Chapter 77 The Light
CADE
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I would always do everything for the people I loved. That was just who I was–no matter how much I tried to pretend otherwise. If they were in pain, I felt it acutely. If they cried, I could feel their anguish in my chest. It didn’t matter whether they knew how deeply I felt or even if they wanted me to carry that weight.
The truth was–living this kind of life was… exhausting.
So many nights, I longed to disappear. I wanted to close the door on everything, to retreat into silence and solitude.
But I couldn’t.
Because out there, someone always needed saving. And more than anyone, she did.
I stared out the kitchen window, my knuckles tense as I leaned against the counter. My
mother stood behind me, quietly drying a dish, while my dad sipped coffee at the table, both of them watching me like I was about to fall apart right in front of them.
“You should go back,” my dad finally said. “Don’t miss school anymore.”
I turned away from the window. “How can I when she’s like this?”
A silence enveloped us.
My mom sighed softly. “Just let it be, Cade.”
Her voice was gentle. “You have your own life to live. I’m sure… she would want you to continue living yours without carrying the burden.”
But they didn’t understand.
They couldn’t.
Because it wasn’t just anyone.
“Something’s happened to her,” I said quietly. “I’m not giving up.”
My mother’s voice rose gently, almost pleading. “Cade. You can’t just keep caring about her
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like this. You’ll ruin yourself.”
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“How can I not?” I whispered, my gaze locking onto hers. “When she’s the one who gave me this life?”
Another silence engulfed the room. My dad sighed, this time louder, more frustrated.
“Go back, Cade,” he repeated firmly. “We didn’t raise you to run away from responsibilities.”
your
I honestly would have stayed a bit more if this was in the past. Yet, a part of me longed to return to Elite.
As I contemplated this, the source of my hesitation became clear–it was because of her.
Arden.
The woman I never intended to feel this
way about.
She had come out of nowhere, like a cold wind sweeping across a tranquil lake–silent, yet powerful enough to change the entire surface. I’d spent years living in my own head, holding back my true thoughts, trying to become what everyone else needed me to be. But then she arrived with her fire, intelligence, and a stubbornness that drove me absolutely insane.
And suddenly, it felt like maybe… I didn’t want to be alone in this world any longer.
“I’ll be back the next day,” I said, casting a glance back at them. “The break starts then.”
My mom sighed again, but this time she nodded, a glimmer of understanding shining in her eyes. “Take care, sweetie,” she murmured, walking over to adjust my collar like she always did when I was younger.
I let her.
Then I left.
The sun had already begun its descent behind the hills. My duffel bag bounced against my shoulder, and the path back to Elite felt longer than I remembered.
Halfway through my journey, something struck me with sudden clarity.
The Academy Wars.
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The finale.
Arden had to be competing. She was brilliant. There was no way
She must have made it into the finals.
Shit.
I parked my car inside the building and quickened my pace.
I broke into a jog.
If I moved fast enough-
If I arrived just on time-
she got
eliminated.
Maybe I could witness her victory. I wanted to see her shine on that stage.
I was near the gates when suddenly, she crashed into me–literally.
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She was running so fast she didn’t even notice me until it was far too late, her shoulder colliding against my chest with enough force that it knocked the air from her lungs. Instinctively, I reached out, steadying her before she could stumble backward.
My breath caught in my throat.
She looked up at me, and in that moment, my world came to a standstill.
She was out of breath, her cheeks flushed a vibrant pink, her eyes shimmering in the sunlight. Goddess. She looked utterly exhausted. Her hair was messier than usual, her sleeves wrinkled, and her bag hung partially unzipped, the contents threatening to spill out from her hasty run.
And yet…
She had never looked more beautiful.
A wave of realization hit me all at once, crashing over me like a punch to the chest.
It had been such a long time since I felt this way.
But Arden-
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Somehow, she had become the light breaking through the darkness I’d been drowning in for so long.
She blinked at me, her lips parted slightly, and then, she said something that sent my heart racing even faster.
“I like you, Cade.”
Just like that.
I didn’t even get the chance to process her words before she raised a hand between us.
“Don’t say anything just yet,” she rushed, her eyes wide and her face flushed with embarrassment. “Please.”
I didn’t move. I didn’t speak. I simply smiled.
Of course she’d say it like that.
Direct. Brave.
Stubborn.
Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she continued, “You frustrate me. You’re always so quiet when I want answers, always disappearing just when I think I finally understand you. You carry too much and say far too little. I never know what’s going on in your mind. You’re like–like a storm I can’t read.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but she didn’t allow me the chance.
“And you must have someone already,” she whispered. “There’s always been someone in your heart, I can tell. Maybe that’s why you act the way you do. Maybe that’s why you don’t let people get close.”
She bit her lip hard.
“But even if you do,” she said, her voice trembling with emotion, “even if you love Honey so much, I just wanted to say it. I’ll be waiting. Not to get picked, not like that. I just…”
Her
gaze shifted away, her arms wrapping around herself in a protective manner.
“I’ll be waiting in case you need someone. Even if it’s not for what I want. Even if you never feel the same.”
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“Honey,” I echoed, my brows furrowing in confusion. “How do you know about Honey?”
Her gaze faltered, and she chewed anxiously on her lip again.
For a fleeting moment, I was at a loss for words. She wasn’t supposed to know about Honey
yet.
But maybe it didn’t matter.
Maybe this was simply how it was meant to come out.
“I like you too, Arden,” I said, my voice low but certain.
She froze, her eyes locking onto mine, wide and unblinking. “What?”
“I like you,” I repeated, stepping closer, closing the distance between us. “So much that I didn’t even realize how far I’d fallen until I found myself searching for you in places where I knew you wouldn’t be.”
Her breath hitched in her throat.
“You make me want to stay,” I admitted, my feelings pouring out. “You make this place feel less like a cage and more like… something worth waking up for. I’ve been in the dark for so
something worth long, Arden. And you-”
I shook my head, struggling to finish the thought.
“You’re the light,” I whispered softly.
Her expression crumbled.
“But will Honey be alright?” she finally asked after a moment, her voice laden with concern. “She’s important to you, right? If you’re still together, I’ll support you from afar, I promise. I’m just happy to get my feelings out of the way.”
A small, pained smile tugged at my lips as I reached out, taking her hand in mine. To my surprise, she didn’t pull away.
“Honey is important,” I said. “And you are too. Both of you matter to me, Arden.”
She looked up at me, confusion flickering across her features.
“I never wanted to keep secrets from you,” I added earnestly. “But things are complicated.
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They always have been.”
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A heavy silence fell between us. I could feel her gaze lingering on me, searching for the answer to the question hanging in the air–what now?
So I asked gently, “Would you like to meet he
