Slow Dancing

08 | en pressant

0 8

en pressant

[Fr.] : Pressing forward.

   

TIME WAS ALWAYS so relentless; pushing forward and never holding back. I found myself counting down the days where it would all be over.

Adelaide had already planned it out for me and I had annotated it on my schedule – three more meetings to go before I said my goodbyes. She didn't seem happy that I had dragged it out for so long but, much like the dance I had with Kaden when I was sixteen, I wished for this to go on for as long as it could, until the last strain of the song had been played and the echoes faded away.

I met Edwin in the hall before heading up to Kaden's room to hand him a present wrapped in pretty red packaging.

"It's for your grandchild," I told him, when he gave me a questioning look. "I wasn't sure if your grandchild was a girl or a boy so I just settled for a teddy bear. It's not much, but I hope your grandchild likes it."

I could tell by the surprise on his face that he didn't receive much presents in his line of work. He took the present from me, a look of gratitude flooding his face. "Thank you," he smiled and was about to say more, but paused when one of the housekeepers called to him.

"It's alright," I waved him away and pulled the strap of my bag further up my shoulder. "I'll just head up on my own, you don't have to send me in – "

"He's actually in the gym," Edwin corrected me, pointing in the direction of the room on the right, where the door to the room was left ajar.

"There's a gym?" I blurted before sighing. Was there even a need to ask? This was the Brettons' beach-house we were talking about. "Of course there's a gym."

He smiled in amusement and nodded to me. "Have a good day, Ms White."

I watched Edwin leave, frowning a little at the term he'd used for me. So he thought I was Evangeline, which wasn't much of a surprise since I didn't think he knew about the ruse.

It was a little disheartening to know that, however. I would've liked for us to get at least better acquainted, for him to at least know that the girl who reminded him of his daughter was called Isla and not Evangeline.

The door to the gym was already opened, but I still knocked and waited outside. "Come in," came Kaden's voice after a moment or two, sounding a little breathless. "Shut the door behind you."

I shut it obediently, knowing that we had to be careful because no one was supposed to know that the two of us had a ruse of our own.

"Hey – " I began brightly, before my smile vanished as I saw Kaden. He was lying on the bench, his arms stretched upwards as he lifted the barbell above him. My eyes widened in horror.

"Put that down!" I shrieked, rushing to him and trying to tug the weight from his firm grasp. "You're blind and you could have an accident if you don't put it properly back on the rack! This thing could fall on you!"

His jaw clenched when his elbows buckled underneath the weight and I knew he would be glaring daggers at me if he had his sight. "For fuck's sake," he hissed, his grip on the barbell unrelenting. "Are you trying to kill me?"

I let out a gasp of indignation. "No, that's what you're doing to yourself!"

"I beg to differ," he made a frustrated noise when I tried to snatch the barbell from him again. "Shit, would you stop that? I'm trying to put it back – "