Broken Pieces

Chapter twenty-three

After I successfully clamped my jaw shut, forced laughter spewed out of me. “And how are you so sure that I am attracted to you?”

Caden gave me a look that was just too cocky for my liking. “Would you have let just anyone do that to you? What just happened right now shows it. You're also not someone that doesn't know what she wants and what she doesn't. So, we both know I'm saying the truth.”

I scoffed and caustically said, “Yes, I know what I want and what I don't. It's you that has that problem.”

Caden lips tightened and I knew my jab hit home. “I’m sorry for what I said.”

“Which one?”

Caden didn't say anything, just stared blankly back at me. He looked kind of sorry but still had on a neutral look.

“So, you were kissing me right?”

Caden’s lips suddenly widened to form that beautiful full blown smile that I always found myself loving, at my words. “You really need to ask? I was just trying to fight it like I said but I don't want to anymore.”

I felt an unexplainable pleasure that he finally admitted it and that the issue had been cleared up but I still wanted to make him suffer. Because his pretty words weren't just going to heal the hurt his words had caused.

“That's good for you.” Caden’s beautiful smile dimmed at my cold tone. It was a sad loss and to have been the cause of that smile disappearing made it all the more sad. But it was worth it because that smug look was out of his face.

“It's great that you don't want to fight the attraction that you are now just admitting to, anymore. But just to be clear, will there be another time when you tell me that you were judging me by me and feel nothing for me when we do whatever your solution is?”

Caden scratched the back of his neck with an apologetic look on his face. I found it kind of endearing but now wasn't the time to think of things like that. “I thought you had forgotten or at least forgiven me for what I said back in LA.” Caden finally said after some moments of silence.

“Oh! What could have given you that idea?” I said with mock surprise and thinly veiled disgust.

Caden rolled his eyes at my mocking words. “You said nothing about it two days ago when we talked. You acted totally normal and I thought you already knew why I did it.”

“Oh! So, you expect me to be the one to bring it up?” Caden opened his mouth to reply but I cut him off. “And how in hell was I supposed to have known why you did it?”

My voice had risen and Caden sighed in frustration because he probably hadn't expected us to have this fight. “You should know Erica because it is very fucking obvious!”

“Oh, so I am stupid?”

Caden huffed and flailed his hands in a gesture of frustration and surrender before rubbing his face, and sighing again. “You just want a fight, don't you?”

My boiling blood reduced its simmer at his soft, defeated and mature tone. I had no idea what his solution even was. I had just wanted to make sure he knew that he hurt me that time. And that mission was now accomplished but I had also just shown him that we were too volatile with each other for any kind of relationship.

“We just had to fight, didn't we?” Caden asked again.

My lips quirked as I looked into Caden’s eyes as we stood looking at each other. He had stood up at some point making me look up into his eyes.

“I would apologise again. I’m really sorry for what I said. I just had to deal with this and accept the truth,” he said, using his hands to gesture between us.