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Chapter 22

“Will you be ready soon?” his voice came through the door, and I sighed. This was the third time Kaden had asked. It was high time that I left the bathroom.

We’d spent the night together in bed, but were both so exhausted that we fell asleep. It felt pretty natural to wake up together and have breakfast, especially since Kaden made fun of my coffee habits, as usual.

But the atmosphere between us had changed, that was clear. It was hard for me to look at him for more than a few seconds without thinking about what he’d been doing to me yesterday. I caught myself wanting to touch him. I wanted more.

So his suggestion that I show him around Lincoln came at the right time. There wasn’t much happening in the streets. Probably everyone was with their family, busy preparing for Thanksgiving, which meant we could walk around in peace. But we both agreed quickly that we preferred Woodshill.

By late afternoon we were back in the hotel and watched the latest episode ofGame of Throneson the gigantic hotel TV screen. Afterward, I started to get ready. It wasn’t easy to make myself up with the few utensils I’d brought along, let alone get my hair in shape. I didn’t even want to think about what my mother would say about my outfit. She used to spend weeks looking for the right dress, or ordered designer clothes that cost more than my year’s rent at Kaden’s. The things I had on now were nice, but came mainly from discounters or cheap online stores.

I took a deep breath. Even though I was afraid of her reaction, my outfit was another symbol of my independence and that’s how mom should see it.

“Allie, I know what you’re wearing—I helped you pack. You don’t need to make a big fuss and drag this out,” came his impatient words from the other side of the door, and I rolled my eyes.

I pulled a few strands of hair from my pinned-up hairdo so it wouldn’t look too severe, and then opened the door.

“You get nervous when the bathroom is locked, don’t you?” I asked, grinning, and walked toward him.

Kaden’s eyes were wide and he let his gaze travel over my body. He swallowed a few times and opened his mouth to speak—but nothing came. How unusual for him.

And he looked great, too. He wore a dark, blue-green shirt, brown pants that looked a little bit worn in places—in a good way—and his dark leather boots. I would go anywhere with him dressed like that. There was just one little thing…

I walked over to him and reached for his shirtsleeves.

“Hey, what are you doing?” asked Kaden as I started to open the buttons. I looked up at him. His eyes sparkled.

“I want people to see it,” I said, rolling up the fabric on each arm, to just below the elbow.

“So you do want your mother to have a heart attack after all.”

I stroked the lyrics tattooed on his underarm before stepping back to look at my handiwork.

“Now everything is perfect,” I announced.

Kaden returned my smile and the tingling sensation in my belly started up again. “That’s it.”

For five minutes we waited in the taxi at the corner of the street, where I’d asked the driver to stop. I shook my hands because they’d started to shake, but that didn’t seem to help.

This whole thing was crazy. I’d make a fool of myself. On the other hand, wasn’t that the whole idea? I wanted to make it clear beyond a doubt that I wasn’t Mom’s marionette any more, and couldn’t care less what she or her so-called friends thought of me.

“Are you ready now, or should we make another turn around the block?” asked Kaden, standing by my side, and I shook my head right away.

Now was the time to face these people. And I wasn’t alone. Before I could think it over again, I opened the car door and got out. The air was cool but bearable. Thank goodness I’d brought my leather jacket along.

Expensive cars were parked along the street, and guests were strolling along the driveway past the large fountain and pompous sculptures to the spotlighted entrance of our house.

I took a moment to collect myself. As Kaden and I stepped onto the property, I tried hard to avoid the countless familiar faces, heading straight for the entrance. At some point Kaden grabbed my arm and forced me to slow to his pace. He bent toward me and murmured in my ear: “You’ll make it.”

I hoped he was right.

Once inside, we were welcomed by servants in black suits, who took our jackets and brought them down to the basement, where there was a huge wardrobe for such occasions.

A waiter offered us champagne, and I reached for a glass. Kaden followed suit. As usual, he first took a whiff of the drink and as the bubbles burst in his face, he narrowed his eyes.

“Sometimes you remind me of a cat.”

Kaden’s mouth twitched. “A cat? Can’t think of anything better?”