Chapter 82

Ardal

It takes me a second before his words register.

Then it hits.

“Oh no, you’re not!” I stomp my foot on the ground, every bit as petulant as a child, and not giving a damn.

The sheer audacity!

Kadeem takes a large step towards me under the tree, and the smell of fresh sweat washes over me. His damp collarbone and hairline are dappled with it. Despite everything, I feel pinpricks of desire - although they’re quickly replaced by a resurgence of anger.

“Baby,” he says, and I roll my eyes immediately at his infuriating patronizing.

He grits his teeth and struggles to steady his voice. “Trust me when I say this is the optimum choice. I will be accompanying you every step of the way."

As he utters, “every step,” the overwhelming urge to smack him resurfaces.

“No,” I say, throwing my arms across my chest. “Absolutely not!”

“For the love of God,” he explodes. “Just this once, listen to me! This harebrained scheme is reckless as fuck! You are putting yourself, and your children, in danger - let’s not beat around the bush about it. If you persist with this lunacy, so be it - but I refuse to stand idly by. Do you understand?”

He rakes his hand through his hair, a look of pure exasperation on his face. “So, if you go, I go. Try to resist me, and so help me, I will fling you over my shoulder and carry you into custody myself!”

I’m too stunned by the magnitude of his outpouring to reply. Fortunately, I don’t need to as the creaking sound of the front door cuts through my thoughts.

Kadeem takes a step back. “Your white knight returns,” he says, voice dripping in disdain.

“W-what is going on?” Jack shouts, walking in our direction.

“Meet our new travel partner,” I say as he approaches us.

The words tumble out of my mouth, surprising even me. Maybe I’ve just run out of steam, or hope, that I can stick with the original plan Jack and I had formed. Obviously, getting around Kadeem is looking like nothing short of an impossibility.

Or maybe I’m willing to go along with this absurdity because there’s still just a tiny shred of doubt in me - one nagging piece of distrust in Jack’s promise that refuses to die. And if that’s the case, maybe there’s an equally tiny shred of relief that Kadeem is forcing his way along.

Either way, I get the feeling I’ve made a deal with the devil.

I hear Kadeem expel an arduous breath before a self-satisfied smile appears on his face, replacing the tense furrows of uncertainty.

I suppress the urge to snap at him for his smug response.

Jack looks perplexed. He shakes his head and squints at Kadeem furiously. “I don’t get it."

I tug him away while Kadeem talks to his Beta. I catch snippets of her worried protest. “I don’t like this,” she hisses at him.

Jack doesn't contest me but looks troubled. He mumbles to himself before looking up at me with exhausted eyes. “I - I need to think about this," he says. He turns away and starts pacing around the lawn.

I grab him by the arm and spin him towards me. “It will be alright," I say firmly. “And what other option do we have?”

He pauses for a moment before responding, “Yes… I am aware - It's just that I…. This is a delicate terrain, Ardal, and I am not sure…”

His blue gaze meets mine as he sighs resignedly, “Okay then… Alright."

I hug Jack eagerly, and after a pause, his hands cautiously encircle me. I can feel the worry draining away as he buries his head in my hair, melting into my embrace with a relieved sigh.

His warm breath tickles my neck as I feel his lips press into my hair. I should feel adoration — but inexplicably, all I can muster is irritation.

“Well, well!” Kadeem drawls, breaking the moment. He sends me an overly suggestive wink that for a second makes me feel exposed and embarrassed, like he had witnessed my discontent. His eyes seem to twinkle in triumph.

“Alright lovebirds,” he says, and Jack bristles with indignation. “Let’s hit the road, shall we?”

I peer around the drive to see Riley has vanished.

I turn to Kadeem. “But you don’t have clothes, or -”

He waves his hand. “I’ll survive.”

Jack steps back inside, and I glance at the popcorn bag still lying on the ground, now a feast for insects. I groan and scoop it off the earth, cautiously grasping it by an untouched edge, and fling it into the dustbin.

My only source of solace has been taken away from me, and I feel absurdly devastated over this silly, small loss.

I’ll just have to find another outlet to relieve the heavy tension weighing on me. I feel it stacked onto my chest, as though it were an invisible pile of bricks, compressing my lungs into pancakes.

I start to get a little panicky at the imagined sensation. I force a stream of air from my pursed lips, and then inhale deeply, to remind myself I’m fine.

I sense Kadeem's eyes scrutinizing me, and I flutter my lashes in his direction.

My breath catches. There’s something about the way he’s looking at me. The focused attention in his deep brown eyes, and the gentle concern on his face remind me of our lives before - of who we used to be for each other.

I wish I didn’t miss that, but I do.

Worse still, he’s impossibly gorgeous in this moment, and my stress level from the day begins to dull a little in the hum of wanton lust. The sight of him right now, with muscles rippling beneath his sweat-soaked shirt, ignites sensations that shouldn't exist.

I swallow, suddenly remembering the fiery kiss we shared just days before. I can almost taste his lips again, and I’m hit with a blood rush of longing.

I push away these thoughts quickly, although it doesn’t dull the desire. Kadeem is looking at me quizzically and my cheeks feel hot.

He smiles kindly. “We’ll get you some new snacks.”

I feel my stomach clench and something inside of me snaps.

I growl under my breath.

"What," he asks in a strained voice.

I grit my teeth. “Don’t do that.”

“Do what?” He narrows his eyes, as if trying to read my mind.

“That thing!” I snap, jabbing my finger at him.

Kadeem's face twists into a deep scowl. "What on earth are you talking about?”

“Stop being nice to me,” I say. “Quit pretending like you haven't just destroyed my plans, or even just the day for me, Jack, and the kids! It's so phony and manipulative."

Kadeem looks livid. "That's not what I'm trying to do -"

“Please!” I cut him off. “This is exactly what you do! You wreck everything and then expect me to move on like it didn't happen!"

Kadeem doesn’t know what I’m yelling at him for, not really. There’s no way for him to understand the head-spinning, confused kind of pain I feel at having been rejected by him and kicked by the curb, only to now have him back in my life and even somewhat pursuing me.

But, a look of pain crosses Kadeem’s own face before it’s washed over with another wave of anger.

"So what do you want? He challenges me with a glint in his eye. "You've been playing hot and cold forever - what would make you happy?"

I glare at him icily. "What I wanted was to be free from your grip! I was leaving for one big reason - but getting away from you was an added bonus!"

Kadeem's nostrils flare as his eyes narrow even further. "I didn't realize your hatred ran that deep."

"It does," I snarl, my hands curling into fists at my sides. “So drop the act."

Kadeem takes a step back, eyebrows raised in surprise before giving me a single nod of acknowledgement. “Fine," he spits out.

I glare back at him. "Fine."