Chapter 35
Darlia
Cayden’s soft snores wake me, his body warm and comforting against mine as his arms hold me close to his chest. The sun glares against his eyes, though they stay closed and he remains asleep.
For the first time, I see how exhausted Cayden looks, like he has the weight of the world on his shoulders.
But in this moment, it’s just me and him alone. Right now, he looks at peace.
“Morning, beautiful,” Cayden mumbles, his arms tightening around me as his lips curve into a sleepy smile, his eyes still closed. “How’d you sleep?”
“Good, you?”
His eyes blink open, looking soft and happy. “Mhmm good. Are you hungry?" Before I get to answer, Cayden presses a kiss to my forehead, getting up and throwing on a shirt before walking out to the kitchen to make me food.
“We’re going out today, baby. There’s clothes for you in the wardrobe.” And then he’s gone, giving me privacy while I change.
Cayden may think I don’t notice the smaller details of what he does for me, but I do. The way he lets me always feel in control while knowing I can lean on him for whatever I need sends a shiver through me. He’s so considerate of every detail, I’m not even sure he realises all of them.
Opening the wardrobe, I find a pair of jeans and a knitted sweater waiting for me, along with a pair of shoes similar to the sneakers The Academy let us wear in the beginning. The soles are flat, with small indents for grip. Completely white and clearly brand new.
The jeans fit perfectly, sitting on my waist while the sweater hangs loosely off my frame. It’s beautiful, it makes me feel beautiful.
“Breakfast is ready, love.” Cayden knocks on the door gently before entering, his face softening when he sees me.
“You like it?”
“Yeah, I really like it. Thank you, Cayden.”
“We really need to work on your pet names, love.” He chuckles, wrapping his arms around me and kissing my forehead. “You look good like this. Free from The Academy bullshit.” Cayden pauses as if questioning whether or not to say something when suddenly there is a loud bang outside.
Instantly we both move to the window, looking out to see armed guards entering the apartment building next to ours. Fuck.
“If they’re looking in there it means someone tipped them off the wrong information. We’re okay, love. The worst thing to do right now is try to run. Let’s have breakfast, and you can take a minute to breathe. Then we’ll go to where I want to take you.”
Cayden’s words are like a soothing balm to my mind, immediately quieting any thoughts I have about running as far as possible.
“Come on, love.” Taking my hand, Cayden leads me into the kitchen where all the boys and Bella are sat calm as can be, which soothes me more.
“Morning.” I smile, earning me a few back from the boys.
Bella, however, jumps up from her seat and wraps her arms around me. “I’m so glad there’s more than one person with a uterus in this house. The boys are going insane.”
?
Cayden leads me down the street where his car is parked before opening the passenger door for me.
“Don’t trust me to drive today?” I tease, and he smirks.
“Not today, love. It’s too risky.” Making sure I’m comfortable, Cayden closes the door before moving to the driver’s side, sitting down, and starting the engine.
The car speeds down the main roads before turning on the highway for the Zone checkpoints, and again we get through to Zone Three without complaint. But he doesn’t continue to the elites’ side like I expected. Instead, he starts driving down roads I’ve never seen before, stopping outside a park.
“Come on, I want to show you something.”
Stepping out of the car, Cayden walks to my side before opening my door and helping me out, leading us with our hands intertwined towards the tree line on the far side of the park. I don’t ask where he’s taking me, I trust him.
And for the first time, that doesn’t terrify me.
“It’s only a small walk, baby.” Cayden’s thumb rubs over the top of my hand, trying to calm any anxiety he thinks I might have, but I don’t have any. My ribs still hurt from the re-education site, but I can survive a small walk.
“I trust you.” The grin on his face is blinding, his dimples showing.
“Good.”
Turns out Cayden’s idea of a small walk is twenty minutes uphill, and I think I might be dying. My body aches from overuse after resting for so long, and still struggling with my lingering issues. I gasp in a breath as the air wheezes out my lungs.
“Shit, I’m sorry. I thought you would be able to handle it.” Cayden panics, coming to my side and wrapping an arm around my waist to take some weight off me.
