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He opened his ar how she would react To see if she’d come to hiazed at hi

Then her face cru

Relief burst through hiot you, sweetheart," he told her "I’ve got you"

EIGHTEEN

It felt incredible to have Kylie in his arms It didn’t matter that she’d sent him annulment papers It didn’t matter that she’d hesitated

Theto hiood He knew she still needed him just as much as he needed her

"Love, don’t cry," he ly bruise on her forehead It was purple and yellow at the edges, a sign that it had looked worse at one point and was now starting to fade Just thinking about that made him even more furious than before He forced himself to remain calm "I’m here I’ll take care of you"

But she shook her head, and fresh tears poured forth "I c-can’t have you, Cade"

"Why not? Who’s stopping us?"

She bit her lip, and for ato burst into fresh tears It was breaking his damn heart

"Tell me," he said softly "Trust ers curling against his shirt as if she were loath to let hio "Cade I’mI’m supposed to tell you that you can’t choose ave a pitiful sniff "You and I aren’t supposed to happen"

Not the Daphne stuff again? Cade’s temper flared oncea spoiled brat?"

Kylie was silent, averting her gaze But he knew the answer, just from that small motion

"Did someone find out about us, Kylie? Is that why the sudden annul you to end it with uessed

A new tear rolled down Kylie’s cheek "I’," she whispered "It’s in"So that’s what this is, then It’s not you deciding to break up withthat even if she doesn’t want her toy, she doesn’t want anyone else to have it, either"

The look Kylie gave him was pure misery and heartbreak "I’m stuck," she adeous, beloved face "Then you let me handle it," he told her in a soft voice, and kissed her sweet mouth "You let your husband take care of you" The fact that she still looked skeptical after those words broke his daoing to happen Not now Not ever And you knohy?"

"Why?" Kylie’s voice was soft

"Because she’s not one half the person you are" At Kylie’s wince, he realized she probably thought of that as a size comment, and he continued on, deterer, I was in love with Daphne She was bold, and brilliant, and could light a roo to be a star, I believed them, because no one could meet Daphne and not fall in love with her She was theperson I’d ever met, and I was madly in love with her Ever since I was a broke fifteen-year-old kid fro side of the tracks, I waited for Daphne to notice that I loved her and for her to love me back Half my damn life" His mouth curved into a wry smile "Fifteen years wasted You knohy?"

This ti to become someone worthy of her, she became someone else Someone mean Someone who calls her staff stupid, hurtful nicknames because she can’t be bothered to learn their real names Someone who thinks about no one but herself Someone spoiled and petulant and selfish Soet attention And I thought to row out of it at soether"

Kylie closed her eyes Her makeup, normally perfect, was smeared around the corners of her eyes and threatened to run down her cheeks She’d never looked ht that Daphne’s tour started, I realized she was never going to grow out of it That it ho she was now, and I was the blind one And you kno I realized this? Because I h to see h she didn’t know et hurt, because she cared what happened to ave herself so sweetly when I asked and wanted nothing in return" His fingers caressed her soft cheek, cupped her jaw Forced her to look up at hi kind of person all my life" He watched her lip tre, because he needed to get it all out, needed to ht I wanted a selfish brat because I relaot that people change, and h I was supposed to be obsessed with her, I kept thinking about Kylie And Kylie’s kisses, and the way Kylie always made me smile even when I wanted to be , she was never cruel or awful She was always kind, and giving, and loving And I findwhat I would do if Kylie ever left me And you knohat I would do?"