Page 6 of Rejected Plus-Size Mate

My stomach told me that wasn't how it was going to go. When Brad got fucked out of a deal, he was in a sour mood for months. He bitched about it every day, wishing the guy the worst. I could only imagine how he was reacting to all of this.

I suddenly panicked. Why had I thought this was a good idea?

"You seriously don't have any sugar?" April asked, snapping my attention back to Cayden and her. April had her arms crossed as she glared at him.

"I might have used it all," he said with a shrug. "I wasn't expecting company."

"Doesn't look like you ever do," she said, waving a hand at his living room.

Cayden did well for himself, and his place reminded me a lot of Brad's. It was rather bare, with a large couch and a TV. But there was no artwork, no plants, nothing that showed an actual person living there. There was no life to the space.

"Your rooms are just as bare," April said, sitting beside her.

"I'm not here that often," he said, continuing to search his cabinets. "And I just moved into this apartment a few months ago."

"That wouldn't explain the lack of life in here. You don't even have one measly plant to act like you’re even trying."

I smirked, holding back a laugh at her comment. April smirked. "Riley agrees."

"I did not say that," I quickly said, glaring at her.

Cayden crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow at April. "And I can only imagine how your place looks."

I laughed now because Cayden was right. April was opposite, and her apartment was filled to the brine. She had always been that way. We joked that she was a hoarder, but she just liked to have memories. April had trinkets and artwork filling her apartment. And surprisingly, Ivan didn't have a problem with it, but that was another discussion.

"Our place is amazing," April said. "It's full of character and charm. While this place reminds me of a jail cell."

Cayden pulled out a pan from the cabinet and turned back to us. "I forgot you got married."

I glanced at April, wondering if she was going to tell him about everything that had been going on. I'd asked her on the flight here, and she said she was unsure and that when she saw him, she would know if she could trust him or not. I wasn't going to push her either way.

"Well, I wouldn't expect you to remember since you never went to it," April said, holding a bit of a sour expression in her eyes.

I swallowed, tapping my fingers on my knees. The room felt cold, and I knew it was the tension between them.

I watched Cayden work his jaw, set the pan onto the stove, and flick the heat on. "You sent me pictures and messages, so it was like I went."

"That isn't the same as attending, and you know it," April snapped back angrily.

I felt uncomfortable. I always hated being the person between them. I'd heard them fight plenty of times to know I didn't want to get caught in the crossfire again.

"So, what are you planning to make?" I asked, trying desperately to change the subject.

Cayden glanced at me for a moment, looking almost thankful, before he opened his cabinets. "I can make some eggs and pancakes for you guys."

"Sounds good," I said.

April huffed as she leaned back, clutching her mug closer to her. She took a sip and made a face but continued to drink the coffee.

"So, tell me about him? What's my brother-in-law like? You don't say much."

I glanced once more at April, watching her lips tighten just the slightest before she leaned forward, setting her mug down. She crossed her arms and tilted her head.

"Tell me about your work. I'm not entirely sure what you do."

Cayden glanced at me, and I kept my lips sealed. I wasn't saying anything or giving any information away that April didn't wish to tell him. In the past, I might have. I might have stared, smirked, or given him some sign that he should press more, but now….Now, I kept a blank face.

He looked back at April. "I'm a firefighter."

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