“Lucas woke up, and he’s coming here too. You’re going to have all the people you need surrounding you.”
“Surrounding me for what?”
“I’m leaving, dollface. You don’t need me right now. You need them.” He encircled my wrist and brought a key from his pocket. He unlocked the bracelet and put it in his pocket.
I didn’t understand what he was saying or doing. “Sure I need them. I need you too. You’re leaving for a few days, but you’ll be back, right?”
He stared at me in silence, and then he took two steps back, away from me, and it might as well have been two fucking miles.
“You’ll be back, right, Cade?” Why did my voice sound desperate?
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
My heart stuttered, then it cracked, then it exploded into smithereens. “What?” I murmured.
“I think you’ll be better off without me.”
“Better off?Better off?” How could he possibly think that anyone could accept and love my shit show the way he did? “You just killed a man for me. I think you are the only thing I need in my life right now.”
He fisted his hands. “All the more reason for me to leave you.”
“What are you talking about?” I shook my head in disbelief.
“You’re going to see the news in a few minutes. The country is breaking alliances with Albania. The world is going to feel the tsunami wave of chaos I just caused. I can’t be involved with you right now, Izzy.”
“You’re leaving me?” The tears didn’t even hesitate to fall from my cheeks almost immediately. Then I whispered what I couldn’t hold onto anymore, “But I love you, Cade. And it’s more than I ever thought I could love again.”
“Baby doll, give it some time, okay?”
“Time?” I screeched. “You think time is going to heal me from losing you? I can barely fucking breathe with what you’re telling me.”
He shook his head and started backstepping away from me, out of my room, out of my life. “I’m leaving now, before I take you on your bed for doing something crazy like throwing something at me.”
He was damn right. I lunged for the spray paint, but he was out the door before I chucked it.
30
Izzy
One whole stupid month.
He disappeared on me for a whole fucking month.
And it was a big month too. The news went wild with our nation breaking alliances off with Albania. We couldn’t ship there, operate businesses there, fly there. It was probably in everyone’s best interest to not even utter their nation’s name.
Cade had done that. Yet, the Armanellis apologized for nothing. The president commended them and Stonewood Enterprises for finding the hack, for unearthing more, and for their patriotism in the nation. I was never mentioned, but Cade seemed to be mentioned everywhere, except in my life.
He didn’t call, didn’t text, and didn’t even email.
But every day, he sent roses. And the one and only message had come attached to them the first day.You get roses for the rest of your life, dollface. You deserve them for what I put you through.
My mother wouldn’t let me throw them in the trash.
That first week, the election went off without a hitch, but I wasn’t allowed to go back to work to be a part of it. Lucas called me screaming about how our president was back in office, how we’d done it. It was one good blip in a sea of darkness. I tried to be happy our system went off without a hitch, that there was no hacking of the election. Yet, I couldn’t celebrate without him.
Cade had left me. And nothing felt whole when he wasn’t there.
The few days at home with my family came and went. I wanted to get back into my apartment; I wanted to get back to work and establish my routine. I needed to get back to normal. Yet, that same night, the apartment company emailed to say they were sorry I was canceling my lease but they completely understood.