29– Gabrielle

Kayden came to a fucking club.

So naturally, as both his handler and his supposed girlfriend, I had to come after him.

It was literally my job to babysit him, and he was making sure I put in the work.

By the time I stepped into the club, I was furious. God, I was so fucking furious that putting it into words would just be a disservice to myself.

The music was loud enough to vibrate through my chest, the bass pulsing beneath my feet as bodies moved around me in a blur of expensive clothes, flashing lights, and alcohol. Colored lights swept across the room, illuminating faces for half a second before plunging them back into darkness.

I hated everything about this place.

But mostly, I hated that I had come looking for one particular idiot, who I spotted almost immediately.

Kayden was impossible to miss.

He was sprawled across a booth near the back of the club, a bottle in one hand and a woman pressed so close to his side that there was barely enough space between them for air.

Another woman sat across his lap.

A third leaned over the back of the booth, her hand resting on his shoulder as she laughed at a… maybe a joke they were sharing?

For a moment, I stood there. My anger faltered and hurt rose beneath my skin. A humiliating ache spread through my chest as I watched him tilt his head back and laugh.

He looked perfectly at home, like nothing had happened.

And now he was here.

Drinking.

Surrounded by women.

Behaving as though his body wasn’t already screaming at him to stop.

My fingers curled into fists. I started walking toward him. Someone recognized me before I reached the booth, then someone recognized Kayden.  A few heads turned. Whispers followed. And then, inevitably, phones began appearing.

Wonderful.

Way to spice up the night.

I ignored them.

I had been managing Kayden’s public image enough to know exactly how quickly a harmless moment could become tomorrow morning’s headline.

But right now, I couldn’t bring myself to care.

I stopped in front of him. “Get up.”

Kayden slowly lifted his head. His eyes were glassy. For a second, he stared at me as though he couldn’t place who I was. Then a crooked smile spread across his face.

“Well, look who came to find me.”

The woman sitting on his lap looked between us. “Do you know her?”

Kayden chuckled. “Unfortunately.”

Wow…

“Get up, Kayden.”

He took a swallow from the bottle. “Nope.”

“Get your ass out of that chair. We’re leaving.”

“I’m still having fun,” he slurred.

“You’ve had enough.”

He glanced down at the bottle as though he were considering my words before lifting his gaze back to me. “Have I?”

One of the women giggled.

I glared at her and she immediately stopped.

I turned my attention back to Kayden.

“You know exactly what you’re doing,” I said.

He raised an eyebrow. “Do I?”

“Yes.”

“Then enlighten me.”

My hands trembled. I wanted to scream at him. I wanted to drag him out of this place by his stupid, beautiful hair.

“What you’re doing is wrong, Kayden, and you know it. You are literally—”

I stopped myself. I could practically feel eyes burning into us from every direction. I wasn’t about to announce the terms of our arrangement in the middle of a crowded club.

Kayden noticed my hesitation. A slow, knowing smile tugged at his mouth. “What?” he murmured. “Something you can’t say in front of everyone?”

He knew exactly what he was doing.

He was baiting me.

And I was falling for it.

“Get. Up.”

He sighed dramatically and pushed himself out of the booth. He prowled foward on slow steps. His shoulders were loose, his steps slightly unsteady, but there was something almost predatory about the way he moved.

That stupid confidence was still there…

He stopped inches away from me, his eyes narrowed to slits. “Are you my mother now?”

I shook my head. “I am not, and I don’t intend to be.”

“Then stop being so overzealous, Gabrielle.”

I snapped. 

I had never been good with my temper even though I worked hard to keep myself in check. 

My hand moved before I could think and cracked across Kayden’s face.

Smack!

The area around us seemed to go silent.

Kayden’s head turned with the force of the slap.

I froze.

My palm burned.

His cheek slowly reddened beneath my fingers’ imprint.

His eyes returned to mine and for once, there was no smugness in them.

He was shocked. 

I was breathing so hard my chest hurt.

“You insolent child,” I gritted through my teeth, my voice trembling. “I regret coming to Montreal with you. You know what I did throughout yesterday and today? I did everything within my power to make sure you were steady enough to play. I found you a doctor. I made sure you ate. I made sure you took your medication. I practically had to fight you just to get you to lie down and rest. And what did you do? You went to the rink and got yourself into a fight. Then you came here.” I gestured around us. “To this. You surround yourself with women and alcohol and act like none of this matters.”

