“I…” he let out a sigh and put his face in his palm as an unnecessary headache began to form at the back of his head.
How was he going to explain things to Dimitri? His reasons for leaving, what has been going on in his life, what he found out about himself before coming here, Daniella and so many things.
He didn’t know where to start from and how to go about it. It has been a few months but he hasn’t been able to recover from that and each time the reality of how things actually are saddens him and makes him question his life as a whole.
Both parents had loved and worked hard for him and Dimitri to have the best in life even though they grew up in wealth, they wanted to be there for them and just so they didn’t feel left out in any way but he just couldn’t bring himself to explain why he had to suddenly move away.
“Mum is worried,” Dimitri told him and he felt guilt overtake him over and over again.
‘They don’t deserve to suffer because of his decisions or because a woman decided to be a …’ he sighed again.
He didn’t want his mum to be worried about him again, it isn’t in his intention to make her worried, and that too his little brother.
There was no problem with telling them where he was and when he plans on coming back ‘which he isn’t sure about’, he just wanted to feel okay and let all these thoughts leave him before facing them again.
‘It isn’t their fault, Cade, it isn’t and it has never been’ he kept saying what he had been repeating to himself since the time these new findings were revealed to him and every time it comes to his mind.
“Did I do something wrong, Cade?”
‘No, he shouldn’t blame himself, it isn’t your fault’ he wanted to say that but couldn’t seem to say anything to him rather a sigh left his lips.
“I am sorry Cade, whatever I might have done, please forgive me just come back home,” Dimitri said in a heavy voice.
His eyes teared up by how his baby brother’s voice sounded and the need to cry built up so fast that he was unable to control them.
“Don’t, Dimitri…” he said trying to stop the tears that had already started rolling down his cheeks.
“If it was something I did, then let me know and I will change. You can punish me, tell me not to go out with the guys anymore and I would listen, I promise I would. Just please come back”
“Dimitri don’t, it isn’t your fault…”
“Then what is it? Is it because you don’t want to take over the business dad wants you to take over?” he asked and that brought a smile to his face as a memory regarding that went through his mind.
“Dimitri, it isn-”
“If that is the case then we shouldn’t have a problem, I could get you injured again so you don’t have to go to those boring training or so and maybe this time I would actually injure you for real and not fake it like the last time” Dimitri cuts him off with his blabber.
Cade chuckled at his little brother’s attempt that wasn’t going to work on him as it has always done. This time was different because he needed to be away to clear his mind and not be prompted to misbehave. Dimitri looks up to him and he needed to make a good and clear example for him.
‘But is running away and not facing the challenges that come your way a good example to lay down for your mentee?’ the question popped in his head and he closed his eyes to shut it away so he doesn’t have to feel guilty for leaving.
“Do you need the injury to be on your arm, legs… anywhere I woul-”
“Dimitri, it wouldn’t bring me back anytime soon”
There was a pause when he said so and he didn’t hear anything and thought that the call must have been disconnected, so he was going to check when Dimitri spoke up.
“What then would bring you back home?”
“Baby brother, don’t even bother,” he told and got the usual reaction he always gets whenever he calls him ‘Baby brother’.
“Cade come on… I need a location”
“Don’t bother Dimitri,” he told him again.
“A location is all that I need, Cade”
Cade was about to answer when his eyes caught sight of the blond petite beauty in her work uniform and she was holding a medium-sized brown envelope.
She had a disapproving look on her face s she made her way to him and he bow his head unable to see her give him that look when he refuses to go home and do what might end up hurting everyone or healing everyone but most especially him.
Running his fingers through his brown curls he sighed again and spoke to Dimitri in Spanish before ending the call and burying his face in his palms.
“You know you will have to go back one day” she began and he lifts his head to see her already standing in front of him with her hands crossed as she looks down at him.
“You are back home early Michelle” he ignored what she said and released her arms so he could pull her to himself.
She let him but instead of sitting on his lap as he had wanted, she knelt on the bed and stayed behind him before releasing her hair from the hold her hairband put it in, and packing his curls in a man bun.
“I actually cant force you to do anything especially when you are not ready or willing to do so but I can throw a few advice to you here and there,” she said and wrapped her arms around him from behind as she rest her chin on his shoulder while he held her arm and closed his eyes.
“Thank you so much”
“You don’t have to thank me every time, only when I make you food that wouldn’t make you throw up,” she told him and his body vibrated as he laughed at her joke which was actually true.
“What is in that envelope? Work?” he asked and she released him to take out the documents in the envelope before handing it over to him.
“Read it,” she told him when he frowned.
He looked down at the document and started reading it.
“Daniella Copello?” he said out loud and looked at her then she nod her head so he could continue reading.
After reading through the first three pages he dropped the document and his heart raced fast then his hands shook and he felt sadness, anger, and dancing with his emotions and he just looked at Michelle with an unbelieving look on his face.
“That can’t be true,” he said in disbelief after a moment of just looking at her.
“It is babe” she confirmed it for him and he let out a sigh before burying his face in her palms and staying quiet.
“Cade, don’t let this make you think too much about this” she rubbed comforting circles on his back and he didn’t say anything other than just releasing sighs after sighs.
“He needs to know,” he said after a moment.
“You need to talk to her first”
“About what?” he looked at her angrily and she just kept her cool while still providing him comfort.
“Don’t act on repulse Cade, I showed you because you need to know about it and when you told me about all the things that had been happening with you and your family, especially with your little brother’s girl. I just thought to tell you” she told him and he just looked away from her and muttered something under his breath.
“There wouldn’t be acting on repulse here, I have always known there was something off about that girl but Dimitri is so daft and naive to see it no matter what I say to him.” he spat angrily.
“I guess that is what love makes of you” she shrugged and he shook his head in disagreement.
“Love shouldn’t make you that stupid, you should actually know when to use your head and analyze things that wouldn’t end up destroying you or hurting people around you” he explained to her and she just lay her head on his shoulder.
“What are you going to do now?” she asked him and he closed his eyes then let out another sigh.
He opened them and turned to where she lay her head.
“I will do what I think is the best thing to do”