Cade, page 10
They went their separate ways. The awkwardness of that conversation stuck with her as she reviewed the contract. It was weird that after all they’d done, getting married, sleeping together, not to mention their past, that something as simple as good night was that uncomfortable.
The contract was very generous in her favor. Nothing was out of order aside from that and he’d even added a clause should one of them not be able to have children that put no fault on her. It wasn’t something she’d considered, but now that she saw it there she was glad that he had.
She signed it and set it on her side table before laying back on the bed. Flipping on the TV, she ignored the work she’d brought home and let herself zone out, only thinking of Cade a few times.
Chapter Eighteen
Cade
Cade and April had settled into a sort of strange routine. It was a bit like living with a stranger but they made it work. Breakfast was usually had together and they took turns making things on the weekend, during the week she seemed to exist on tiny amounts of food.
It was Saturday and Cade had gotten up early, pulling together a big breakfast for the two of them. Bacon was cooked, he was flipping the last pancake and the eggs were ready to go in the pan. Having a cook was never his style and he’d been happy that April hadn’t requested one, not that he thought she would.
April had been quieter than normal this week and barely eaten before work. Dinner hadn’t been something they’d shared since right after they’d moved in, but he noticed little was gone from the fridge. If she was ordering food then she wasn’t eating it here because he hadn’t seen any takeout trash.
This morning he planned to remind her, again, that this was her home now too and she was welcome to anything. He didn’t have a cook but he did have a driver and a few people that shopped for him. Anything she wanted he was more than happy to get for her but she hadn’t asked for anything.
She worked a lot. That was one of the first things he noticed and he hated it. He wanted her to cut back on her hours and take better care of herself, but knew he had no right to say those things to her. Still, maybe little by little he could convince her his idea was better, starting with a big breakfast this morning.
It felt like she was avoiding him and had been since their flight back from Vegas. He needed to fix that but didn’t know where to start. He was also still deal with looking for his father which was turning out to be a waste of his time.
The man called several times a week, Cade didn’t answer. Then his father would send a text and Cade would ignore that too. No one had been able to find out where he was sending it from, the encryption too thorough.
It was odd. They worked in technology but hiding things wasn’t what they did in their company. Though, his father may have made contacts, he found it hard to believe that someone would help him like they were. Then, most people had a price and his father clearly had money stashed somewhere.
Usually, April was up just as early as him but he hadn’t seen her yet. He wasn’t going to hold sleeping in against her, but it seemed out of character for her. As he fixed the last of the eggs, he made up his mind that he would check on her if she didn’t come down before they were done.
“Morning,” April said, walking in the kitchen.
He turned to face her and watched as she took in the food on the counter. In the next second, she threw her hand over her mouth and ran away.
Cade set the eggs down and turned off the stove as he debated what to do. It seemed like anything nice he did for her was making her upset, including being near him. There could be only one reason for that, maybe she was in on things with his father.
It didn’t make sense and she had no reason to work with him. Nothing she could get out of it that he could quickly puzzle together other than more money. Hadn’t he just been thinking that everyone had a price? It seemed that maybe someone had found hers.
Cade went in search of her, not wasting any more time thinking about it. She had shut herself in her bathroom. He knocked on the door, waiting for a response.
“April?” he called out when she didn’t answer. “If you’ve done something that I need to know about just tell me.”
He wasn’t going to make fake promises not to be mad, but he needed to know. Only silence greeted him from the other side of the door. Knocking again, Cade stared at the handle and debated his next move.
Leaving her some privacy still, Cade backed away from the door and sat in the chair on the corner of her room. He would just wait her out, no matter that his knee was now bounding and he was only coming up with worse scenarios.
After five minutes and she still hadn’t emerged, Cade went back to the door and knocked again. “April. We need to talk now, come out or I’m going to open this door.” Not wanting to really do that, he continued. “If you’re working with my father you need to just tell me what is going on. I can’t have you here if you are keeping things from me and it will void our contract.”
It wouldn’t actually, and she would know that better than anyone. He hadn’t thought to include anything about that in there. It was a shortsighted moment on his part that he was regretting now.
“April, just admit it and we can talk. Help me understand.” He waited, still no response from her. He was beginning to wonder if he was talking to an empty room.
He didn’t know if it was locked or not but he was about to find out. Putting his hand on the handle, he was surprised when it gave immediately. Pushing it open, he stepped into the bathroom.
What he hadn’t expected was the water running in the sink, drowning out the sounds. He turned it off and looked for April. Curled in the floor by the toilet, she moaned but didn’t make an effort to move.
“Fuck,” he said as he went to her.
There he had been on the other side of the door accusing her of working with his father and she was in here sick. He been an idiot and should have thought of that first. It made sense with the way she’d been acting.
“April, baby, are you okay?” He reached down and touched her forehead. Not warm, but clammy.
