Sometimes we stay in relationships for too long because we see the potential in our partner. We overlook the reality and don't mind (too much) waiting for all that hidden goodness we just know is lurking below the surface to emerge...emphasis on waiting. But we hold out hope that he can become the man we know he can be. We've put in the work and the patience, so we deserve to reap the reward of a considerate, loving partner.
I'd waited and waited for Kade to show me the man I knew he could be, and when it became apparent that he wasn't going to let go of his first wife and commit himself wholly to me, when he'd proposed to me in such a dispassionate way, when Charlotte had seemed to overshadow us with no end in sight, I'd had to admit defeat. He wasn't going to change; he wasn't going to show me the man I'd sensed was hidden inside. I'd been given glimpses, of course, because that's what kept me hopeful and hooked, only for him to resort to his old ways. So, given no other choice, I'd walked away from him. My patience and understanding had yielded me nothing but a broken heart and a runner up trophy.
But since I'd returned after leaving him, I was being shown the man I'd always suspected was there. His horrible background had given me a completely new insight into the way he'd acted and although what he'd done wasn't right, I could understand a great deal and look at his behavior with this new knowledge in mind. His behavior since I'd come back to town had gone a long way to making things right, and when Kade had cut his mother out of his life, we'd taken a huge leap forward since she'd been such a problem for both of us in very different ways.
Charlotte was no longer a ghostly rival I was battling for Kade's love but a person I pitied. She'd never really been loved and her twisted mind had gone to bizarre lengths trying to get someone to love her. She was no longer an obstacle, perceived or otherwise, to Kade's love for me. One after one, Kade had decimated the objections I'd had to giving him another chance.
Which explained why I was now sitting across from the man at a restaurant he knew I'd like and enjoying the best date I'd ever been on in my life. It was, very simply, a dream date. The man was charming and funny, not to mention handsome as hell, and our conversation bounced around like a silver ball in a pinball machine, covering every topic imaginable. Kade was everything I wanted in a man, and whether he knew it or not, he was a man living up to the potential I had seen in him.
From the moment he'd picked me up from my place, I could tell he was into our date, into me and he wasn't shy about letting me know it. He'd told me I looked gorgeous and although we were going out, his eyes told me he wanted to stay in. After we both said good night to Griffin, leaving him with Kade's PA, Barnsie, who was a sweet lady in her early sixties and grandmother to three, he'd held my hand in the car as he drove us to the restaurant. This was no-walls-up Kade, and his face was so open and loving that it was kind of hard to stay on my side of the table. With those hot eyes of his constantly on me, I was wondering how long it would be before we could leave and see if he could live up to his potential in other ways. He'd always been an excellent lover, but I thought this time around might be different if Kade wasn't holding himself back in any way.
So, Kade, have you ever fucked a girl on a table in the middle of a restaurant? No? Well, want to try something new tonight?
We'd wandered out of the restaurant, hand in hand, Kade leaning down to kiss me every few steps. Each kiss became deeper and hungrier, and when we were in the shadows and nobody else was on the street, he'd involve his hands. Despite the stops along the way, we made it to his car eventually and headed for home.
"Did you enjoy yourself tonight, Abigail?"
I leaned my head against the headrest and smiled. "It was perfect. Absolutely perfect."
