Breaking My Heart Read online

  “It’s no problem; I just don’t know why you didn’t tell me.” I reply still confused.

  “It totally slipped my mind and well I was in and out in like ten minutes,” he discloses and leans in to kiss me.

  “She just gets off on making me squirm Kade, can’t you see that?” I ask him wondering if he has shutters on.

  “Don’t read too much into baby, she just looks out for me,” he answers and he’s probably right but she needs to stop overstepping the mark, or she will be starting a war, and she best look out for a pissed off Rox.

  Chapter 14

  December

  Roxy

  It’s only one more working week until Christmas. Jesus time flies when you’re having fun and that’s what these last six months with Kade have been, totally awesome.

  It’s Sunday morning and Kade is back from his training session and climbs back into bed.

  Waking up next to Kade is sensational. “Morning baby,” I say to him and cuddle closer.

  “Good morning princess,” he replies.

  “Can you believe Christmas is in one more week?” I ask him.

  “It will be our first Christmas together Roxy, how awesome

  is that?” he adds sweetly.

  “It will be wonderful,” I say smiling with a huge grin. I have always been like a little girl over Christmas. I love giving gifts and the receiving part is pretty cool too, I must admit.

  “Do you mind if we call over to mum and Phil’s for lunch on Christmas Day?” I request earnestly. “It’s a tradition, Jeremy and I always have roast lamb and see mum as a family even if it is only for a few hours,” I admit. “I guess ever since dad left she makes more of an effort on special holidays,” I add disclosing more information about my family.

  “Of course we can go there baby,” he tells me kissing my lips. “So I finally get to meet your brother hey, that will be cool,” he adds optimistically.

  “Any chance we can see my folks too?” he asks. “I mean Ebony and John will be going there too. I’ll sort out the details maybe for late breakfast or early dinner baby,” he says.

  “Sure, as long as I can wake up in your arms and spend a few hours just you and me, the rest is negotiable,” I smirk and kiss him back, with lust and want. There goes my plan for getting up early today.

  Work flies as we are working on a design for a shop front. “Roxy the client has chosen red and black for their colours,” Neeta tells me on Tuesday morning.

  “Can you add the colours to the design and email them a proof by this afternoon?” she questions me looking hopeful.

  “Yes I will work on it now shouldn’t be a problem,” I answer her quickly so she knows I am putting in a lot of effort.

  I open up the design we have come up with. The shop is a martial arts studio called Tiger Dojo’s so it’s fitting we use a tiger vector based image but with a few symbols and graphics to add originality and pizazz. I spend the next hour adjusting the resolution and contrast and decide on a serif font for the title with centre alignment, personally I love it.

  I forward the proof onto Neeta for her feedback. She walks over to my desk about five minutes later. “Very impressive proof Roxy, I think the client will be pleased, if you can email her the proof and then adjust any changes that would be perfect,” she proclaims to me and I feel absolutely radiant.

  “Doing it now Neet,” I say to her smiling. This is a perfectly great way to end the last week of working before holidays.

  It’s Friday night and my work Christmas Party; we are getting ready at my apartment.

  “Come on Rox, we will be late if you don’t get a move on,” Kade calls from the lounge room.

  “I’m ready,” I declare walking out from the bedroom. I am wearing a knee length red dress that wraps around and ties at the back.

  “Wow Miss Thorne you look gorgeous,” Kade confesses while standing and pulling me in for an embrace. I put some hot rollers in my hair for a wavy look and added black drop earrings and of course black strappy heels.

  “Thanks baby, I like you all dressed up too,” I reply to him and kiss him.

  “Can tonight be better than your last work party?” Kade says to me smirking.

  “Shit don’t bring that up, tonight will be nothing along those lines,” I tell him and kiss him again.

  We arrive at the restaurant and take our seats next to Sheree and her husband. “Hi Sheree, you remember Kade?” I say to her.

  “Yes Kade lovely to see you again,” she tells him. “This is my husband Wayne.” She introduces us.

  “Nice to meet you,” I say and Kade and Wayne shake hands.

