Page 77 of The Obvious Check
He doesn’t say anything back, but I do notice the way his hands curl around the door like he’s angry. Is he upset with me? I sure as hell would be if I were him. I duped him. He’s finally seen me for who I really am. I’m not that sweet girl he tries to make me out to be. I’m one who works in a club. That’s used to using my body to get what I want. It doesn’t matter that it was my firsttime in those rooms. What matters is that I was willing, more like coerced, into doing it in the first place. How could he still want to help me?
He slams the car door shut, the sound echoing through the quiet parking lot. I walk ahead of him toward the elevator, my arms wrapping around my middle as the night air bites at my skin, a cruel reminder that in all the chaos, I never changed out of the white corset. My clothes are stuffed in my bag, but I didn’t think to put anything on before rushing out to see if he’s okay.
I reach for the zipper on my bag, but before I can even start digging, Cade takes it from me and drapes his jacket over my shoulders. The warmth is immediate, and his hands linger for a second as he squeezes my shoulders before letting go.
I glance up at him, but he’s already looking away, his jaw tight, his body rigid.
When the elevator dings open, I step aside, waiting for Cade to exit first. He moves past me without a word, his body tense, his jaw still locked. My stomach tightens. He might not be speaking to me. But his jacket? His warmth? He gave it to me anyway.
I follow him in, pressing myself against the side of the small, narrow space. The elevator was probably built for two, maybe three people, but with Cade’s broad frame and solid muscle, he might as well take up the entire thing himself. My shoulder brushes against his chest, my hip grazes his thigh, and I swear I can feel the heat radiating off him in waves. No matter how much I try to keep space between us, every small shift, every tiny movement brings me closer to him.
I swallow hard, keeping my eyes locked on the floor numbers ticking up, counting every agonizing second. When they finally slide open, my shoulders sag with relief as I step out into the hallway.
Sometimes, being this close to Cade is just… too much.
He unlocks the apartment door without a word and steps inside as Stanley comes trotting over to greet me.
“Hey, bud,” I murmur, crouching down to scratch behind his ears, letting his familiar warmth soothe some of the tension in my chest.
Behind me, Cade exhales sharply, the sound rough and exhausted.
I glance up at him and when he catches my eye, he winces before moving toward the kitchen, his shoulders tight as he walks slower than usual, with his body crouched forward.
What the hell did those guys do to him out there?
I study him carefully, trying to read his body language, searching for any sign of what’s going on in his head. I slowly make my way to the other side of the kitchen counter, watching him carefully, waiting for him to look at me.
For a long moment, he doesn’t. He keeps his head down, bracing his hands against the counter, his broad back rising and falling with each slow, sharp breath.
When he finally lifts his head, his green eyes meet mine, and the sight of him nearly knocks the air from my lungs. All I see is anguish and I want to say he’s conflicted. That maybe he’s already decided to give up on me, but he doesn’t know how to tell me.
“Cade, I—”
He groans, cutting me off with a sharp raise of his hand, his head hanging lower. “Don’t. Please, Sav. Just… don’t.”
My breath catches.
That tone. That exhaustion. It guts me. And all the insecurities I have come roaring back, slamming into me like a tidal wave. I knew this would happen. I knew that once he saw me like this, once the high of whatever this thing between us faded, he’d see me for what I really am.
A girl who has nothing to offer. A girl who doesn’t belong in his world.
I swallow the lump in my throat and take a small step back, already preparing for the inevitable.
“I’m sorry about everything tonight,” I say, forcing my voice to stay steady. “I completely understand if you want me to leave. I know it’s not—”
“Jesus, Sav.”
His voice is sharp, almost pained, as he grips the counter so tightly his knuckles go white.
“Do you really think I’m angry with you?” His gaze snaps to mine, burning with something I can’t quite name.
I hesitate, my fingers twisting in the fabric of his jacket still draped around my shoulders.
“I…”
“I’m not,” he rasps, his voice raw.
I cross my arms, watching Cade like I’m waiting for a bomb to go off. “Are you sure? Because you’re looking pretty angry, and I get it. You got beaten up because of me.”
