“What about your job? What about me?”
My eyes burned with the threat of tears. “I had to quit my job.”
“What about me?” His desperation wrapped around my throat like a noose.
I couldn’t speak—even if I knew how to answer him, the words wouldn’t come out. So I offered him a shrug, without looking at him, and dragged the suitcase off the bed.
“You can’t leave, Jade.” The pain in his voice stroked deep within my chest, ran through my veins, and coiled around my lungs. “Please, don’t leave me. Don’t take Aria from me.”
A tear slipped from my eye and slid down my cheek. “I have to go, Cash.” And without waiting, I moved past him and out the door. Stopping for my purse, I noticed the watch on the kitchen table. “I can’t accept this gift from you, and as soon as I can replace the phone, I’ll give that back, as well. Unless you need it now.”
“I don’t fucking need anything from you…just you, Jade.” He stood behind me, but I couldn’t turn to see him. I couldn’t look at him. His words were hard enough to hear, and if I saw his eyes, nothing would be able to stop me from breaking down. “Don’t leave. Please, don’t fucking leave.”
The second his fingers wrapped around my upper arm, the bag fell from my hand and my body turned into him as if on instinct. I dropped my forehead to his chest and fisted the sides of his T-shirt, letting the material soak up my tears. And then he wrapped me up in the only comfort I’d ever truly known.
“God, I love you so much, Jade. So fucking much. I can’t be here without you. I’m so sorry I lied, and I’ll do anything it takes to make it right. Tell me what to do. I’ll do it in a heartbeat.” His pleading words blew through my hair with his lips close to my ear.
“I can’t tell you what to do,” I mumbled into his chest.
“Then at least give me the chance to make it right. Let me prove to you that you can trust me.”
That was just it, though—I already trusted him. I may have started to question everything he’d ever told me, but as a person, I trusted him completely. I knew he’d never hurt me. I believed him when he said he loved me. And there was no doubt in my mind that if he could claim Aria as his own, he would.
“We’ll talk, okay?” I pulled away from him but refused to let go. When I tipped my head back to see his eyes, he stroked my cheeks with his thumbs, clearing away the pain that ran down my face. “I need to be there for my mom, so I have to go, but at some point, I’ll come back—to either pack my things or stay. But I can’t make that decision right now. I have far too much on my mind to add this to it.”
“So if I call, you’ll answer?”
“If I can, yes.”
“And if you can’t?”
For such a large, strong man, he appeared so weak in this moment. “Then I’ll call you back.”
With his hands on my face, he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. It was soft and quick, but that’s all it needed to be for his point to come across. He loved me, and he didn’t need more than a chaste kiss to prove it.
My phone had gone off several times during my drive to the east coast, but I didn’t look at it. I needed to pay attention to the roads, and I knew if any of the texts were from Cash, I’d have to pull over to compose myself. I didn’t have the time to do that. I’d already wasted more than I had by staying behind and talking to him.
When I made it back to Stevie’s apartment, Aria woke up. She’d missed me and refused to go back to sleep. As soon as she found out I’d gone back home, she had even more questions about Cash—mostly, where was he. Stevie could tell something was wrong, but she didn’t ask. I hadn’t told her about what had happened last week, and I’d excused Cash’s absence as work related. But I knew she could see right through me. Luckily, she decided not to pry.
It wasn’t until midnight before I lay in bed and finally had a chance to check my phone. There were two texts from Cash. The first was a document that took far too long to figure out due to my inexperience with this phone, but once I had it opened, I couldn’t stop the tears.
Honesty Agreement
-I will never lie to you again.
I exited that and went back to the messages. His second text made me laugh.
Cash: Feel free to make any amendments you wish. This agreement will hold up in court.
Smiling with tears clinging to my lip, I responded.
Me: You’re missing a few bullet points.
His reply was immediate, as if he’d been staring at his phone for hours, waiting for me.
Cash: I didn’t think it needed any. It’s fairly cut and dry. I wouldn’t want to leave any room for interpretation.
Me: What if I ask you if I look fat in a bathing suit?
Cash: You think I’d lie?
Me: You’d tell me yes, I look fat?!
Cash: HELL NO! And it wouldn’t be a lie.
My heart swelled while I tried to push back the fear that we were rushing things.
Me: OK…what if I’m sick and I ask you if I sound like a dude?
Me: And I really do, so it wouldn’t be a matter of opinion.
The bubbles popped up, and then his reply.
Cash: Then I’d tell you that you sound sexy
Me: Would that be a lie?
Cash: Nope
Me: So you think dudes sound sexy??
Cash: I walked right into that one, didn’t I? How about, it doesn’t matter what your voice sounds like or what you say, because I’ll always think you sound sexy.
I stared at his words on the screen and thought about other situations.
Me: What if I made dinner and forgot an ingredient and it tasted bad?
Cash: You’d be eating it with me, so I don’t think I’d have to say anything
My smile stretched wider.
Cash: Babe, there are no exceptions. I won’t ever lie to you again.
Me: I do need one thing added.
Cash: ???
Me: Omission of the truth is still a lie.
Cash: So if you color your hair puke green and I don’t tell you I hate it, that’s still a lie?
Me: Yup.
Cash: Fine. Making the changes now. Will send when I’m done.
Two minutes later, another document came through.
Honesty Agreement
-I will never lie to you again.
*An omission of the truth is still a lie.
*Please don’t ever color your hair puke green.
I had to cover my mouth to keep from waking the house with my laughter.
Me: Deal. No green hair.
Cash: Thank God!
Me: Night, Cash.
Cash: Night babe. I love you.
I love you, too.
22
Cash