  I see Max from work walk in next with his woman of the moment, long story but been there done that and he has pretty much tried to get in my pants again daily. I will do my best to ignore him.

  Neeta turns up next. “Hi everyone thanks for coming, enjoy your dinner and drinks and Merry Christmas,” she tells us all with heartfelt words. I excuse myself to use the ladies and of course bump into Max.

  “Hi Roxy, you are looking smoking,” he tells me slyly.

  “Oh hi Max thanks,” and then I keep walking not wanting to talk to him. I finish up and head back to the table only to find Max talking to Kade, oh great. “I see you have met Kade,” I say to Max and cuddle into Kade showing him we are serious.

  “Yes I’ve been chatting to him about his surfing competition actually,” Max tells me and smiles. I look to Sheree as if to say help.

  “Max, I need to talk to you about the Delaney job,” Sheree calls out to him, she is a life saver.

  “See you guys later,” Max says and god I hope not.

  “Sorry baby, I know he can be annoying,” I tell Kade and kiss him.

  “He seems very interested in you Roxy, did you guys have a thing?” he queries me dishevelled.

  “Oh um no, not at all,” I lie trying to dismiss this frustrating topic. I find myself sculling my drink. Dinner is a hit, nice company and food and everyone is getting louder from the alcohol that is for sure. I head to the bar while Kade uses the men’s room, and fuck Max comes up next to me.

  “There you are Roxy, can I get you a drink?” he asks me cheerfully.

  “No I am okay Max, I can get my own,” I say rudely, time to give him more than a hint.

  “What’s your problem Roxy?” he has the nerve to say.

  “You are my problem Max, just leave me alone okay,” I say to him assertively hoping he gets lost.

  “Damn you know the few times we hooked up I thought you were a top chick but now you are just a bitch,” he gives me a spiteful look and storms off. Thank god I think, finally. But as I turn around I notice Kade was there the whole time. Shit.

  “Roxy I heard him say you guys hooked up, you told me you didn’t, lying again?” he asks me grimacing.

  “Well god Kade if I had of told you the truth you would have over reacted, it was nothing, and didn’t you just hear me tell him to get lost?” I say to him angrily, I am so over this whole thing.

  “Yep but it was still a lie,” he adds.

  The rest of the night is unpleasant and when we get home, I dress in my nightie and hop into bed, not in the mood to talk. At three in the morning I wake to no Kade in my bed. I walk out to find him sleeping on the lounge. Good! I think to myself and walk into my room and slam the door. Fucking childish.

  He comes back from surfing at around ten the next morning. “I’m just grabbing my clothes, and then I’ll head home for a bit,” he tells me.

  “Come on Kade it was nothing, just forget it,” I say to him calmer than I was last night.

  “If you could have been up front I would have accepted it, but you hid it from me,” he replies. “I will go home shower and we can catch a movie later okay?” he says and kisses me.

  “Okay sure, well cool off baby please,” I add and kiss him deeper. Maybe a couple hours a part will help.

  I decide to make the most of it and wrap Kade's Christmas presents.

  We
decide to stay in, things are normal again thank goodness. Pizza is delicious but not as yummy as Kade, we make love and cuddle the rest of the night.

  Christmas morning is perfect. “Good morning beautiful,” Kade says to me sweetly.

  “Merry Christmas princess,” he adds. I sit up and kiss him all excited.

  “Merry Christmas to you handsome,” I say feeling remarkable to be here with him. He kisses me deeply. I reach into my drawer and say, “Here open it.” I hand him a present wrapped in silver paper.

  “Oh thanks Rox,” he tells me smiling. He pulls apart the paper quickly. “Oh wow I love it!” he replies. It’s a Rip Curl watch, black and waterproof so he can wear it surfing. He reaches into his overnight bag. “Your turn gorgeous,” he tells me handing me a rectangle present in red paper and a ribbon, I can tell a store wrapped it. I pull off the ribbon and unwrap it. It’s perfume.

  “Thanks baby I need to smell nice for you,” I tell him and kiss him. I rip off the plastic and get the bottle out of the box. It’s called Vibrant; I spray some on my wrist and start to cough. Damn it’s bad.

