Housebound with the Blackridge Heirs novel Chapter 16

**Change Begins With You — Jayden Collins**

It had been two long days since I made the decision to act as if Caden was nothing more than a figment of my imagination.

He had made an effort, I had to give him that. He attempted to win me over with coffee, attempted to lighten the atmosphere with jokes, and flashed that infuriating grin of his, the one that usually melted hearts. But this time, it had no effect on me whatsoever.

I had perfected the skill of ignoring him, employing a polite nod here, a calculated pivot there, and a feigned excuse of, “Oh, sorry. Leo was just telling me something,” even when Leo was nowhere in sight.

If my indifference bothered him, he didn’t let it show. If it wounded him, I remained blissfully unaware.

At least, that’s what I kept telling myself.

Now, two days into this charade of nonchalance, I found myself grappling with an unexpected truth: I hated how deeply I cared.

Class ended earlier than usual, leaving Elise and me as the last stragglers in the room. She had detained me, passionately discussing the inequities of diversity systems across the globe. I was mid-sentence, articulating how much progress we had made, when I suddenly froze.

There, leaning casually against the wall across the hall, was Caden. He looked as if he had all the time in the world to stand there, exuding an air of nonchalance that made my heart race.

One arm draped lazily across his torso, while the other held a milkshake, the vibrant colors swirling inside it catching the light.

Elise raised an eyebrow, her gaze flicking between me and Caden. “Is Caden waiting for you?”

I bit down on the inside of my cheek, a nervous habit I had developed. “It seems so.”

Caden pushed himself off the wall and sauntered over, that infuriating half-smile playing at the corners of his mouth. He extended the milkshake toward me, a peace offering wrapped in a sugary promise.

“Peace offering?” he asked, his tone light yet earnest.

Elise’s brows shot up, as if she could sense the tension crackling in the air.

“I’ll… catch you later, okay?” she said, already taking a strategic step back, her eyes darting between us. “You’re coming back to the office today, right?”

“Yeah,” I replied, still locked in a staring contest with Caden. “One o’clock.”

She shot me a knowing grin, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Perfect. Just don’t kill each other before then.”

Once Elise disappeared around the corner, I glanced at the milkshake in Caden’s hand as if it were a ticking time bomb. “You think this fixes things?”

“Maybe,” he replied, a hint of uncertainty in his voice. “Depends on how good it is.”

I hesitated for a heartbeat, caught between my stubbornness and the alluring sight of that milkshake. Finally, I relented and took it from him, the cool cup feeling oddly comforting in my palm.

It was delicious, of course it was. Damn him for knowing my weaknesses.

“Can I take you to lunch before work?” he asked, his voice almost tentative, as if he were afraid of my response.

I should have said no. I wanted to say no.

But instead, I found myself saying, “Fine.”

We walked side by side through the hall, the silence enveloping us like a thick fog. It wasn’t awkward; it was just heavy, laden with unspoken words. His footsteps fell in sync with mine, but I could feel him trying to gauge my mood, searching for any sign of the old Maya.

“You’re not going to make this easy, are you?” he finally broke the silence, his tone laced with resignation.

I kept my gaze fixed ahead, refusing to give him the satisfaction. “You shouldn’t expect it to be.”

“I don’t,” he replied, his voice almost a whisper.

We turned down a quieter side corridor, the hustle and bustle of the main hallway fading into the background. Sunlight streamed through the glass windows lining the wall, casting a warm glow that made the space feel more inviting than a typical university corridor.

“Maya,” he murmured, his tone softer now, almost vulnerable. “I was an ass. I know that. And you didn’t deserve it.”

I remained silent, allowing him to stew in his own guilt a little longer. He deserved to feel the weight of his actions.

When he reached for my hand, I almost recoiled out of instinct, but his fingers brushed against mine, and suddenly the world around us faded into oblivion.

There it was again, that spark. The kind that ignited a fire within me.

A warm, tingling sensation spread through my body, coiling in my stomach, making each breath feel like a luxury.

Caden noticed too. His thumb traced the inside of my wrist, right where my tattoo lay hidden beneath my sleeve.

“I know,” he murmured, his eyes searching mine for something unspoken.

I nodded, barely able to form words. “Yeah.”

His hand slid higher, over my arm, until it rested at my waist. I could hardly think straight; the air between us had transformed into something tangible, magnetic, and alive.

“Caden,” I started, but my voice came out as a breathless whisper.

He didn’t respond. Instead, his fingers tightened at my waist, drawing me closer until my chest brushed against his. The milkshake was long forgotten, and the rest of the world faded into oblivion.

“I was wrong,” he murmured against my temple, his breath warm against my skin. “About a lot of things. But not this.”

My heart raced, and I wasn’t sure if it was my pulse or his that I felt echoing in the silence.

“Promise me you won’t run the next time I screw up,” he said, a hint of humor in his voice as he chuckled softly. “I know I will. But I mean well, Maya. I mean you well.”

I swallowed hard, my voice caught somewhere between frustration and something dangerously tender. “And if you don’t?”

His lips tilted into a faint smile, just barely, before he closed the space between us.

“Then you’ll have to remind me like this,” he whispered, and then his mouth met mine.