My voice cracked.

“And I’ve been sitting there wondering… I’ve been worrying about you, Kayden.” I swallowed hard. “And you know what the worst part is? I don’t know how to stop. I fucking care. I care so much that it scares me.”

His face softened and he reached for me. But I was already backing away.

“I shouldn’t have come.”

“Gabrielle.”

“No.” I shook my head. “I’ve had enough. You’re not the only one with a difficult life, Kayden. You’re so fucking lucky… so suck it up and stop being a fucking child.”

I turned.

“Gabrielle…”

I kept walking.

The music swallowed his voice.

I made it through the doors and into the cool night air before I finally allowed myself to breathe.

My hands were shaking. I pressed them against my stomach, trying to calm the frantic rhythm of my heart.

What the hell was wrong with me?

Why did I care this much?

Why did seeing him with those women hurt like someone had reached inside my chest and squeezed?

I heard the doors open behind me.

“Gabrielle!”

I closed my eyes.

Not now.

Please.

Footsteps stumbled across the pavement.

“Gabrielle, wait.”

I continued toward the car, only stopping when fingers closed around my arm.

I spun around.

Kayden stood behind me, his hair disheveled, his shirt slightly untucked, his eyes red from alcohol.

Gone was the arrogant man from inside.

He looked lost.

“Are you leaving me?”

My brows knitted together. “What do you mean by that? I came to take you back to the hotel but you obviously don’t wanna—”

“No.” His voice cracked. “Are you leaving me?”

“I don’t understand.”

“You said you regret coming.” He shook his head. “Do you regret ever meeting me?”

“You’re drunk, Kayden.”

“I’m not.” He took one step backward to prove his point but his foot caught against the edge of the pavement. He stumbled.

I caught him. “See?”

He looked down at my hands around him. “Don’t leave me.”

My heart clenched. “Kayden.”

“I don’t know what I’m doing.” His voice was barely above a whisper. “I don’t know how to do this.”

“Do what?”

“Love you.”

I went still, my eyes opening and closing as a wave of shock hit me. 

“I love you with my heart. I’ve loved you from the day that I met you.”

My breath caught. I searched his face. Surely I had misheard him.

Surely—

“Can’t you see how much I love you?”

My stomach twisted. “Kayden, you’re drunk.”

“No.” His eyes filled with tears. “Can’t you just love me back?” A tear slipped down his cheek. “Why do you want to leave me?”

I didn’t know what to do.

This wasn’t Kayden.

Or maybe it was.

Maybe this was the version of him he kept buried beneath all the arrogance, all the jokes, all the women, all the reckless behavior.

But he was drunk.

He had to be.

There was no other explanation.

My heart couldn’t allow there to be one. “Kayden…”

“Please.” He sank down onto his knees.

My eyes widened. “Kayden, get up.”

He shook his head. “I’ll do anything, just don’t leave me.”

People were beginning to emerge from the club. I could see phones pointed in our direction.

Panic surged through me. If anyone recorded this—

“Kayden.”

He reached for my hands. “I love you.”

I quickly crouched down and pressed my palm over his mouth. “Stop.” I leaned closer, keeping my voice low. “I’m not leaving you but you need to get into the car. Right now.”

He stared at me like he didn’t understand what I was saying. 

I glanced over my shoulder. More people were watching.

“Please,” I whispered. “Just get in the car.”

He nodded.

I removed my hand from his mouth.

For a second, he remained on his knees, staring at me as though he were trying to memorize my face.

Then he whispered, so quietly I almost didn’t hear him.

“You promise?”

I swallowed. “Yes.”

His eyes closed briefly.

And somehow, despite everything, I believed the only thing he was asking me for was reassurance that I wasn’t abandoning him tonight.

I didn’t understand the words he’d just said.

I didn’t understand the tears.

I didn’t understand why a man who had spent the entire day pushing me away was now begging me not to leave.

I only knew that he was drunk.

Very, very drunk.

And tomorrow, he probably wouldn’t remember half of this.

I helped him to his feet.

He leaned against me as we walked toward the car.

And with every step, one thought kept circling through my mind.

I love you with my heart.

I shook my head.

No.

He didn’t mean that.

He couldn’t have.

He was drunk.

He had to be.