  “Oh what Rox, don’t you like it?” he asks me concerned.

  “It’s really strong Kade, can’t you smell it?” I say to him still choking. “It’s okay I will get used to it,” I say trying to make him feel better.

  “Don’t get mad but I went shopping with Emma as I had no idea what to get you,” he tells me looking worried.

  “What are you serious?” I say not impressed. Ok well my green eyed monster is out now. She obviously chose the perfume knowing it was the worst smelling perfume ever. What the hell! Is her nasal passage blocked or was it intentional? My guess is the second answer.

  She is out to get me, now sabotaging my Christmas present.

  Yes I did hurt Kade twice in the past but surely she can see how committed I am now; I spend every spare moment with him and show him plenty of affection around others.

  “You know me Kade, how could you not know what to buy me?” I say reeling in anger. His reply is

  “I wanted your present to be perfect and girls know what

  each other like better than guys.”

  My reply to that was, “I love you and any gift you chose would have been perfect but this perfume is not me!” I instantly regretted it by the look on his face, gutted. “I’m sorry if I’ve offended you baby, I just wanted it to come from your heart not from your best mates girlfriend who clearly doesn’t like me or secretly has a crush on you.” I just couldn’t stop my verbal diarrhoea.

  “Now that’s definitely an overreaction, she has been nothing but nice to you,” he says defending her. This is not going the way I thought it would, and makes me wonder was that Emma’s plan as well or am I just overreacting?

  “Let’s just leave it as one girl to another I know that she doesn’t like me and if you can’t see it than just forget it, but be aware of it baby. I love you and you love me and that’s all that matters.” I wrap my arms around him and kiss him deeply totally distracting him from this annoying conversation. He reaches in and gets out another present for me, god I hope he chose it.

  “This one I chose baby and it’s special so I hope you like it,” he declares to me. I open it quickly and it’s the most beautiful gold heart charm with diamonds in the middle.

  “Oh Kade I love it!” I scream delighted. “It really is beautiful,” I say to him as he puts it around my neck. I can’t wipe the smile off my face. I give him his other two presents, a billabong shirt and board shorts. Oh and a beach towel. All practical things that he uses daily. We lay and cuddle, kissing, caressing and we make love slowly and passionately, wiping away the few hiccups of the last few days. “I love you baby,” I say to Kade intensely.

  “I love you too Roxy,” he tells me kissing me again.

  “Merry Christmas Jem,” I scream as I run in and hug my best friend. Waking her up but not caring, I love Christmas!

  “You too babe,” she tells me and lies down again to sleep. Typical Jemma.

  We dress and head to mum and Phil’s. I haven’t heard from Jeremy but mum said he would be staying Sunday night so he should be there when I get there.

  We pull up in the driveway, mums front door has a wreath and they have some lights up. I can’t wait to see her tree and inside. Mum opens the door cheerfully. “Merry Christmas my Roxy,” she screams and hugs me; I know where I get my Christmas spirit from.

  “Merry Christmas mum,” I say back with enthusiasm. Phil comes to greet us.

  “Merry Christmas Roxy, Kade,” he tells us and hugs me and shakes Kade’s hand.

  “Merry Christmas Phil!” I scream. “Mum went overboard with the decorations and presents under the tree like usual,” I say to him laughing.

  “Yep you know your mother,” he proclaims.

  “Where’s Jeremy?” I ask mum anxiously. It has been eighteen months since I saw my older brother and I missed him.

  “Here I am.” I hear his voice from the hallway. I run up to him.

  “Oh hey you are here bro,” I say to him hugging him, he picks me up and spins me.

  “Hey sis, it’s been way too long,” he confesses to me. We were always close, it’s just since he moved away with his band he is busy so we aren’t in contact as much. I also know that he parties way too hard and has suffered with alcohol and drugs, something we have in common.

  “Come and meet Kade, Jeremy,” I say dragging him over.

  “Hey Jeremy it’s great to meet you man,” Kade says to him and shakes his hand.

