Page 48 of No Regrets

“Wow. I’d never thought I’d see the day when you’d admit something as big as that.” She took another drink from his glass and slid it back to him. “You didn’t even admit that much to me.”

“Yeah, well I didn’t love you the way I love her.” He tossed back the remnants of the liquor, already feeling the effects. He didn’t get lunch because court, and with it being two in the afternoon, he really needed something to eat before he passed out drunk.

“I hear the baby’s really cute. Your mom was talking about her to some old guy and said she looked like you.”

“Bethany, I thought you were leaving?” He grabbed some saltine crackers from the cabinet and ate a few.

“I am. The limo’s not suppose to be here until three.” She smiled. “So that gives us an hour to get drunk and drown all our sorrows out with alcohol.”

“You have sorrows?”

“Sure. I don’t admit it to everyone, but they’re there.” She huffed a breath. “Cheating on you is one of them.”

Kaden nearly fell out in the floor. Either the whiskey was doing its job, and he was imagining things, or Bethany was admitting she was wrong. Either way, he really needed to sit down. He poured himself another glass, figuring that would be his limit.

“Yeah, well, no harm, no foul.” He carried the drink to his room, along with the crackers, and tried sorting through the mess over the last month or so he created. Law books were everywhere, as well as towels and clothing. The place definitely looked lived in that was for sure.

Bethany followed him inside his bedroom. “Since I’m packed, I can help you if you want.”

“Whatever. Stack the books up by the bedroom door. I’ll get the laundry.” Somehow keeping his head on work and drinking even more alcohol, he thought he and Bethany made a pretty good team.

Somehow.

* * * *

Brianna took her lunch break around three, since the lunch crowed died down and finally gave her a break to gather her thoughts and breathe for a second. Kaden’s case was at twelve, and she couldn’t stop worry about it, about him. She called his cell and left a very corny message, hoping he’d call her when he got out, but how long did these things normally take?

She sat outside at one of the picnic tables, eating the chicken fingers she had Mac, the cook, fix for her. She had skipped breakfast again, though it wasn’t unusual, and the chicken tasted so good.

“Hey.” Lindsay came up beside her with her own plate of food and took the seat in front of her. “Whatcha doing out here alone?”

“Waiting for my husband to call.” She sipped her iced tea and stared at her friend.

As if on cue, her phone rang, and she excused herself to answer it.

“Brianna? This is Greg, sorry to call you. I know you must be working.”

Greg? What was he calling for? “It’s no trouble. I was actually waiting for your son to call. Is everything all right?”

“Well, he lost his case today and never made it back to the office. Tiffani said he was really mad when she talked to him, and I’m worried about him. Do you know where he may have gone, or could be doing? We’ve tried his cell, but he’s not answering.”

Brianna’s heart sank as she stood to clear the mess she made. “Yeah. I know where he could be. Don’t worry. I’ll find him.”

Greg breathed a relived sigh. “Thanks, doll. I figured if anyone knew him, it’d be you. He’s my own son, and I’ve tried all the places I thought he’d be. Maybe you know of some that I don’t.”

After ending their conversation with a quick goodbye, Brianna explained to Lindsay she needed to take off for the rest of the day. Lindsay said she’d take care of it and promised to cover her tables. She needed the extra cash anyway.

Brianna ran to the new Volvo Kaden had picked out for her and headed from the restaurant to the expressway. She knew exactly where he was, and that would be at the apartment. He’d put it up for sale after they got reacquainted but had taken it off the market when his father gave him this case. Nobody but she knew he still had the place.

Making decent time, she stuck to the speed limit. All she needed was a ticket on her way to the city. She tried to keep calm, knowing he was fine. He had to be fine. If he hadn’t gone back to the office, he had to have a good reason. After all, he had been staying at the apartment an awful lot. He probably just went to clean up the mess she knew he made.

She pulled in the drive some time later, seeing in fact his car was there. A pent-up breath escaped her lips as she killed the engine and made her way to the front door. Using her key, she pushed the door open.

Pink luggage was the first thing she noticed, and it wasn’t hers. Kaden hadn’t bothered mentioning having a houseguest either. She pushed the door open farther, and the smell of alcohol so strong she felt she was behind the bar at the restaurant. He’d definitely been drinking.

Instead of calling his name, she wound her way around the mess of books and laundry, going toward his bedroom, stopping short when she spotted him in bed, asleep. His suit lay neatly on a nearby chair, and he was passed out across the bed in his boxers. Well, at least that numbed the fear of him having a houseguest she didn’t know about.

And then Bethany rounded the corner wearing only a pine-green towel and began digging through one of her hot pink bags looking for something.

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