I was so caught off guard by the conversation that I wasn't even sure I was properly following. I thought that maybe I'd misheard them, or they were making some kind of joke. But I could tell based on Cayden's response, that it wasn't a joke.

They really wanted us to sleep in different rooms.

"You do realize that we've been living together in New York, right?" Cayden asked. I could see her seething, the very beginning of someone about to be very, very angry. I'd never really seen Cayden angry before. I'd felt some other unsavory emotions—bitterness, coldness, distance. I'd seen her direct her anger toward Sebastian.

But this felt different. This was a deeply furious type of anger. I wondered if there were things that Cayden hadn't been telling me about her relationship with her parents. She had been pretty open with me, telling me that the relationship wasn't great and her parents could be distant. But things had felt strange with her, especially lately. It was like her parents had put a bad taste in her mouth and the longer she lived under their roof, the more unsavory it got.

"It just seems so inappropriate, that's all. You're both so young."

"I'm twenty-two—she's twenty-one. We're not doing that," Cayden said, shaking her head. "That's ridiculous."

"Well, this is our house," her dad said.

Shit.

My chest tightened and I had a feeling things were going to go from bad to worse very quickly. I didn't like confrontation and I wasn't good at handling it, especially not with people I didn't know very well. My family might've argued, but not often since I always made sure to keep the peace on my end—conforming to their standards and wishes. It seemed like Cayden's family was a little bit different. There was no peace. It was like three people, all standing with their weapons ready, just waiting for someone to wrong them.

"Our rules go, Cayden," her mom said.

Cayden scoffed. "This is insane. You can't do this."

"Cayden it's final," Carmela said, her tone firm.

Cayden turned to Robert, silently pleading with him. "Dad, please."

He shook his head. "The guest room is done up and ready. We would be thrilled for our guest to have her own space in our home where she can get comfortable for the time she's here."

And that was that.

Cayden looked like she was about ready to explode. I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to say anything that would upset Cayden, but I also didn't want to do something to make things worse with her parents. As shocking as this sudden turn of events was, I needed them on our side. They were still Cayden's parents—and I still wanted them to somewhat like me.

They were also offering me a place to stay for the next week or so. Without them, we'd be back in New York.

I suddenly felt sick thinking about the fact that there wasn't much for me outside of what Cayden was offering me. She was giving me the house to stay in with her parents, her name was the one on the lease of the condo we stayed in. I didn't even have my own car. If something happened, where would I go? I couldn't go back to my old roommates and beg for my own room back. Luckily, Griffin had my back—as far as I knew.

I knew it wasn't a new fear. I knew I was just rehashing something I'd already thought over. But this made me realize just how bad it could all be... and how quickly. In the end, I knew I needed to follow her parents' rules. It was only respectful—and it was technically their house.

"Thank you for being so accommodating," I said, hoping I sounded more genuine than I felt.

-

I knew Cayden was upset with me for giving up against her parents. I could feel it for the rest of dinner, her body language tense and leaned away from me. I knew her parents were glad I hadn't put up a fight, but I could also sense the tension between Cayden and her parents. It was like they were a unit teaming up against her... and I'd also, in a way, teamed up against her.

I felt horrible. I felt like I'd been cornered into something I didn't really want. I wasn't even sure if Cayden's parents were happy with me. They probably knew I was the least of their issues and the big problem was getting Cayden on board with them. I knew this was all about Cayden.

Although, I could deduce it was also probably a bit of a powerplay against me. I just didn't understand what the problem was. I didn't understand what they were trying to do or why they didn't seem to care at all about their daughter's feelings. It was all so strange to me.

By the time dinner was over, I felt actually sick from the strain of making small talk while people were definitely angry at each other. I also hated knowing that Cayden was mad at me. I could feel it in her lack of eye contact and the tenseness of her jaw.

I spent the entire dinner trying to ignore it, then the entire drive home. It wasn't until we were finally in her room and I was putting my things into a suitcase to move to the guest suite that I finally found the courage to say something.

"Cayden..." I said. I didn't know what exactly to say. That I was sorry? Because I was... I just didn't know if that's what would soothe all of this currently.

Cayden was silent.

"Can you talk to me?" I asked, feeling increasingly anxious. If I was going to be here, somewhere where Cayden was my only connection, I needed her on my side. We had to be on the same team. There was no other option.

Cayden sat on the edge of her bed, refusing to look at me. "I'm not... mad. I think I just need a night to work through all of this. I have a lot on my mind."

My stomach dropped. I felt like I was going to be sick. It wasn't the kind of anxiety that I'd felt before, where I was worried that I'd never hear from her again or that she was going to end things. I was just... worried. She said she wasn't mad, but I was still worried she was upset with my actions and that it would take a long time for her to work through it. I didn't know what I would do with myself if that was the case.

"Cayden," I said weakly, zipping up my suitcase.

"Just... not right now, Vina. Please," Cayden said. And I knew that was the end of the conversation. I tried to act like it didn't hurt to be completely blown off so clearly.

Rather than picking a fight or begging her to talk to me and explain what was going on, I grabbed my stuff and moved down the hall to where I'd been told the guest room was. Cayden didn't even bother acknowledging me as I walked out, which hurt possibly more than anything else.

The guest room was only a few doors down, but it might as well have been lightyears away. I felt completely distanced from her, from everyone.

It was a clean room with very little personality. It was very well-decorated and definitely a step-up from a hotel room in terms of comfort, but it felt too bit. Even the big window and the private bathroom were hard to celebrate.

I didn't feel welcome. Cayden wasn't on my side, it didn't seem like her parents were either. I didn't have any friends here. My family was a hundred miles away. I wasn't prepared for any of this. I didn't know what to do now that my safety net had been ripped away from me and Cayden was no longer there to catch me.

That was who Cayden was—she was the person I could count on falling into when I needed it most. She protected me. She always had, for as long as I'd known her.

What am I going to do now? More importantly, what are we going to do now?