Ignitable

Ignitable - Chapter Sixteen

Sophia...

With a spring in each step that I take up to Cade's apartment, the more I smile. Seeing Paul has confirmed to me what I already knew—I'm in love with Cade. I honestly can't wait to see him. Some nice food, some nice cuddles, all before I tell him about the two very unexpected visitors I had to my shop this evening. I am still so utterly furious with Margaret Lapley. I know I shall have to choose my words very wisely when I tell Cade all about her little 'friendly' visit to me. Regarding Paul, his visit was merely a long overdue goodbye. With many thoughts tinkering about inside of my head and a lightness to my feet, I become aware of someone just coming out of Cade's place. Our eyes simultaneously lock onto one another's. She's blonde, bronzed and beautiful; with legs that go on forever in her tight little black dress. She looks just like the beautifully boring type, but why, is this beautifully boring type just coming out of Cade's?

Her blue eyes suddenly narrow on me with a sideways smirk upon her heavily glossed lips. "If you're expecting him to be able to get it up, you're going to be bitterly disappointed, sweetie." She casually quips, brushing past me on the stairwell, in a real hurry it would seem.

Dread quickly reaches every single part of me. I think anger and distrust are not too far behind, either. Cautiously footed, I peep into the darkened apartment. "Cade?" No answer, so more of myself I take into the room. With each step I take, the more apprehensive I feel. The stench of alcohol is all around me. I have no idea what has happened, but know that something has. "Cade?" Calling out again, the dread inside of me is now alarmingly pervasive. The deeper I walk into the room, the more the dread takes hold. "Cade? Where are you?" Sounding desperate yet annoyed, I stand still and carefully listen.

"Get out." A weak, groggy voice orders me to leave from a shadowed corner somewhere in the room.

Stepping closer and closer to where the gravelly voice came from, I soon find Cade in a crumpled heap against the darkest wall in his living area. With one knee bent up and his chin tucked tight into his chest, he looks a complete mess. "What's happened, Cade?" Kneeling down beside him, I reach out to touch his leg.

"You...you fucking happened." Depressingly drunk, he doesn't even lift his head.

Staring at Cade, the hopelessly drunk disaster in front of me, I make him more aware of my hand upon his bent knee. "What have I done to upset you?" I ask softly, in a calm and non confrontational way. If I didn't know all that I do know about Cade, I would just leave him in an intoxicated heap against the wall. But because I do know his past, I am staying right here. I know he is pushing many of my boundaries, yet still, I choose to stay. "Talk to me? Please tell me what I have done to make you get yourself in this state?" I look at him cuddling his bottle of rum against his bare chest, his ripped and straggly shirt hanging off his lowly hung shoulders. "Cade?" I shake his knee now, desperate for him to answer me.

Ever so slowly, his eyes move upwards. Ever so slowly, they darkly meet mine. "I told you to get out." His reply carries so much restraint and so much bitterness. He isn't even able to look at me for a moment longer. It's like I now disgust him. "Just get out." Lifting the bottle of rum to his downturned mouth, he takes a drunken sip, most of the liquid not even getting inside of his twisted mouth. "You're nobody to me." His face contorts into more of a miserable grimace. "You're nobody." What his inebriated self is saying, is said with such vengeful anger. And what he is saying, hurts—hurts like knives, cutting painfully deep and will no doubt leave a scar on my soul.

Every single one of his words are slurred with such revulsion, I begin to doubt my reasons for staying. I actually start picking apart all the reasons why I am doing this. Doubt by doubt, all of my reasons are now starting to hurtfully unravel within me.