of lavender
roses that was lying on the floor. My heart tripped right along with my feet.
Kadyn had come by with roses. Why?
An
awkward silence filled the room as I filled a Ziplock bag with ice. “I’m
thinking formal introductions aren’t needed at this point, but Kadyn, this is Rafael.
Rafael, this is Kadyn.”
Both
men grunted their acknowledgement as I pulled Rafael to the couch and washed
his face. “I’m so sorry,” I whispered. I wrapped the ice in a dishtowel and
held it up to Rafael’s nose. I winced at the same time he did. “It doesn’t look
crooked. Do you think it’s broken?”
Rafael
shook his head. He took the ice from my hand and nodded toward Kadyn. “How did
he get in here?”
“She
gave me a key,” Kadyn growled. He picked up the roses and tossed them on the
counter. He eyed the broken plates. “What the hell is going on, Kri?”
I
glanced nervously between Kadyn and Rafael as I rose from the couch. “I told
you. Rafael is teaching me self-defense. He was trying to catch me off guard. I
didn’t hear him come in. I thought he was still over at his place.”
Kadyn’s
eyebrows rose along with his voice. “ He has a key?”
“He
owns the place,” I reluctantly confessed.
Kadyn’s
fists clenched as he turned to face Rafael. “I knew it! He has been
manipulating you, just like Michael.”
“I’m
nothing like Michael,” Rafael gritted. “I was just trying to keep her safe.”
“ Stop! ”
I yelled.
Kadyn
and Rafael gaped at me.
I
lowered my voice. “Just. Stop. We’re going to talk through this like adults.
There will be no more fist clenching, no more raised voices, and no more
hitting. Kadyn, please, sit over there.” I pointed to the chair by the television.
“Don’t say another word to each other until I get back.” I gave them both a
stern look, then bolted to my bedroom.
I
stalked across the room. I couldn’t figure out what to do next. I wanted to
talk to Kadyn, but I couldn’t ask Rafael to leave. We had a date. If I asked
Kadyn to leave, I might never see him again. I couldn’t even believe he was here
now… with roses. I shook my head. This was so not going to end well. “ Argh! ”
I screamed. I pounded the heel of my hand against my forehead. “Think,
Kristine, think."
I
fell back onto the bed and immediately scowled. I felt under my back as I tried
to figure out why I’d fallen on something hard. My phone . I stared at it
for a few heartbeats. Then it hit me. I bolted upright, scrolled through my
contacts, and hit send.
“Hey,
Kri. I thought you had a hot date with Rafael tonight.”
I
groaned. “Shae, I need your help. Can you come over? Now? ”
“Sure,”
she responded hesitantly. “Are you okay? What’s going on?”
I
took a deep breath and blew it out. “Rafael sort of had me pinned to the floor.
He was trying to make a point about self-defense. Kadyn came over unannounced, and
he let himself in when he heard me scream. God, Shae. He hit Rafael. I don’t
know what to do. Both of them are downstairs seething mad. Kadyn brought
flowers. I can’t believe he’s even speaking to me. Holy, crap! What am I
supposed to do?”
“I’ll
be right there,” she quickly responded before disconnecting the call.
I
collapsed onto the bed. I shot upright as the timer on the oven sounded. The
lasagna!
I
ran downstairs. My eyes flitted toward the living room as I rushed toward the
stove. Both men were still sitting where I’d left them. Good. I turned
the timer off and pulled the lasagna and bread from the oven. I took a deep
breath, mustering as much confidence as I could, before turning to face Kadyn
and Rafael. “I don’t want to hear any arguments from either of you. I put a lot
of time into this seafood lasagna, so we’re going to talk over dinner.”
Rafael
shot me an incredulous look. “You want me to eat dinner with a guy who just
punched me in the face?”
I
fisted my hands on my hips. “And why was he punching you in the
roses that was lying on the floor. My heart tripped right along with my feet.
Kadyn had come by with roses. Why?
An
awkward silence filled the room as I filled a Ziplock bag with ice. “I’m
thinking formal introductions aren’t needed at this point, but Kadyn, this is Rafael.
Rafael, this is Kadyn.”
Both
men grunted their acknowledgement as I pulled Rafael to the couch and washed
his face. “I’m so sorry,” I whispered. I wrapped the ice in a dishtowel and
held it up to Rafael’s nose. I winced at the same time he did. “It doesn’t look
crooked. Do you think it’s broken?”
Rafael
shook his head. He took the ice from my hand and nodded toward Kadyn. “How did
he get in here?”
“She
gave me a key,” Kadyn growled. He picked up the roses and tossed them on the
counter. He eyed the broken plates. “What the hell is going on, Kri?”
I
glanced nervously between Kadyn and Rafael as I rose from the couch. “I told
you. Rafael is teaching me self-defense. He was trying to catch me off guard. I
didn’t hear him come in. I thought he was still over at his place.”
Kadyn’s
eyebrows rose along with his voice. “ He has a key?”
“He
owns the place,” I reluctantly confessed.
Kadyn’s
fists clenched as he turned to face Rafael. “I knew it! He has been
manipulating you, just like Michael.”
“I’m
nothing like Michael,” Rafael gritted. “I was just trying to keep her safe.”
“ Stop! ”
I yelled.
Kadyn
and Rafael gaped at me.
I
lowered my voice. “Just. Stop. We’re going to talk through this like adults.
There will be no more fist clenching, no more raised voices, and no more
hitting. Kadyn, please, sit over there.” I pointed to the chair by the television.
“Don’t say another word to each other until I get back.” I gave them both a
stern look, then bolted to my bedroom.
I
stalked across the room. I couldn’t figure out what to do next. I wanted to
talk to Kadyn, but I couldn’t ask Rafael to leave. We had a date. If I asked
Kadyn to leave, I might never see him again. I couldn’t even believe he was here
now… with roses. I shook my head. This was so not going to end well. “ Argh! ”
I screamed. I pounded the heel of my hand against my forehead. “Think,
Kristine, think."
I
fell back onto the bed and immediately scowled. I felt under my back as I tried
to figure out why I’d fallen on something hard. My phone . I stared at it
for a few heartbeats. Then it hit me. I bolted upright, scrolled through my
contacts, and hit send.
“Hey,
Kri. I thought you had a hot date with Rafael tonight.”
I
groaned. “Shae, I need your help. Can you come over? Now? ”
“Sure,”
she responded hesitantly. “Are you okay? What’s going on?”
I
took a deep breath and blew it out. “Rafael sort of had me pinned to the floor.
He was trying to make a point about self-defense. Kadyn came over unannounced, and
he let himself in when he heard me scream. God, Shae. He hit Rafael. I don’t
know what to do. Both of them are downstairs seething mad. Kadyn brought
flowers. I can’t believe he’s even speaking to me. Holy, crap! What am I
supposed to do?”
“I’ll
be right there,” she quickly responded before disconnecting the call.
I
collapsed onto the bed. I shot upright as the timer on the oven sounded. The
lasagna!
I
ran downstairs. My eyes flitted toward the living room as I rushed toward the
stove. Both men were still sitting where I’d left them. Good. I turned
the timer off and pulled the lasagna and bread from the oven. I took a deep
breath, mustering as much confidence as I could, before turning to face Kadyn
and Rafael. “I don’t want to hear any arguments from either of you. I put a lot
of time into this seafood lasagna, so we’re going to talk over dinner.”
Rafael
shot me an incredulous look. “You want me to eat dinner with a guy who just
punched me in the face?”
I
fisted my hands on my hips. “And why was he punching you in the
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