Title: Not Without Me
Genre: Contemporary Romance
When my mum’s new partner walked into our lives, bringing along his brooding son, Cade Westwood, I never imagined the rollercoaster that awaited me.
Cade, haunted by his past, kept a tight lid on his emotions, and I couldn't help but be intrigued by the mystery that surrounded him. Little did I know that our innocent connection would soon be tested by unexpected hurdles, turning our fairy-tale love story into a haunting nightmare.
Fast forward sixteen years, and I find myself staring into the eyes of Cade once again—only this time, he’s my boss. The wounds from our shared history resurface, and I’m forced to confront the bittersweet memories that still linger.
As I try to navigate my newfound professional life, buried feelings for Cade threaten to emerge from the shadows. Will I be able to keep my emotions in check? And can Cade’s secrets avoid derailing our chance at a renewed connection?
Trigger Warning: Explores themes of parental death, emotional abuse, physical abuse, and trauma that some readers may find triggering.
It’s several minutes before I speak. “What’s happening here?”
“Here, or in there?” Cade nods to the kitchen.
“I don’t want to think about what’s going on in there,” I reply. My mum and Mark’s relationship is a worry. “I don’t want to think about what might happen if things don’t work out between them.”
“Me neither.” Cade’s eyes leave me for a second before returning, even more intensely than before. “I know what I think is happening here though.” His face is serious, the tone of his voice low as if sharing some conspiracy theory.
“Go on,” I push.
His eyes twinkle in the candlelight. “I can only speak for myself, you understand.”
I nod.
“Ever since I met you, you’ve been inside my head. It’s like you’ve crept inside and taken over the controls.”
“Is that a good thing?”
“It’s good and bad,” Cade answers. “It’s good because I want you there. I’m happy you’ve entered this desolate place which had nothing to occupy it other than football.” Cade pauses, taking a deep breath.
“But it’s bad because…?” I prompt, unsure of just how bad, the ‘bad bit’ is going to be.
“Because I’m getting to the point, where I can’t imagine my life without you.”
The swaying stops as if Cade’s words have anchored us to this moment in time. We stare at one another, silently trying to read each other’s faces.
“But like I said, I can only speak for myself,” Cade says at last, the silence too heavy to hold. “You might think there’s something completely different going on.”
I’m floundering. Words seem complicated and cumbersome. How am I supposed to sum up what I think is happening when my brain doesn’t understand it? The complexity of it all is overwhelming, my emotions running on some sort of energy drink. But as I stare at Cade, the garden, the candles, the fact he’s here in the first place and not out with his mates, something dawns on me, the simplicity of it sharp and definitive.
“I think you’re falling in love with me,” I say, my voice soft and delicate.
“I think you might be right,” Cade agrees.
Maria Dean is an author from Yorkshire in England where she lives with her husband, two boys, and her faithful Boston Terrier. Her short stories have appeared in various publications and range from fantasy to science fiction and the supernatural, but for the long haul, her heart remains rooted in romance novels. An avid reader, she can be known to devour a book in a day, especially if there’s a twist in the tale and a swoon-worthy main character. She’s more than prepared to have her heart broken by a good book, just as long as it’s put back together again by the happily-ever-after. When she’s not reading or writing, she can be found walking her dog in her local woods, usually dreaming up her next novel or listening to an audiobook.
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