Down Fall (Fallen Duet 2)

“Come on,” Moira said, stopping by the door and flashing a smile at me. “You can take Cade to school. You know he loves when you take him in your Mustang.”

She wasn’t wrong, he loved that car almost as much as I did, and it was the thought of his grin that had me jumping out of bed.

I dressed in dress pants and a shirt and clipped my badge to my belt. I had to go into the office today to see my supervisor, Aaron, before I headed back to Hut and his crew. And Lola, a voice whispered in the back of my mind.

Determined to focus on what was happening right now, I shook my head and made my way downstairs. The soles of my shoes tapped against the light wood, letting everyone in the house know I was coming. I’d worked my ass off to provide them with a house I was proud of. It wasn’t a mansion, but it was more than enough for the three of us.

I walked through the main room and into the open-plan kitchen and was greeted by Cade’s grinning face. He was the perfect mixture of Moira and me, but the older he got, the more he looked like me. His eyes were a shade darker than mine, but his hair was the exact same color.

“Mom said you’re taking me to school today?” It was a question, but he already knew the answer.

“Yeah, son.” I placed my hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “Won’t be long before you’re driving yourself though, huh?”

I moved over to the coffeepot, poured myself a cup, and winced at the taste. I wanted my coffee to taste like actual coffee, not a cinnamon roll. I’d have to wait until I got to the office to have a real one.

I dumped the coffee down the sink, pressed a kiss to Moira’s cheek, and grabbed my keys off the side. “Come on then, let’s get this show on the road.”

Cade sprinted after me, his excitement loud and clear. He even laughed as I started the engine, the roar vibrating through the seats. I missed my car as much as I missed Cade while I was away.

“You ready for the year to be over?” I asked when I pulled out of the driveway.

“Hell yeah!” He blinked, shook his head, and then he amended, “I mean yeah.”

“Son, it’s me you’re talking to, not your mom.”

He chuckled and leaned back in his seat. “Mom said she showed you my grades.”

“She did.” My stomach churned. When Moira told me Cade had a tutor to help him focus on school, and up his grades, Lola hadn’t entered my mind.

“Do you think I could keep Lola as a tutor next year? I know she said she’d have to talk to Mom and work out her own schedule, but she really helped.” He paused. “Plus, she’s sexy as hell.”

My hands tightened on the steering wheel, my nostrils flaring. My son was closer in age to her than I was, but that hadn’t mattered to me. Nothing had mattered when it came to Lola, and now I could see how selfish I had been. I had only thought of myself and not the family I’d spent the last fifteen years building.

“Lola said that I helped her decide what she wants to be when she finishes college,” Cade went on. He tilted his head to the side and then turned to face me, but I kept my gaze fixed on the road. “Do you know Lola?” I didn’t answer, scared what would come out of my mouth. “Because she seemed to know you last night. I’d never seen her look like that before.”

“I know her,” I managed to grind out, hating how rough my voice sounded. I knew her better than anyone ever had.

“Cool.” That was all he said, but I could see his mind working overtime, trying to figure out my few words, but I wouldn't tell him the truth.

I’d made a mistake with Lola, and I had to fix it before anyone else found out.

A mistake.

The words turned my stomach, but I kept my face straight, and my feelings locked away. It didn’t matter what I felt. All that mattered were Cade and Moira. They were my family, and that was the end of it.

I pulled up outside Cade’s high school and idled next to the curb. “How long will you be gone this time?” he asked.

“Not as long if all goes to plan.”

Cade nodded and picked his bag up off the floor. “I’ll see you soon then, Dad.”

“Love you, son.”

“Love you.”

He pushed open the door, looking back at me as he closed it, and then he was gone, bounding up to his group of friends. I stayed for an extra minute, just watching him and wishing I wasn’t who I was in that moment. I’d betrayed the people I cared about most, and yet the only person I wanted to talk to about it was Lola.

I was screwed.