Crown

•37•

"It's all gonna be fine, okay? I'll be hovering the entire time. If it's too much then you just leave."

"Yeah. Thanks." Jayda smiled lightly to her best friend and looked at him.

He was seated at table 8. Waiting for her.
She didn't even know how to feel at that particular point in time. She wanted closure, yes. But was she ready for it? That was different thing entirely.

"Take all the time you need," Rachel kissed her cheek before disappearing into the kitchen.

She turned again to look at him and he was looking at her too.
With those his beautiful baby blues that forever had her captivated and charmed. Even now. When she was supposed to be mad furious at the bastard.

She finally walked over to him and sat down.

"Hey..." He begun but she had something else to say.

"No. I'm not doing the hey, how are you part. Because clearly I am not fine."

"Neither am I."

"What do you want, Kaden?"

He didn't like the way she said his name with so much disdain. With venom. He didn't like that she had her guards up. He'd let his down for open communication and he wished she'd do the same. But he couldn't blame her. He was an asshole.

"I'm sorry," he kept out so easily. Unlike other men would do and it made her feel what she knew was love for this man over again.
Why did he have to be so... perfect.

"I was an ass to you. And I do not even deserve to be seated across you right now or to even breathe the air that you breathe. But I can't stay away from you. No matter how hard I tried."

She didn't say anything but just stared at him with her poker face.
He knew it was his queue to start explaining.

"I have a problem. Anger issues. I don't deal with my anger the way normal people should. The anger it's like...a demon. It possesses me and I have barely any control of what I did or say. It's one of my many flaws." He let out a sigh. "Two of my hospitals in Mexico got bombed."

That got her attention.
"What do you mean, bombed?"

"Explosion."

"Who...why... when?" She was speechless.

"I told you that my line of business is quite toxic. Everyone wants to be on top and you'd have to take certain people down to get to the top. So, I happened to be on top and I was taken down. I have several enemies. So investigation's still going on. It happened February. I...made a mistake by cutting all business activities. I let my guard down and that happened. It was my father's biggest accomplishment and I feel like a fucking idiot and fool for letting him down. I should've taken more control like he taught me. I fucked up. And the anger... rage came and..."

"You blamed me," she voiced his thoughts. "You wanted to rid yourself of me. You didn't want to loose control."

There was so much spite behind her words that even her expression gave it away.

"Princesa..."

"Jayda," she corrected and his chest hurt.
She was really giving him a hard time and he deserved it.

"Please...I know it's stupid and messed up and I said really rude things to you and I'm so fucking sorry. I regretted it from the moment I opened my eyes in the morning and I didn't see you there. I do love you. More than anything. I need you to know it and believe it. Please."

"Kaden."

"Jayda."

Silence.

"Do I look like a child to you?"