“I’m fine,” I wheeze, not sounding fine at all.
“Sit, take as long as you need. I’ll carry you back, okay? We’re two minutes away.”
From what? Because right now I feel two minutes away from death, and honestly if this was his plan, points for creativity. I know it’s not, but I would still be slightly impressed despite myself. “I’m okay. I can keep going.”
“Nope, take another minute. Catch your breath,” Cayden orders, and I almost giggle at how concerned he sounds. The way he looks at me, the worry in his eyes. It’s the most beautiful thing I have ever experienced.
And despite the attempted murder hike, he’s not so bad.
“You good, baby?”
“Yeah, I’m okay. Lead me to your death trap.”
Cayden chuckles as he takes my hand again, leading me further into the forest.
And then I see it, the opening beyond the trees. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. The sound of waves crashing fills my ears, the smell of salt filling the air. The beach. Cayden brought me to the beach.
“Bella mentioned you always wanted to come here.”
I can’t respond, the words trapped in my throat as I stare out to the beauty beyond me.
It’s even more beautiful than I could have ever imagined.
It’s like something from another world. The sand is warm, soft, and bright.
The waves wet the sand further up, and I feel the urge to just run into the water, clothes be damned.
Even if I have to spend twenty minutes in wet clothes on the walk back.
“Go ahead, love. I have spare clothes for you.”
I don’t wait a single second taking off my shoes and running into the water. It’s freezing cold and freeing. I feel so free. An unwilling laugh escapes and I run around the water, feeling the waves crash into me.
The salt hits the stitches on my ribs; it burns, but even that’s not enough to get me to leave. I never want to be anywhere else again.
I wish Lauren was here to see this.
Then I see Cayden watching from the shore, his eyes on me and a smile on his lips. And for the first time, everything just feels right.
Cayden
There’s a softness to Darlia I’ve never seen before, a spark in her eyes that’s only from pure joy. I wish I could bottle up this moment and take it with her everywhere she goes, so that Darlia can always feel this happy.
Right now, Darlia looks like a kid in a candy store. And she’s mine. All mine.
The most beautiful girl in the world, and she trusts me, loves me; even if she hasn’t admitted it to herself yet.
Darlia’s laughter is infectious, carrying from the waist-deep water back to the dry sand. And of course, like an idiot, I remembered everything for her, but nothing for me. She is always the priority.
“Cayden! Come in here!” I want to, so fucking badly I want to share this moment with her. Fuck it. Throwing off my sweatshirt and pushing down my jeans, I strip down to my boxers and run in after her.
The water is fucking freezing, how Darlia isn’t already trembling is beyond me.
Walking out to her, I watch as she splashes the water, wetting me and immediately stifling a laugh. Cheeky girl.
I splash her back, and Darlia gasps as the cold water hits her face. “Cayden!!!” Her laughter going straight to my heart where every other part of her already belongs. Fitting in like the missing piece to a puzzle I didn’t know she was building.
“Cayden?”
“Yes, my love?”
“Thank you.”
I don't respond, instead I pick her up and spin her around in the water, watching her head fall back and laughter escape her chest.
Darlia is always beautiful, but right now she is magnificent. And I would do everything all over again just to see her in this moment. My darling Darlia, so happy and free.
She deserves this.
And everything I have yet to show her.
Darlia wraps her legs around my waist, holding on to me as she catches her breath. I hold her close, not sure if she knows how to swim. I doubt that’s something The Academy teaches.
“How did you know I always wanted to come to the beach?”
Bella told me while she was grieving. She told me a lot about Darlia I’m not sure she ever wanted me to know, but I do anyway.
“Bella.”
“Of course she did.” Darlia rolls her eyes, trying to fight a smirk. I kiss the corner of her lips, right beside her dimple.
I spin her around again and her laughter fills the air. I could spend a lifetime being the cause of it, and never get tired.
Darlia
The water clings to my skin as I dive into the water, the salt stinging my eyes. I circle my arms, trying to keep myself afloat, realising I don’t know how to swim.
