Title: Not Without Me
Genre: Contemporary Romance
When my mumās 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 againāonly this time, heās my boss. The wounds from our shared history resurface, and Iām 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 Cadeās 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.
Itās several minutes before I speak. āWhatās happening here?ā
āHere, or in there?ā Cade nods to the kitchen.
āI donāt want to think about whatās going on in there,ā I reply. My mum and Markās relationship is a worry. āI donāt want to think about what might happen if things donāt work out between them.ā
āMe neither.ā Cadeās eyes leave me for a second before returning, even more intensely than before. āI know what I think is happening here though.ā His face is serious, the tone of his voice low as if sharing some conspiracy theory.
āGo on,ā I push.
His eyes twinkle in the candlelight. āI can only speak for myself, you understand.ā
I nod.
āEver since I met you, youāve been inside my head. Itās like youāve crept inside and taken over the controls.ā
āIs that a good thing?ā
āItās good and bad,ā Cade answers. āItās good because I want you there. Iām happy youāve entered this desolate place which had nothing to occupy it other than football.ā Cade pauses, taking a deep breath.
āBut itās bad becauseā¦?ā I prompt, unsure of just how bad, the ābad bitā is going to be.
āBecause Iām getting to the point, where I canāt imagine my life without you.ā
The swaying stops as if Cadeās words have anchored us to this moment in time. We stare at one another, silently trying to read each otherās faces.
āBut like I said, I can only speak for myself,ā Cade says at last, the silence too heavy to hold. āYou might think thereās something completely different going on.ā
Iām floundering. Words seem complicated and cumbersome. How am I supposed to sum up what I think is happening when my brain doesnāt 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 heās here in the first place and not out with his mates, something dawns on me, the simplicity of it sharp and definitive.
āI think youāre falling in love with me,ā I say, my voice soft and delicate.
āI think you might be right,ā 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 thereās a twist in the tale and a swoon-worthy main character. Sheās more than prepared to have her heart broken by a good book, just as long as itās put back together again by the happily-ever-after. When sheās 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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