"You Are My Only True Love" (Part 2)
"Ms. Fairchild, you're soaking wet. Are you trying to catch a cold?"
Thankfully, Caden talked her out of it.
"But this will make you late for your date," Alison said, feeling frustrated.
"It's fine. If it does get in the way, Ms. Fairchild can just treat me to lunch. I don't mind being treated." Caden gently turned the steering wheel, his gaze fixed straight ahead.
A gentle smile remained on his face, which put her at ease.
She wasn't familiar with the route and was too embarrassed to ask Caden how long it would take, so she pulled out her phone to look it up online.
Soon, she froze for a moment.
The destination wasn't far from where she was, especially close to where Jack had just dropped her off.
Her heart began to race, and she gripped her phone tighter.
She released her grip on the phone and gently pressed his speed-dial button.
Soon, Jack's familiar ringtone sounded.
As she listened to it, it felt as if a lifetime had passed.
"Ms. Fairchild, is the Lamborghini mentioned on the radio just now your friend's car?" Caden asked.
Alison bit her lip, nodded once, then shook her head.
Caden didn't press the matter further.
At an intersection where they were stopped at a red light, he turned around and tugged at the jacket that had slipped off her shoulder, causing her to shiver.
Only then did she realize how absorbed she'd been in her phone call.
This was already the fifth time she'd called Jack. None of the previous four calls had been answered.
This time, the result was even worse—a mechanical voice came from Jack's cell phone. "The number you've dialed is turned off. Please try again later."
Her heart felt like it was about to leap out of her throat. "Mr. Whitaker, please drive a little faster."
"Sure." Caden sped up, exceeding the speed limit and weaving in an S-shape down the road, passing one car after another.
However, the car soon came to a stop.
The intersection leading to their destination was just ahead, but the road was blocked off.
A traffic officer's motorcycle had already pulled up in front of the Volvo.
The officer dismounted and handed Caden a ticket through the open car window.
Alison didn't have time to worry about Caden. She took off running toward the officer.
"Hey, wait a minute! You can't go in there!" Caden called after her, but she wasn't listening anymore.
"I'm sorry. Here's my ID—you can hold onto it for now. I have something else to take care of. I'll send someone to handle this car." Caden said politely but hurriedly.
With his long legs, he caught up to Alison in just a few strides.
He grabbed her hand and pulled her back. "You can't go in there."
Alison looked at the blue police tape not far away and the police officers standing at the ready inside; she grew even more nervous. "Caden, please help me, okay?"
Caden glanced back at the traffic cop who had caught up to them—the speeding ticket issue still hadn't been resolved. "Look, I've got a lot on my plate right now. I really can't help you." He shrugged, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it.
The smell of tobacco made Alison cough, but his expression suggested he was deep in thought.
"Sir, please pull your car over to the side of the road. If you don't, we'll have it towed immediately," the traffic officer sternly told Caden.
Alison felt deeply guilty.
It was all her fault that Caden had broken the law.
"Okay, go ahead and tow it," Caden said, taking another drag on his cigarette.
To her surprise, he casually tossed the cigarette, which he'd only taken two puffs from, out the window.
Finally free from the smoke, Alison's coughing subsided. She looked at him gratefully.
The traffic officer called a tow truck to haul away Caden's car.
Caden winked at Alison.
Just as she thought he was going to help her get past the roadblock, he grabbed her hand and pulled her along.
"Where are we going?" Alison asked, completely baffled.
"Right where you need to go," he replied without hesitation.
Alison was even more confused.
Wasn't the road ahead blocked off?
He was actually leading her toward the entrance of the alley next to them.
Wouldn't that take them farther away?
Seeing her standing there frozen, Caden smiled slightly. "Don't you want to find your man anymore?"
"You...you know where he is?"
"Jack—real estate tycoon, architectural genius, and a big fan of driving Lamborghinis. Though I really didn't know he was into royal blue. It's a subtle yet flamboyant color. Looks like he's a subtle yet flamboyant guy, too."
Alison followed him at a brisk pace, her mind a jumble of thoughts. "Then why did you call me Ms. Fairchild?"
"I think 'Ms. Fairchild' sounds better than 'Mrs.,' though neither title is all that great."
"You…" Alison turned around, ready to punch him.
"Go ahead. If you beat me up, no one will take you to see your man and his car."
The two entered a small alley, a parallel side street.
They soon reached a dead end, and Caden kept glancing around as they walked.
"Dead end," he shrugged, adopting a helpless expression once again.
However, Alison's eyes lit up. "We'll find a place on the left to go into. Then, we'll ask them to help us climb out through a back window. That way, we can get to the building on that side, right?"
Caden smiled slightly.
He reached out and ruffled her wet, tousled hair. "Damn, I forgot my umbrella."
She immediately understood what he meant.
She turned and walked back, finally stopping in front of a house where a bicycle was parked.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
Alison knocked on the door.
"Who's there?" a middle-aged woman's voice called out.
Alison turned to Caden, nodded toward the door, and signaled for him to answer it.
Caden frowned. "Why do I have to go?"
The middle-aged woman's footsteps grew closer from inside.
Alison couldn't wait any longer.
She shoved Caden.
Caught off guard, he stumbled and nearly crashed into the front door.
Just then, the door creaked open. "Who…"
Caden's face immediately broke into a broad smile. "Ma'am, I'm from the next street over. My son is almost 100 days old and is home alone right now. He's about to wake up. But my wife and I can't get to that street because it's blocked off. Could you please…"