Chapter 6 #2
“I’m not the one with the money here, Sophia. You saw to that. I will get what I’m owed. I was part of that family for long enough, and I know what I deserve.”
He didn’t. He deserved so much, and yet, Fate had had other plans.
His voice made my skin crawl, and all I could think of was how I was grateful that my little girls weren’t here.
The home they were at had a similar system to mine, Ford had made sure of it, and that was the only reason they were even allowed to be with their friend.
I was overprotective, and I didn’t care.
Cale was up to something, and he wanted to see his girls.
“Talk to my lawyer.” And with that, I hung up, trying not to let my stomach roil.
When the doorbell rang, before I could even let out a breath, the small gasp that escaped me, embarrassed me. It wouldn’t be Cale. He wouldn’t be that stupid. But I pulled up my phone again, sent Cale to voicemail, and looked at the screen readout to see who had come to my door.
On my doorstep, was a very familiar man. With broad shoulders, green eyes, and someone who was the exact opposite of Cale.
What was Carson doing here and how did he know where I lived?
I moved to the door, knowing ignoring him would be for naught, and opened it. “How did you find me?” My hands still shook, and he met my gaze, his arms full.
“I know things. And I wanted to see you. But what’s wrong? What happened?”
“Stalking me?” I asked, tears threatening.
“No, I wanted to bring you something. And I know where all of the Cages live. I’m putting my family’s trust in your company, so I did research.
I wouldn’t have used that knowledge, but there’s just something about you.
I couldn’t stay away. But now I think I need to find someone and break them if they’re putting that look on your face. ”
My chest tightened, and I had to wonder how exactly this man could do this to me.
It was all too much at once, and I took a staggering step back.
He was there in an instant, putting two large paper bags on my entry table.
When he closed the door behind him, and cupped my face, I let him. What was wrong with me?
“What happened?”
“What did you bring?” I asked, feeling like an idiot.
“I asked Harper what some of your favorite snacks and drinks were. You don’t eat enough.”
I looked up at him then, confused. “What?”
“I wanted to feed you. Yes, it’s idiotic, but it’s something I wanted to do.
You don’t eat enough, you don’t take care of yourself.
You’re too busy taking care of everyone else, including those girls of yours.
I didn’t mean to scare you, and I would’ve called ahead, but well, I’m an idiot.
But why don’t you tell me what happened? What put that look on your face?”
“I—” I shook my head. He had brought me my favorite things? What was with this man? Why did he have to be so caring in one instant, and so confounding in the next?
He was so unlike Cale it wasn’t even funny, and yet, my brain couldn’t focus.
“Nothing.”
“You are a terrible liar.” He slid his thumb along my cheekbone, and I swallowed hard.
“It’s my ex. Cale.” Even saying his name made me want to throw up. I hated that just the sheer thought of that man could affect me like this.
From the way that Carson’s jaw tightened, he wasn’t happy with that either. “What the fuck? I’ll kill him.”
Why that calmed me ever so slightly, I’ll never know. “You need to stop threatening to do that. Because one day I may take you up on it.”
“For you, I would.”
He said it as if he meant it, and it made no sense to me.
Who was this man? And why did he do these things to me?
I took a step back, and his hands fell. It was those little moments, the fact that as soon as I needed him to not touch me, he would stop.
And yet, part of me needed him to touch me just as much.
The contradictory nature of whatever I was feeling when it came to him frustrated me to no end. So when I explained the current situation with Cale, I couldn’t understand why I was letting myself be vulnerable. Yet there wasn’t another way.
“Why does he get to see them? He hurt you in front of them.” He paled. “Did he ever hurt them?”
I shook my head and wiped my tears. I was so done crying over this.
“He never touched them. He uses them as a bargaining tool. And yet no matter what lawyers the Cages have, the cruelty of men will prevail in the eyes of our laws. That’s how it is.
He has rights because he’s a father, even if he is a monster. ”
“I can beat that monster. I can kill him for you.”
“I somehow believe you. And that should worry me, but it doesn’t. Because I don’t think you’ve killed a man before.”
“There’s always a first.”
I paused, swallowing hard. “Who are you, Carson?”
He tilted his head, then reached forward, brushing my hair from my face. “I’m no one.”
“That’s a lie,” I said, a smile playing on my face.
“I’m just a man. I own a business. I’m a brother. And I want you. Even though I know it’s not good for either one of us.”
“I know it’s not good for either one of us at all. I don’t want anyone, Carson. I played at forever, and I broke.”
“I can never promise forever,” he whispered.
The truth of the blow ached, and yet it was a relief. Because I couldn’t promise forever either.
“Who are you, Sophia Cage?”
“I wish I knew the answer to that,” I said with a laugh that held no humor.
“Should I tell you who I see?”
“Who?” I asked.
“I see a mother, a woman, a dancer, and someone who strives for goodness. Someone who should not be standing in front of me.”
“And yet you’re the one who came here,” I said honestly. He studied me for a moment, and then I took a step away and looked at the bags. “Is any of that perishable?”
“Most likely.”
“I suppose I should show you the kitchen then.”
“I suppose you should.”
I had no idea what the hell I was doing, and I knew it was a mistake, but I led him deeper into my home, wondering when I would wake up from this impossible dream.
“I like your house.”
“Aston helped me find it,” I said after a moment, feeling awkward that a man was in my home. A man who wasn’t related to me.
“He’s good at real estate, it’s one reason that I’m working with him.”
My lips twitched. “And I suppose the fact that my brother can make money out of nothing doesn’t hurt.”
“No. It doesn’t.”
“Harper really told you my favorite foods?”
“Some of them. And then I saw what you ate at your brother’s house, and what you picked up at the cafe. If I’m wrong, then I can eat it. Not a big deal. But, well…” He sighed, running his hands over his hair. I had never seen him look so out of sorts. It made me like him all the more.
“Carson?”
“I don’t know what I’m doing here. I wanted to be here, so I came up with an excuse. I should go, but I’m not going to unless you tell me to leave.”
I looked at him, the utter openness in that sentence breaking down a small wall.
“I don’t want you to go either.”
“Good.” We stood there, staring at one another for a few more moments, before he began to pull out cheese, my favorite crackers, a chocolate bar, fruit, and turkey jerky that was my craving recently.
“How on earth did you know that? Harper doesn’t.”
“It was in your purse. You know, when you swooned in my arms.”
I hit him gently with the jerky. “I did not swoon.”
“Whatever you say, Cage.”
“Are you sure you should be calling me Cage when there’s so many of us?”
“Probably not. Not with what I want to do with you.”
“Carson. I don’t—”
He shook his head. “Too far. That’s okay. But I do like your home.”
“Oh?”