Breaking Free (Story One) *Unedited*

Chapter Fifty Three

"You got everything you need, right?" Caden asks carrying our carry ons to Gabe's SUV. 

"Yeah I got everything I need."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

"Where's your phone?" he asks with a smirk. 

 Feeling my body and then checking through my purse, "Crap, I'll be right back." I tell him running back into the house trying to retrace my steps. Running up the stairs to see if it was in Caden's room or bathroom.  I dash back down when I can't find it almost tripping down I catch myself on the railing. Running into the kitchen finding it next to my bowl of half eaten cereal. Quickly dumping it apologizing to Ms. Eleanor for not being able to throughly clean it I race back out out of breath. Hunching over "I" gulp of air, "got" gulp of air, "it" I say waving my phone in his face. 

"You okay?" he asks rubbing my back.

"Yeah, I'm fine just out of shape." I tell him standing back up.

"Whenever you're ready to continue training we will."

Nodding my head. "Yo, you two love birds ready to go?" Gabe shout out the window.

"Yeah."climbing into the backseat sitting in the back with our stuff. 

"So after your class what time do I pick you guys up for y'alls flight?"

I curse my professor for changing the final last minute. "Ten thirty." Caden tells him. Nodding his head at that he turns the radio up the words of Childish Gambino "Red Bone" plays filling the car as we make our way to campus. I go over and over all the topics in my head where I placed my key note cards and everything that needed to be referenced about each topic. Getting to the last topic I went blank. Damn if only Caden hadn't come last night and dragged me out for a game night with our friends. 

You can't blame Caden all it took was a few sweethearts and you willingly skipped down the stairs to the entertainment room. My inner critic snorts out. 

"Ugh." I groan out. I'm so weak a spineless creature a jellyfish when it comes to him.

"What's wrong?" Caden asks me.

"Hmm oh nothing." Except I have no back bone. 

Looking out the window I try and go back over everything. "Sweetheart if you're that worried about me going to met your aunt I won't go."

"What?"

"That's what you're worried about right."

"What? No." raising his eyebrow at me in disbelief, "I mean yeah I'm worried about that you're the first guy to ever meet her." He smiles at that clearing my throat I continue looking out the window, "but I'm panicking over the test because I can't remember the last topic off of my head."

"That is what the key cards are for."

"I know but it would be easier if I could just remember."

"You're going to do great stop being so hard on yourself." he tells me reaching his hand back for mine.

"I hope so." I tell him grabbing on to it we hold hands the rest of the drive there.

Reaching campus we head to class hand in hand. Emily glares at me as we enter glaring back at her. "Who are we annoyed with?" Caden  whispers in my ear breaking our starring contest.

Looking up at him, "Emily since the semester began she has had this stick up her ass about me and you."

"Hmm." looking at her out the corner of his eye he leans down and kisses me placing my arms around his neck. "There now she can really have something to be mad about." he mumbles against my lips. 

"You know when we started dating I didn't realize how annoying you would be." I say joking, "I thought you were at full capacity but here you are." smiling I let him go and grab his hand pulling him towards our seats. Side stepping a very red faced and very annoyed Emily. We sat in the back listening as each group did their presentations. I listened took notes, voice recorded, and anxiously tapped my foot waiting to do my own while Caden tried his best to distract me. After Emily and her partner did their presentation I was next. Getting my notes together I froze I forgot my key cards. 

"Jade." Professor Brynn calls my name. 

Leaning over, "Sweetheart she's calling you."

"I can hear her but I forgot my key cards." I frantically tell him.

"I got them." he tells me leaning over to grab his back pack and digging in the front pocket he hands them to me. My wonderful color coded and rubber banned wrapped key cards.

"When did you have time to grab them?" I ask snatching them out of his hands.

"When you forgot to put them in your back pack last night after coming back from Ginger's room." 

Eyes widening with the biggest smile on my face, "You're -"

"If Jade isn't here I guess we will just have to move on to the next."

"I'm here." I rush up almost tripping over my own bag, "I'm here Professor Brynn just needed to find my key cards."

"Alright Ms. Jade." moving out of my way I hook up Caden's laptop to the projector and take a deep breath before I begin. I lock my eyes on Caden and only Caden as I do my speech, moving through each slide. Until I got to the end I didn't have that key card. Looking at Caden again in panic he smiles as he holds the key card in his hand. "You got this he mouths." Closing my eyes I quickly look up at the projector and glancing over everything. Remembering the topic I wanted to break down further smiling when Caden was looking between the key card and me with excitement written over his face. Ending it I get a standing ovation from Caden and Professor Brynn as well as a few others. "That was a great presentation Jade I couldn't have taught that subject better myself and it was the toughest one." 

Patting my shoulder as I grab everything up and head back to my seat. "So who is next it looks like Beast is next."

"I didn't do the assignment." he tells her causing everyone's mouths to drop. Taking my seat I narrow my eyes at him, "WHAT." I exclaim in a whisper starring at the side of hs face watching his Adam's apple bob up and down. 

"Well that's too bad I guess I will see you after class." clasping her hands together, "it looks like Lucille and her partner are next."