Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 74103 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74103 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
Each word slams into me with the intensity of a speeding bullet.
“I love you, Blair,” I croak, feeling weak in the knees.
“I love you too, but you’re leaving. You’re leaving me to go to Blackthorn to play a sport you don’t even enjoy. There is no future for us.”
“We can make it work. I told you, I would come and visit, stay every weekend.”
I know I’m grasping at straws, that she’s already made up her mind, but I would be a stupid man not to try.
She shakes her head, soft locks of brown hair fall onto her face, shielding half of it from view, and I’ve never seen her so broken. I did this to us. First, with the bet, and now with my father.
“I’m sorry, Cage,” she whispers.
Everything around me falls away. There is no sound, no floor beneath my feet. I’m holding my aching heart in my hands, watching in horror as she ambles to the door, opens it, and walks out, leaving me standing in a house that has never felt so empty before.
23
Blair
They say first love is the hardest, but I disagree. Love in general hurts and losing the person you love, well, it feels like a piece of your own heart is being cut out.
Words cannot describe the anguish I feel over his loss. It feels like I’m grieving someone’s death, and I don’t understand why.
Maybe because it was real?
I just can’t be sure. I don’t know what to believe. All I know is that I miss him.
He’s called so many times over the last three days, I ended up shutting off my phone. It just kept ringing, and I was close to cracking.
I hate leaving Jude’s house more than anything, but three days is enough time to spend camped out in your best friend’s spare bedroom. Eventually, I’m going to have to dry my tears, and pull on my big girl panties, so why not do it now?
“You know you can stay, right?” Jude’s concerned voice meets my ear as I walk toward the door, bag in hand.
“I know, but it’s easier if I go back to the dorms. All my stuff is there, and I don’t have to worry about how I’m going to get to and from campus.”
“I can drive you any time,” Lex chimes in. “You act like campus is three hours away. Plus, Sebastian loves my surprise visits.”
The smirk he gives me tells me otherwise.
“I really do appreciate you–”
I’m interrupted by a sound coming from the baby monitor sitting on the side table. A high-pitched wail filters through, reminding me of yet another reason why I need to leave.
They have a newborn. They are newlyweds. They are a family, and I am not part of that. I don’t belong here.
The question now is, where do I belong?
“I got to get the baby,” Jude tells me before giving me a quick hug. “Call me if you change your mind.” I nod and watch as she disappears into the hallway.
Lex holds the door open for me, and we walk out. Just like Cage, he is tall and muscular, which is no surprise since he is a personal trainer at a gym.
I throw my stuff in the trunk and get in the passenger seat.
“You should talk to him. Hear him out at least,” Lex says as he pulls out of the driveway.
“Why would you even say that? You don’t know him.”
“I know you. I see how miserable you are. And even though I don’t know him personally, I do know of him, and I know what kind of person he is.”
“And what kind is that?”
“Hard-headed, impulsive with anger issues, and a slightly broken moral compass.”
“Wow, you do know him.”
“Yeah, got a brother just like that. You’ve met Remington, haven’t you?” I had met him and his wife and their baby girl at Jude and Lex’s wedding. Remington didn’t look as if he had eyes for anyone but his wife.
“Yes, he seemed super nice though, nothing like you just described.” Seb, Lex, and Rem all seem similar to me. Kind, dedicated, protective. I could never see them hurting the women they love.
“See, here is the thing. People like him, they might be difficult, emotional, uncontrollable, and definitely do dumb things sometimes, but they’re also loyal, determined, and when they love, they love with all their heart. There is no half-ass bullshit love with men like that. Yeah, their mess-ups are of epic proportions, but so is their love.”
“If that was true, Cage wouldn’t be leaving me.”
“Look at it this way, his dad didn’t give him a choice. Maybe he was scared or felt like he had to go. Just talk to him. There is always more to the story than meets the eye.”
My body physically aches to be near Cage, but all I felt when he agreed to leave was loss, complete and utter loss.