hands and looks at me with tears streaming down her face, creating rivets in her fuzzy skin. My nose tingles and tears prick at my eyes. I hardly ever cry, but seeing Selene like this breaks me. But this isn’t about me. I need to be strong for her.
“He told me …” She pauses to wipe at her tears. “He told me that I need to stop seeing you or else I would lose my spot at his gallery.”
Saliva floods my mouth as nausea washes over me. “Are you fucking serious? We have to tell someone. That’s extortion.”
“I would, but …”
“But what?” I ask as I move from across the booth to sit next to her. Wrapping my arm around her shoulder, I pull her tight against me. “What else did he say?”
“I can’t.” Selene looks up at me, her eyes shimmering in the harsh lighting of the diner. “If I tell anyone, he’ll ruin my career. I shouldn’t have even told you.”
Despite the rage that boils in my chest, I take a deep breath, attempting to calm myself. “I’m glad you told me. We can do something about this. I can do something about this.”
“No!” she cries out, clutching my arm. “You can’t. I would be ruined.”
“But he’s the one who is fucked up here.” My brows pinch. “I don’t understand.”
“Who is everyone going to believe?” Fresh tears begin to stream down her face. “One of the most prestigious gallery owners in Nashville or me, a nobody?”
I wipe the tears from Selene’s cheeks with my thumb. “You’re not a nobody.”
“I’m sorry to interrupt.” The server returns with a tray balanced on her arm, a pained look on her face. “I have your food.”
“Thanks.” I acknowledge her with a nod before turning back to Selene. “Do you want to eat?”
Selene shakes her head. “I don’t have an appetite.”
Looking up at the server, I ask, “Can we get some to-go boxes, please?”
“No problem, darling,” she says with a warm smile. “I’ll be right back.”
I pull Selene tighter against me. “It’s okay. We’ll figure something out. For now, let’s get you home.”
She buries her face in my chest. “I would like that.”
By the time I’m done packing up our food, Selene has calmed down enough that I feel comfortable allowing her to drive home. We’re silent as we walk to her car. What is there to say? Sebastian Johnson is a real piece of shit.
“Do you want me to come home with you?” I ask when we arrive at her car.
“No.” She looks down at her feet. “I just want to go home and get some rest.”
I take her chin in my hand and tilt it up, angling her face so I can look her in the eyes. “Are we okay?”
The wrinkle between her brow relaxes as she offers me a soft smile. “Yes, Caiden. We are okay. I just need to process this. Alone.”
I don’t want to seem like a desperate teenager, but I hate that she’s pushing me away. But it’s not fair for me to want to swoop her into my arms and never let go. She’s said from the beginning that her career is important to her.
“Should we …” I swallow, my throat bobbing thickly. “… end things?”
Selene’s eyes widen. “Why would you ever suggest that?”
“I know how important this is to you and I don’t want to be the reason you lose everything you’ve worked so hard to build.”
She grabs my hands and gives them a tight squeeze. “Now that I have you, I’m never giving you up. I’ll figure this out. Please don’t suggest such a thing ever again.”
Relief washes over me. “I promise I won’t ever suggest we split again,” I say, bringing her hands to my lips.
Selene lets out a relieved sigh, her shoulders sagging. “Thank you. I couldn’t imagine doing this without you.”
“Of course. I work tonight, but if you’re still up by the time I get off tomorrow, maybe we can see each other.”
“I would like that.”
“Until next time.” I force myself to step away, allowing her to climb into her car.
“Until next time,” she responds before closing her car door.
After turning on the engine and buckling herself in, Selene looks out the window, catching my eye. I hold up my hand, offering her a small wave. She waves back, puts her car in reverse, and drives off into the early morning dawn.