She groaned again but didn’t open her eyes. Without another thought, he scooped her up, into his arms, holding her close as he took her out of the bathroom. Skipping past her bed, he carried her out of her room and put her where he wanted her, his bed.
“I’ve got you,” he whispered to her as he lowered her down into his bed.
He felt her body lurch and ran to his own bathroom to get the trashcan to sit by the bed for her before crawling next to her. He rubbed small circles on her back until he felt her breathing even out and he knew she’d fallen back asleep.
Laying there next to her, Cade beat himself up, hoping that she hadn’t heard all that he’d accused her of while she was just sick. He was a top-notch idiot and had a lot to do to make up for it.
While she slept, Cade finally rose and went to clean up from breakfast. He scarfed down some for himself and put the dishes in the sink, setting her plate in the microwave in case she felt better when she woke up. He also ordered some chicken soup in case she didn’t.
As quickly as he could, he returned to her side. She was still sleeping and hadn’t moved an inch. He checked her head again, but she didn’t feel like she was running a fever. The good news was she felt less clammy.
He settled in next to her, pulling the covers around them both and held her lightly. He didn’t move her and was careful not to disturb her. He ran his hand up and down her back, whispering soothing words to her all while hoping she didn’t wake and get sick again.
“Cade?” she finally spoke.
“I’m here,” he answered.
“I don’t feel good.” Her voice was weak.
“I know, baby. It’s okay. I won’t leave you.” He wouldn’t either. Thankfully it was the weekend so he didn’t have anything to move or cancel which would take him from her side to get done. “Just rest.”
“I think… I think I might be pregnant,” she said.
Idiot. He was an idiot again. Why hadn’t he considered that? “What do you need?” he asked.
“A test.”
Cade jumped out of bed, quickly getting dressed for the day. “Is there a kind I should get?” he asked her.
“I don’t know,” she said, sitting up. “I’ve never done this before.”
“No, of course you haven’t. I’ll just get all of them,” he assured her.
April laughed. It was weak, but it was a laugh. “Just get a few.”
“Anything else? I put a trashcan by the bed there.”
She looked over at it. “Thank you. Nothing else that I can think of.”
Cade went to her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”
He nearly tripped trying to put his shoes on in his hurry to get out the door. He could send someone to do this but it would take longer. Besides, it felt too personal to send anyone else. Grabbing his keys, he was gone as every possible outcome rushed through his head.
The one thing he was sure of was that he wanted her to have his baby and it had nothing to do with his father.
Chapter Nineteen
April
April looked around Cade’s room from her vantage point on his bed. Unsure how she got here, she felt out of place in Cade’s darkly decorated room, so opposite to the light grey room she’d been given.
It suited him. That much was true, but she wasn’t meant to be in here. The last thing she remembered was coming down for breakfast and the smell of bacon smacking her in the face. Then her stomach had turned against her and she’d made a run for her bathroom.
She’d gotten up once, thinking she was done, but then it had revolted again. Cade wasn’t there, and she hadn’t been sure enough herself to tell him her suspicions. They’d only slept together the one time, after all.
Her plan had been to get a test today, then she’d tell him if it was positive. No one knew what was going on, though it had been hard to hide at work. Every single smell was making her ill, and she was exhausted. Food was hard to keep down in the times she was able to eat, but she was trying her best to get some things in.
The front door slammed, making her jump. She heard the plastic bag as Cade ran up the stairs, stopping at the bedroom door. He was out of breath and she bit back a smile to see him so uncharacteristically disheveled. It was nice to know he was human, too.
“I got all the different kinds, but the lady at the register said this one was best.” He held up a pink box.
“I’ll do that one then.” She moved the blankets and went to stand, only to find Cade right there at her side, helping her up. “I’ll be right back,” she told him, taking the box of tests.
It took a minute to get the package open and then read through the instructions. Easy enough, she peed on the stick and put the cap back on before opening the door. He was there on the other side, waiting.
“It says we have to wait three minutes. Can you start a timer?” She had no idea where her phone was.
He did, and she noticed his hands shook slightly. Reaching out to him, she took his free hand and squeezed it in her own.
“We’ll know soon,” she assured him. He was hard to read, and she didn’t know which way he wanted this to go.
He nodded. “Two minutes,” he laughed, holding his phone.
Neither of them left the bathroom doorway as they waited for the timer to go off. They stood there, both anxiously anticipating the results.
The quiet was so heavy over them that when his timer did go off, April jumped, startled.
“Do you want to go see?” Cade asked.
“Together,” she said.
April still held his hand and hadn’t noticed until she went to step back into the bathroom. He came with her, squeezing her hand as they did.
Looking down on the counter, the test was undeniable. Pregnant, the screen read. She looked in the mirror and watched Cade’s reaction. A rare unguarded moment for him. She saw him smile before going back to his business face.
