Small Stories!

Fragments of Us #12

ADALINE'S POV

The kitchen was always where I felt the most at home. The sleek countertops, the gleaming appliances, and the comforting aroma of whatever I was cooking—this was where I could lose myself in the rhythm of the mundane. Today was no different. My hands moved with practiced ease as I stirred the sauce, savoring the way the spices bloomed, filling the room with their warmth. It was a small act of defiance against the emptiness that often lingered in this house, especially since Kade had become more distant over the past few months.

I had tried to fill the silence with my cooking, with the hope that the meal would somehow bridge the widening gap between us. But the reality was, he hadn't noticed. He hadn't even acknowledged it.

The sound of his footsteps echoed faintly from the hallway, deliberate but distant. He reached for the bottle of water in the fridge without a word, his back turned to me as he unscrewed the cap. I took a deep breath, summoning the courage to speak, but as always, the words felt like they weighed a thousand pounds.

"Kade," I began softly, forcing a tentative smile to tug at the corners of my lips. "I made dinner. I thought maybe we could—"

"Not now, Adaline," his voice was sharp, cutting through the air like a blade. Cold. Detached. Empty.

I faltered, my smile crumbling as he brushed past me without a second glance. The bitterness of his rejection lingered in the air like poison, filling the space between us. He was always like this now—too absorbed in his own world to even spare a moment for me. But today... it felt worse. More like an echo of everything that had fallen apart between us.

I stood there, frozen, the plate in my hands suddenly feeling too heavy to hold. My fingers trembled as I carefully plated the food, trying to steady myself, trying to remember why I even bothered anymore. But I had to try, didn't I? For us. For the life we used to share.

The sound of my heels on the polished floor felt louder than it should have as I walked toward his study, the scent of the meal trailing behind me. I knocked lightly on the door before stepping inside, but the coldness I had hoped to melt was there in full force.

"Adaline, I said not now. Get out!" Kade's voice was harsh, the words stinging more than I expected. His face, usually composed, was now twisted with frustration, his jaw clenched tight.

The plate slipped from my fingers, crashing onto the desk with a loud, painful thud. My heart shattered at the harshness of his tone, at the distance that had formed between us. His anger wasn't just the result of work or stress—it was a deep-seated anger, one that had been festering for too long.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, feeling small and insignificant. I turned away, fighting the tears that were threatening to spill.

I retreated to the kitchen, the emptiness of the house echoing around me. The sound of my footsteps felt too loud, too intrusive. I set the plate in the refrigerator, the cold air biting at my emotions as much as the silence had already done.

I walked toward the guest room—my sanctuary, my refuge from the chaos of the house. Once inside, I collapsed onto the bed, my body wracked with sobs. How had we gotten here? How had we become two strangers under the same roof, silently suffocating each other with unspoken words?

KADE'S POV

The anger was building inside me, suffocating me like a vice. I stood in my study, my hands trembling as I stared at the chaos I had caused. The papers were scattered across the floor, the files tipped over. The crash of the plate still reverberated in my mind, a sharp reminder of my own fury.

I couldn't believe I had yelled at her. I couldn't believe I had hurt her like that.

What happened to us? Where did the love go? The tenderness, the passion, the connection?