A Love Meant to Last

Chapter 6

Lanesra sat in her car outside the café, gripping the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white. She had told Kade where to meet her, but now that she was here, the weight of it all pressed down on her chest.

Could she do this? Could she really face him and listen to whatever explanation he had for her?

The air outside was crisp, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows across the pavement. She exhaled sharply and stepped out of the car. The little bell above the café door jingled as she walked inside, her stomach twisting at the sight of Kade already seated at a corner table, his fingers nervously tapping against a coffee cup.

His eyes met hers instantly, relief flooding his expression. He stood, but she held up a hand, motioning for him to sit back down. She slid into the chair across from him, her heart thudding as she folded her arms.

"Talk," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Kade swallowed hard. "Lanesra… I don’t even know where to begin."

"Start with Erin. Start with the truth."

A flicker of pain crossed his face. He nodded, rubbing a hand down his jaw. "Erin and I… we were never together, not the way you think. She was my best friend’s fiancée. And… she blamed me for his death."

Lanesra’s breath hitched. "What?"

Kade let out a long sigh. "His name was Jason. We were like brothers. We grew up together, did everything together. When we were in our early twenties, we got into a car accident. I was driving. Jason didn’t make it."

Lanesra’s heart clenched.

"Erin was devastated. And she hated me for surviving when he didn’t. She said I took everything from her. She made my life hell for years. But I let her. I thought I deserved it."

Lanesra felt like the ground had been pulled out from under her. "And now? Why is she here now? Why did she come after me?"

Kade shook his head. "I don’t know. Maybe she thought hurting you would be the best way to hurt me. I swear, Lanesra, I never saw this coming. I would never let anyone hurt you."

She let out a humorless laugh. "And yet, here we are."

Silence stretched between them. Kade reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small, crumpled photograph, sliding it across the table toward her.

Lanesra hesitated before picking it up. It was a picture of a much younger Kade and a man with his arm slung around his shoulder, both grinning at the camera.

"Jason," Kade murmured. "He was my family. Losing him broke me, Lanesra. But I swear to you, everything I’ve built with you, with your son… that’s real. That’s all I have now. Please, don’t let Erin take that away from me."

Lanesra’s fingers tightened around the photo. Every part of her wanted to believe him. Wanted to hold onto the love they had built over the years. But the pain was still too raw, too fresh.

She slid the photo back to him and stood.

"I need time," she whispered, her throat thick with emotion. "I need to figure out if I can ever trust you again."

Kade’s eyes darkened with desperation. "Lanesra—"

She shook her head, stepping away from the table. "Goodbye, Kade."

She walked out of the café, the tears finally spilling over as she stepped onto the sidewalk. She had come looking for answers, and she had found them. But somehow, it only made everything hurt more.

And she wasn’t sure if her heart would ever be whole again.