Ignoring the static, I roll my eyes, faking annoyance as I reach for my shorts. Stepping into them, I purposely face him as I fasten the zipper. Two can play this game—whatever this game is. His attention drifts to my fingers, his Adam’s apple bobbing.
A wave of desire threatens to drag me under. Nothing good can come from this, especially since he all but accused me of pushing his daughter in front of the car. Pulling back my shoulders is probably not the best idea, considering I’m only in a bra, but he’s seen it all anyway. “So are you going to answer my question?”
“What question? I got distracted,” he quips, tonguing his cheek. No matter my comeback, he’s always ready to outsmart me.
Deciding to embark on this war dressed, I slip on my tank and stand my ground. I pay no attention to the fact that my body is protesting, preferring to remain unclothed. “Why are you here? The last time I saw you, you made it clear you think I’m the devil reincarnate.” I cross my arms, my anger replacing my hormone-fueled episode.
The playfulness subsides, and Cayden sighs, running his fingers through his snarled hair. “I’m sorry. I had no right to behave that way.” I’m listening. “I am just”—his pause has my interest piqued—“I’m just an overprotective parent. Ellie’s mom has floated in and out of our lives, so it’s only ever been Ellie and me.” He makes no attempts to mask his bitterness. “She is my number one priority in this world, and everything I do, every choice I make, I make for her.”
A sinking feeling threatens to drag me under, but I quash it. It’s time I laid all my cards on the table because I am done riding this emotional merry-go-round. “I appreciate that and admire you for being a good parent, but ever since we met, I can’t help but feel like you have a problem with me.” I decide to leave out the fact that on rare occasions, he appears to want to eat me alive.
I wait for him to deny my claims, but he doesn’t. He merely lowers his eyes.
“I moved here because something about this town, this house”—I sweep my hand outward—“feels so familiar. It feels like home. These past six months, I’ve lived in constant darkness. I know that sounds melodramatic, but it’s the God’s honest truth. I don’t know who I am, who I was, and coming here was the first time since I woke to this nightmare that I felt…something.”
His head snaps up, but I don’t know what it means. I don’t know what any of this means.
“I’m sorry if me being here has somehow disturbed the peace, but I’m not leaving…not until I figure out what significance this place has. I know I’ve been here before…I just can’t remember. I can’t remember anything,” I confess, the fight in me dying as I rub my temple.
“And what happens when you remember?” He finally speaks, but his tone is heavy with burden.
“I think the better question is if I remember.” Shuffling my bare feet, I suddenly feel foolish for unloading all my personal shit on a mere stranger. But that’s the problem—just as this house, town, and lake all feel familiar, so does Cayden. I just don’t know why. “There’s no guarantee I’ll ever remember, but from what I can tell, giving up isn’t part of my vocabulary.”
A flicker of a grin tugs at Cayden’s supple lips. However, it’s gone just as quickly as it appeared.
“So I promise to keep out of your hair. You won’t even know I’m here.”
When a low chuckle slips past Cayden’s lips, my olive branch gets completely shit on. “That’s not possible,” he explains. When I arch a brow, he continues. “Lacey likes you, and I’m glad she’s made a friend. She doesn’t have many. She works all the time, and when she’s not, she’s helping me with Ellie. I doubt she’ll let you go without a fight.”
Is he making jokes now? The mystery continues…
“Not to mention, my dog seems to adore you. So even if I wanted to ignore you, my nearest and dearest would probably make that impossible to do.”
“So everyone seems to like me, bar you. And quite possibly your daughter.” I need to lighten the mood because I didn’t mean for that statement to come out so needy.
Cayden saunters toward me, that smug smirk a permanent fixture. Everything I just said is laughable, considering the closer he gets to me, the calmer things become. Staying away from Cayden is akin to denying my lungs oxygen to breathe. And when he reaches out to gently brush a stray piece of hair from my cheek, I need all the O2 I can get. “I do like you…”
Why does that comment please me?
His finger lingers as he appears transfixed by our connection. I remain still, not daring to move an iota. He eventually drops his hand, and while I attempt to mask my disappointment, I have to remember to breathe. “And as for my daughter, she is grateful…we both are. And to express my gratitude, I’d like to help you.”
Now I’ve heard it all. “Help me?” I can’t keep the suspicion from my tone.
Cayden nods. “This house isn’t safe.” I open my mouth in protest, but he quickly puts an end to my ranting. “Don’t argue with me because it’s my job to make these calls.”
Annoyed with his bossiness, I smugly reply, “So…what? You’re offering me a place to crash?”
He has the gall to laugh. “We both know how that will end.” I don’t bother arguing this time. “Let me help you get this place up and running. It’s going to take a lot more than a fresh coat of paint.”
“What’s in it for you?” I ask, pursing my lips in distrust. Why is he offering to spend more time with me when he’s been running in the opposite direction every chance he gets?
“I get to sleep easy at night knowing my new neighbor isn’t buried under ten feet of roofing.” I burst into laughter.
Cayden’s offer is tempting because he’s right. This house is a death trap. But I don’t know how that’ll work. The thought of seeing him so often spells disaster on so many levels. But we’re both adults, and he is offering, so I would be crazy not to accept.
“Okay.”
His brows knit together. “Okay?”
A ghost of a smile tugs at my lips. “Yes.”
He tilts his head to the side, clearly weighing whether I’m possessed. “You heard me, right? This means I’ll be over here. A lot.”
“I know.”
“And you’re okay with this?”
“I just said that I was,” I counter, the banter a fun change. He appears satisfied with my response for now.
The air is heavy with unspoken silence, and I wonder if he’s had a change of heart. Digging his hands into his pockets, he nods once. “All right then. I’ll see you tomorrow.” But he still doesn’t budge.
I decide to take advantage of our civility because I don’t know when it’ll happen again. “So your daughter, Ellie…she’s okay?”
Cayden exhales. “Yes. She is, thanks to you.” His statement touches me.
There is no questioning his love for his daughter. I remember her bravery, holding back her tears when I asked if she was all right. No doubt she inherited her strength from her father. I’m still trying to decide what she inherited from her mother.
“She’s a brave little girl.”
He smiles, but there is something bittersweet about it.
The stilted conversation is giving me heartburn because there is still something underlying between us. I just can’t pinpoint what. Taking a closer look at him, I wade through the quicksand in my mind and hope for something to emerge. Nothing does.
The disappointment rises, but I quash it down because Cayden is someone you don’t forget. And besides, if he knew me, I’m sure he’d tell me.
Cayden steps back hastily, clearing his throat. “Well, night.”
“Good night,” I reply, unable to shake this sudden sinking feeling. When he turns to leave, my mouth has a mind of its own and spews out nonsense I have no control over. “Do you know who lived here?”
I have no idea why I just asked him this. But more importantly, why does it matter?
The silence bounces between us, and just when I think he’s not going to answer, he nods. His broad shoulders rise to the heavens, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d say I just hit a nerve. “I do.”
I wait for him to elaborate. He doesn’t.