Cade picked up before it went to voicemail. "Hi." Her voice was hoarse.
"What the hell happened?" Juliette asked, but didn't wait for Cade's answer. "I heard you asked for a new assignment? What happened in LA? Are you back home now? Want to go to the pub?"
Cade lay on her bed, propping her tired feet over her luggage. "Yeah, I'm in Vancouver now. No, I don't want to go for a drink. Yes, I asked for a new assignment, and no, I don't feel like talking about it at the moment."
There was silence on the other line. Juliette was never out of words.
"Hello? Juliette? You still there?"
"Yeah … yeah, I'm here. Damn, Cade. I thought … never mind what I thought. I guess I'll see you at the office tomorrow. You're probably super tired."
"I am. Chat tomorrow, okay?"
Cade rang off, holding onto her phone, trying to make sense of what she'd done.
As soon as she stepped out of the hospital, she'd left Mac a message to request a different assignment. She had no idea if Mac would approve of her actions. She didn't even know if she'd continue to have a job after what she'd done, but she felt it had been the best thing to do.
Before leaving the hotel, she'd left Harley a quick message, knowing that the girl wouldn't see it until she left the hospital. Cade flew out of LA as soon as she possibly could, before Jax could find out what she had done. If it was a cowardly move, Cade wouldn't know until the next day, until she could speak to Mac. She had told Zee what she planned to do, and the man only offered a curt nod as a reply.
Cade scrolled through the photos on her phone. A knife pierced through her heart upon seeing the photographs of her and Harley. She wondered if Harley would ever forgive her for leaving, for running away. That was exactly what she had done.
What Jax had asked her was inconceivable. Even if they gave themselves that chance, how would their relationship survive? She'd be in constant scrutiny-the bodyguard dating a celebrity. No, she couldn't be a part of that world; Zee had been right. It was a world she was unfamiliar with, and she had no desire to be a part of it. Not even if she'd seen the sincerity in Jax's eyes. Her love and loyalty belonged to Harley. There could be heavy repercussions if the word came out that Jax and she were dating, and the biggest victim of all that would be Harley.
Heartbreak was something Cade was familiar with, right from when she realized that her father had always shunned her. If she had stayed longer, and given Jax what he'd asked for, it would have been harder for her to leave or get left behind later on. Because in Cade's life, she was always the one cast aside.
Chapter Fourteen
Harley wiped the runaway tears off her cheeks. Any second now, her father would return. She couldn't let him see her in this state.
How could she? How could Cade abandon her?
She thought she had finally found a friend. It might have been odd due to their age difference, but Harley genuinely considered Cade her friend, her best and only friend. But now, she'd upped and left and all Harley received was a text message. There wasn't any real explanation. Cade only said she had to.
What about her? Did Cade even consider her feelings? Harley couldn't even hope that she had, because if that had been the case, it simply meant Harley wasn't important enough for Cade.
Dr. Wellington had given her the green light to leave the hospital and return to the hotel. The hotel. Not even to her home. Not even to her bedroom in Vancouver which Cade had helped her repaint and redecorate when they were still friends.
She should have known better. Friendship didn't last for her. Friendship never truly happened for her. The only people she'd known were adults, irresponsible partiers, and celebrity wanna-bes, alcoholics, and drug addicts. They backstabbed each other and slept with each other's partners. Much like Fiona.
The thought of her mother made Harley's chest ache. She would return again, and this time, Cade would not be there to protect Harley.
After the incident at the Vancouver aquarium, Jax had been able to keep Fiona away from Harley, thanks to Cade. She'd been able to recover from the stress Fiona had put on her own daughter. Harley and Cade had had so much fun since then watching movies, joking around in the penthouse, exploring the city, flying to LA together, and listening to Jax's band practices. Then, there was the rumour of Fiona threatening to take Harley back. It felt more real than the phone call that had caused her to panic because they were in LA. Whether or not Fiona had been in the city, Harley was still in Fiona's playground. However, Cade was around and her presence made her feel safe.