Love in the Light (Hearts in Darkness, #2)(38)

He grabbed it.

Suddenly, he was grabbing everything of his that was there. Uniforms. Clothes. Shoes. Toiletries. He didn’t deserve to be in Makenna’s life, not when he couldn’t give her what she needed, what she wanted, and what she deserved. He had to do the right thing. For her.

His chest in a vise, he stuffed all of his belongings into a black trash bag.

Standing in the middle of the kitchen, he stared at the f*cking flowers one last time. And then he left a note—and his apartment key—on the counter beside them.





CHAPTER FOURTEEN



A little after ten o’clock, Makenna finally made her way home. After leaving the firehouse, she’d driven to her favorite Mexican restaurant and had dinner sitting at the bar—a table for one just feeling more depressing than she could stand. Next, she’d gone to the bookstore for a while, but finally left when she realized she was browsing the bargain books for thrillers Caden might like.

Opening the apartment door, the first thing she noticed was that the overhead kitchen light was on. As was her bedroom light. “Caden?” Her heart swelled inside her chest as an ocean of sheer relief rushed through her. “Caden?” she called again as she hurried back to the bedroom.

But the place was empty.

She returned to the kitchen. Because the second thing she’d noticed was a huge vase of roses sitting on the counter. Among the blooms, she could just make out the words, I love you. ~C

“Oh, God,” she said, her throat going tight. Caden had been there. He’d come to tell her he loved her. And all the while she’d been avoiding coming home.

Makenna pulled the card from the plastic holder. And her stomach dropped to the floor.

Take as much time as you need. I’ll be here. And I love you. ~CH

CH. Freaking Cameron. Crap.

Makenna’s shoulders sagged. Not Caden. Not Caden, after all.

And then she noticed something else.

A note next to the vase. Dread skittered over her skin as she lifted and read it.

You may not want him, but you deserve more than me.

It wasn’t signed, but she didn’t need it to be. Makenna recognized Caden’s handwriting. And beneath the note lay his apartment key.

Caden had been there.

She frowned, her thoughts racing. You deserve more than me? What did that even mean? And why did he relate it to Cameron, whose card he’d obviously opened and read? And why had he left his key?

Dread wrapped around her now like a second skin. Caden’s note and key clutched tightly in her hand, she walked back to the bedroom. Slowly, tentatively, like something might jump out at her. She wasn’t sure what she was looking for as she stepped into the room. Everything looked the same as when she’d left this morning.

Then Makenna walked into the bathroom. It only took a split second for her to notice what was different. Her toiletries were the only ones on the counter. His toothbrush, toothpaste, and razor were gone. She opened the medicine cabinet. His floss, mouthwash, and shaving cream were gone. Pulling back the shower curtain revealed that his body wash was no longer there.

A raw ache settled into her chest. “No,” she said, rushing into the bedroom again. “No, no, no.” She flung open the walk-in closet door. Caden was a pretty basic guy when it came to clothes. A few pair of jeans, a few shirts, his uniforms. So he’d never taken up much space in her closet. But what space his things had taken was now vacated. His clothes and shoes were gone.

“No, Caden, no,” she said, tears straining her voice. Don’t give up. Don’t give up on us. “Damnit.”

Makenna raced back to the kitchen and fished her cell from her purse. She called Caden. Again and again it went to voicemail until she finally gave in and left a message. “Caden, please talk to me. What’s going on? I don’t understand. I’m here for you. Please just let me in. Whatever it is, we can fix it.” She debated for a long moment, and then she added, “I love you.”

She pressed End and hugged the phone to her chest.

Numbness settled over her. Numbness and denial.

Without getting changed, she lie down on her bed, phone in hand. Call me. Call me. Call me.

The next time she opened her eyes, the first gray light of day spilled through her windows. She woke up her phone to see she hadn’t missed any calls or texts.

He’d packed up and walked out of her life, and he wasn’t returning her messages.

As Makenna lay there in the darkness, she couldn’t help but face the truth of what was happening. What had happened. Caden had left her because he thought she deserved something more than him. Caden had left her because he didn’t think he was enough for her. How many times had he said something along those lines? And he was still saying it, despite the fact that she’d told him she loved him, that she was in love with him, and that she couldn’t imagine her life without him.

If those sentiments weren’t enough to make him believe that she wanted him—wanted them—she didn’t know what else she could possibly say or do to convince him.

Makenna’s numbness wore off in a cold rush.

Pain lanced through her blood until she was consumed by it. Her heart. Her head. Her soul. Curling into a ball, she sobbed into her pillow. She cried for herself. She cried for Caden. She cried for what they’d been—and everything they could’ve been still.