The Good Intentions

Chapter 41 - Kaden

Kaden

"What do you mean?" I ask Jace as soon as I walk in the door.

"I called Loni when you left, and it just came out."

"Tell me exactly what happened."

He pinches the bridge of his nose. "I figured Bethany told her about you two and when I said 'crazy about Kaden and Bethany, huh' she immediately hung up the phone."

Great. Just fucking great. It was one thing to tell Jace, but Loni, I know what she thinks of me. She's a great girl. One of the most down-to-earth people I have ever met. But considering my past, and the fact that she has seen me with multiple women when she and Jace first started hanging out, just solidifies in her brain that I am no good. Especially not for her best friend. Even though since Bethany has come into my life that all changed.

"I'm sorry, I fucked up."

The front door slams open. Loni barges in, waving her hands in the air, I'm too stunned to hear a word she says.

"I mean seriously Kaden of all the girls to have a one-night stand with you choose my Bethany? She's good. She's kind. She's not the type of girl that deserves to be treated like this."

One-night stand?

"Loni, what the hell are you talking about?" I stammer.

"You and Bethany!"

"Loni you don't—" Jace tries to speak, but she cuts him off.

"There are plenty of other girls out there that I'm sure are so willing to be your fuck buddy for the night, but not my best friend."

"I don't want any other girl," I blurt out, kind of pissed off right now. "I just want her. Dammit, I'm fucking in love with her."

"You are?" My head snaps up at the shy voice from the doorway. Bethany stands there, her face a faded pink, her lips twisting into a smile.

I sigh, pushing past Loni and over to her. All of the tension completely leaving my body. "Yeah," I say, cupping her face in my hands, tilting her head up to look into her eyes. "With every part of me, I love you. I can't breathe when I'm not with you."

"I love you," she breathes, slamming her lips into mine.

I don't want to stop, I could kiss her forever. But I feel the eyes of my friends burning into the back of my neck.

"Huh?" Loni says as soon as I turn around. Her mouth hangs open in shock but I can tell she's fighting a smile. "You two are—"

"I wish you let me tell you before you ran out of the apartment," Bethany says.

"Yeah, and I wish you would've let me tell you over the phone, but you decided to hang up on me instead." Jace throws his arm over his girlfriend's shoulders, but she doesn't look at him. Just me, with the same expression on her face.

Shaking her head, she stammers, "Kaden, I'm so sorry—"

I hold up my hand, "It's okay. I know I haven't had the best track record in the past, but," I look at Bethany, "things change when you meet the person you just can't live without."

"Well," Loni says, clasping her hands together. "I think we should go out and celebrate. Dinner?"

"Let's do it," I say before kissing Bethany and she scurries out of the apartment to change at her place.

Loni walks over to me with a sad smile. "I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have said those things. I know you've changed. I could see it before today. And I've never seen Bethany happier."

I shrug. "I get it. You want to protect her."

"Yeah," she nods, "I do." She yanks me down so my face is close to hers. "But if you hurt her, I will hurt you." She says those words with a smile, so I can't tell if she's being serious or joking, or maybe a little bit of both.

"Trust me, that will never happen. You have my word."