The Bride: An Age-Gap, Marriage of Convenience Romance

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Stepping out onto the platform at the top of the stairs, the tears started flowing freely. Cade walked behind me; his hand placed on my shoulder as we slowly made our way down the steps. It took double the time because I couldn't see where I was going, my eyes blurred with copious amounts of tears. I was scared, I didn't have anyone. Cade was almost a complete stranger and I couldn't completely trust him. He had acted so passionately in there, and I wanted to give him the tightest hug for sticking up for me instead of chastising me for living like that. He didn't even know the half of what had gone down, yet he stuck up for me.

When we were halfway to his car, I felt Cade stop behind me. I glanced over my shoulder, my eyes now somewhat free of tears so I could see him clearly, and his jaw had gone slack while he stared at something over my head. I turned back around, seeing Cade's cherry red car smashed to pieces. Completely destroyed.

He swore under his breath. "Stay here." He threw over his shoulder as he stalked past me.

I nodded wordlessly even though he couldn't see me. I was shocked into silence. This night couldn't get any worse, surely.

I watched as Cade pushed up his suit jacket sleeves while he stalked towards his totaled car. I took a seat on the cracked sidewalk beneath me. Pulling out my phone, which was a fourth generation iPhone, I started to browse the internet's job postings figuring that I was now homeless and jobless. The phone froze and stuck so many times, I ended up powering it off after I couldn't even type in the Google search bar.

"My driver." Cade's voice enveloped me, making me jump slightly. I hadn't even seen him come back. I stood up, brushing invisible dust off the stupid dress I was still wearing. "He'll be here to get us in fifteen minutes."

Us? I didn't question him as I wrapped my arms around myself, the chill of the late summer's air hitting my bare shoulders. I breathed deeply, and let it out slowly. "Is your car going to be paid for?" I wasn't sure how insurance on cars worked. I'd never owned one.

"It was a hit and run, Nevaeh. So, no. My car won't be paid for." He didn't sound so upset about it, more condescending towards me than anything, but it was then that it became distinctly obvious that we came from two different worlds. I didn't even know what kind of car a Maserati was, and he wasn't torn up about his car being completely destroyed.

"I'm sorry." I sighed; I really was. I could tell he was getting frustrated with me. With having to deal with me sneaking into his club, him having to take me home only to find my mother on a stretcher and have his car totaled. What a night. "I should have never been at your club tonight. If I wasn't, none of this would've happened." I scoffed, feeling tears well up in my eyes. "I'm sure my mom still would have happened, that I can't change."

A puff of smoke and the smell of a cigarette drifted my way, prompting me to lift my eyes and see Cade take a drag from the cigarette between his lips. I hadn't even heard him light one up. "Why do you say that?" He asked, but he didn't really sound like he wanted me to answer. He was only responding to my self-deprecating speech because he felt like he had to.

I lifted a shoulder. "Dunno."

Another inhale and exhale before he took the cigarette and used the back of his lighter to stub it out, before returning it back into its container. I didn't comment on the unusualness that he had done because I figured cigarette burns on expensive shoes didn't pair well together.

I wasn't sure how long I sat on the ground uncomfortably in a dress that I tried so hard to keep from exposing my panties with rainbows on them. I could feel Cade's presence behind me along with hearing the insistent sound coming from his phone while he typed on the screen. It was annoying, but I kept my mouth shut. He was doing me a favor.