“We did it,” Cade said.
“Sure did,” April nodded, dropping his hand. “Now what?”
“I don’t know. This is faster than I thought it would happen.”
“That’s for sure,” she muttered. “We need to find a doctor.”
“Yes. They can give you something so you won’t be so sick.” Cade began typing on his phone again.
“I don’t think that’s how it works. It’s just morning sickness and it should go away.”
He stopped typing and looked up at her. “When was the last time you ate?”
“Last night,” she answered confidently.
“What did you eat?” he pressed.
He had her there. “Just some crackers. But I feel better right now.”
“We need to find something you can eat. Is it just smelly things you don’t like? Anything you think you might be able to eat?”
At the talk of food, her stomach clenched. She did her best to hide the sudden wave of nausea, but clearly not well enough. Cade lifted her off her feet and deposited her back into his bed.
“I’ll see what I can find that you might be able to handle,” he said before leaving the room.
April was yet again left alone with her thoughts. She had no idea how he felt about her being pregnant outside of the same shock that she was feeling. The small smile had given her hope, but it was fleeting.
Was he excited? She knew this was just a means to an end, but did he want the baby, really? She hadn’t thought of that until now. Would he want to be around for the pregnancy?
Cade returned with a plate of cheese, crackers, and bananas. “I didn’t know about the cheese, but I thought it was worth a try. We might need to get you a nurse to help with things.”
A nurse? She was only pregnant, hardly worth of a private nurse. “Cade, calm down. It will be fine.”
“You don’t know that. We need you better or it’s bad for the baby, that much I know. I don’t know what the hell to do here.” He sounded pissed, and she was confused.
Whether it was hormones or just the pent-up feelings since their wedding, she didn’t know, but something set her off and it all rushed out.
“I don’t need to be here anymore, I guess. I can just go back to my apartment until we see if I’ve fulfilled my end of the deal. Then you don’t have to worry about it. I’ll just let you know how the appointments go when I find a doctor.”
“Is that what you want?” he asked.
“I don’t know what I want!” she shouted. “I want to feel better and I want the baby to be okay. I want to know how all of this is supposed to work because I thought I understood things, but I really don’t.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Exactly what I said. I won’t be confined to be by you because my stomach is upset.” Cade opened his mouth, and she held up a palm, stopping him. “If the doctor orders me to bed, then that’s a different thing entirely. I’m stressed, confused, and so tired, Cade. I think I’m just going to go to bed.”
Cade was shocked. He wasn’t hiding it, and it was just as well because she was, too.
“Sorry. I just don’t know what to do,” she admitted. “I’m scared.”
He looked at her but didn’t speak right away. “I’ll leave you to it, then. Let me know if there’s anything either of you need. I want to be at the appointments.”
April nodded. “You aren’t going to take the baby from me, are you?” she whispered.
“Take the baby? What the fuck? Have I given you any reason to think I would do that?” Cade didn’t shout, but she could tell he wanted to rage at her.
She shook her head.
“Sleep wherever. Let me know if you need anything.” Cade turned and stormed out of his room.
She stood there feeling like she’d ruined everything before leaving the room, too. Back in her own bedroom, she curled up in the bed and let the tears out. Fear was driving everything now, and she didn’t even fully know what all she was scared of.
The unknown was looming over her, waiting to pull the rug out from under her feet and laugh. She let the exhaustion wash over her and slept instead of thinking about it. She’d sort it out later, when she felt better.
Chapter Twenty
Cade
Cade sighed as he sat at his kitchen table, alone. He and April had been on edge with each other and everyone since Saturday. She went back to work yesterday, but he’d taken off early to get home closer to when she did.
She looked exhausted, and he wanted to comfort her but couldn’t bring himself to do it. April thought he was going to take the child from her, and it made him feel like shit. Why she would think that he wanted to claim he didn’t know, but he understood it the fear attached to everything.
Sunday, they hadn’t spoken much and Monday, he’d asked her about the doctor, but she hadn’t made an appointment. Then she’d looked miserable, so he hadn’t pressed it, but now he was waiting on her to come down to press the issue.
An appointment needed to be made so they could check out not only the baby, but her as well. He hated seeing her be sick, and she only looked like she felt worse and worse with each passing day. A doctor would be able to help her with the nausea and then maybe he could move towards working on their relationship instead.
Cade had been careful not to make or bring any food into the house, deciding that April could tell him what she would or could eat tonight. He was hungry, but he pushed that aside, waiting to see what she would want first.
“Hey,” he stood from the table as she joined him in the kitchen.
“Hey.” That was it, one word.
“Were you able to make an appointment today?”
April shook her head. “I have it on my list for tomorrow, but I’ve had no time today. I promise it's nothing too crazy to make one now. Everything I read said doctors don’t normally see the mothers until they are eight weeks along, and I’m not quite there yet.”