“Careful, darling.” Cayden wraps his arms around me, lifting me as my legs instinctively move around his waist again. “How are you doing? Really doing, no bullshit.”
I part my lips to respond, but stop myself and force myself to really think about how I answer. I’m tired, overwhelmed, but happy. I’m so happy.
“I’m okay.” I give him a smile so he believes me, and Cayden kisses my nose. “Good. Let’s get out of the water before we get sick.”
I don’t argue as Cayden walks us out of the water, walking over to the sand before putting me down.
“There’s a spare change of clothes for you in there, and a towel.”
“Thank you.” My heart stops as I realise he thought about me, but not himself. Cayden was busy trying to make this day perfect for me, he didn’t bring anything for himself to change into.
“I’ll be fine baby, just get yourself warm and dry for me okay?” I nod, unbuttoning the jeans and attempting to peel them from my body, but they hardly budge. How can this possibly be so hard? How could anyone wear this?
“May I?” Cayden chuckles, waiting for my nod before placing his hands on my waist. Unzipping the jeans, he gently pulls them from my body, the heavy, wet clothes falling to the sand as Cayden helps me step out of them.
“Arms up, baby.” His fingers graze both sides of my waist as he pulls the sweater over my head, leaving me standing in only my bra and underwear.
I feel so exposed. The cold air hits my wet skin and sends a shiver down my spine, yet somehow I don’t feel cold.
“So beautiful,” Cayden murmurs, his lips pressing to my forehead as his hands move back to my waist, holding me still.
We both stand there, unmoving in nothing but undergarments, before I start to tremble. Immediately, Cayden pulls away and wraps the towel around me.
“How are your stitches?”
“They sting, but they’re okay,” I say honestly. There’s no point lying to Cayden when I know he’ll just keep asking until I answer honestly.
“Let’s get you dressed and get home. We have a long few days ahead of us, and you’re going to need some rest.” I stare at him, confused.
“Long few days?”
“You’ll see, my love.”
The walk back to the car is mostly silent. Cayden carries me back, despite the coldness clinging to him as the water drips from his body.
He had placed his jeans back on, but left his shirt off, using it to wrap my hair back so that the water didn’t wet my clothes.
I’m pressed against his chest, and for the first time, I see how toned he is. Something I’ve never noticed before. The only other times Cayden has been shirtless around me is when he’s behind me in bed.
I always knew he was muscular, that much was obvious, but this is different. There are lines down his hard chest and stomach. Defined by muscles and what’s clearly been years of training.
“Like what you see?” Cayden’s lips curve into a smirk as he looks down at me, and instantly my cheeks flush pink.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper, quickly looking away.
“Don’t be. It’s yours, anyway.”
“What’s mine?”
“Every piece of me.”
?
Marcus and Caleb fight over the same seat on the couch while Luke, Cayden, and Weston watch them with amused smiles.
“No! I want this seat!”
“Too bad, I was here first, asshole!”
I stifle a laugh, watching the ridiculousness of it. Something so simple yet it would’ve had us killed or tortured in The Academy.
“You okay?” Cayden nudges me, his face soft and happy. He looks down to the hoodie I’m wearing. The hoodie he gave me when we got home from the beach, and it smells like him.
“I’m okay.”
Neither of us looks away as the chaos continues around us, though the noise fades into the background. The way Cayden looks at me keeps me in a trance I can’t escape. His arms wrap around me as he pulls me into his chest, his hand going to my hair and gently playing with the strands.
“You’re tired.” It’s not a question, and I am. I’m exhausted. Although this has been the best day of my entire life, it’s been draining, too. And in typical Cayden fashion, he reads me like an open book.
“Ugh, you prick!” Caleb groans as Marcus wins the seat fight, breaking us out of the trance.
“Alright, you two, break it up,” Cayden orders, still holding me tightly. I smile into his chest, hiding it from view from everyone else.
“Yes, sir,” Caleb mocks with a pout before sitting down.