  “Great to meet you too,” he tells Kade.

  “So you finally tamed my little sister,” Jeremy jokes and chuckles.

  “Hey watch it,” I say punching him.

  “Come on guys open your presents,” mum yells, she is not traditional in that way, we always open presents first as she says it’s cruel to make everyone wait.

  “You first mum,” I say and hand her a beautiful wrapped purple gift.

  “Oh Rox thank you angel,” she tells me kissing me. She opens it excitedly. “Oh honey I love it!” she screams.

  It is a photo album I made on the computer at work, of me and Jeremy growing up, something sentimental I knew she would love. She starts to cry. “It’s so beautiful,” she tells me. “Look Jeremy, you were so cute, what happened?” she says laughing loudly.

  The rest of the day goes off without a hitch. Kade and I steal some sneaky kisses; he holds my hand and looks relaxed. He makes conversation with Jeremy about his band and with Phil.

  We leave at around four to head to Kade’s family home.

  “Bye mum, thanks for my clothes voucher and make up, I love them,” I tell her hugging her, she squeezes me.

  “Thank you for my wonderful album it’s so meaningful sweetheart.”

  “Jeremy we are going up to Kade’s lake house for New Years, you are invited, so have a think about coming,” I tell him.

  “Okay thanks guys, I’ll be in touch. Great to see you Rox, you look healthy,” he says to me in a big brother voice.

  We arrive at Kade’s mum and dads, Ebony and John aren’t here yet as they were going to John’s family first. I climb out of my car and I can hear yelling, I look to Kade who obviously hears it too. “Must be the folks, they have been arguing so much lately,” he tells me concerned.

  “Let’s give them a few minutes baby,” I say to him and we hop back in the car to hold hands and listen to the radio.

  We have an early dinner, chicken and salad. There is tension between his mum and dad, but they are nothing but nice to us.

  “You look beautiful Roxy,” Vicky tells me sweetly.

  “Oh thank you Vicky, you look lovely yourself. Do you like the heart charm Kade bought me?” I question showing off my bling.

  “Oh Kade it’s stunning, great choice son,” she says to him. He heads outside to have beers with his father. Ebony is wearing a beautiful black dress with a few flowers, shows off her figure.

  “I love your dress Ebony,” I sa
y to her cheerfully.

  “Thanks hun, it was on special, I love a good bargain,” she

  chuckles back to me.

  We have chocolate cake and strawberries for dessert and head back to my place. “Thank you for a beautiful dinner and dessert Vicky,” I say to her and hug her tightly.

  “You are very welcome, hope you can choose something nice with your voucher,” she tells me.

  “Thanks again,” I add.

  “Bye guys,” Ebony and John say to us, we all hug and say we will see each other for New Years at the lake house.

  “I am exhausted,” I say while driving home, Kade had a few beers so I’m driving to be the responsible one.

  “Me too baby, great day though, except for my folks,” he says to me bewildered.

  “They were fine, hey we all argue, don’t stress,” I tell him trying to distract him from his negativity.

  “Thanks for my presents Rox,” Kade tells me sincerely. “But honestly the best present I could have ever asked for is you,” he tells me with so much heartfelt emotion I feel my heart skip a beat and pound more than ever before. A tear runs down my cheek.

  “Oh Kade you are the sweetest man on the planet, I love you enormously baby,” I proclaim to him delightfully.

  “Merry Christmas princess, I love you too,” Kade whispers and squeezes my hand. I look into his beaming eyes; they are glistening and burning with love, whole-hearted deep and meaningful love.

  Chapter 15

  New Year’s

  I wake up screaming, “No don’t go!” and feel Kade next to me.

  “It’s okay Roxy, I’m here baby,” he says to me calming me. I look at him embarrassed it, has been a while since I’ve had one of these nightmares about my father leaving. I take a deep breath.

  “Sorry baby that’s the dream I was telling you about, I haven’t had one for months, well maybe even since I met you,” I confess to him still a bit embarrassed that he saw me that way.

  “You don’t have to apologise to me, I’m glad I was here for you to comfort you,” he replies sweetly.