Chapter 101   - Stephen Kidnapped Me

"That's the friend who tried to search for me and started to like a younger boy. It was an insane story," Cage was conflicted. This friend that had called had no idea who he was and had spoken to his manager. She was so obsessed with him that she wouldn't have wanted her friend to get a share of the man, no matter what. Did that mean Katherine still had no inkling of who he was? He had always assumed that she had figured it out from his voice and body. Or was it that she had not told her friend what was going on.

Last he had heard, they were having a falling out.

"She called you a lot of names and said that she would go for your family jewels. I don't think she was kidding," Stephen said in a sing-song voice. Cage cringed.

"She's one of her best friends and I can imagine why she would take Katherine's side."

"Hell, I am your best friend and I would take your side because I see what you are worth. Won't you say that she must be worth something for a friend whom Katherine had a falling out with suddenly takes her side?" Stephen reasoned.

"You spoke a lot to her, didn't you?" Cage asked quizzically. His friend ignored the question. "Take me home and I will think about calling her," he propositioned.

"Do you want to or not want to stop her from going out with that other guy?"

"We don't even know where she lives!" he screamed. He really wanted to stop her from going, but he had no clue how to get hold of her. He wasn't even sure if she would pick up his call after what had happened.

"I have her partial location but her friend gave me the address."

"Oh, god. She is going to think that I am a stalker. There is no way she is not!" Cage groaned and hid his face in his hands.

"Hey, if it doesn't work out between the two of you, the silver lining is that I am going to hit on her friend and sweep her off her feet," Stephen gave a toothy grin.

"We are not driving over so that you can get laid."

"Of course not. We are going to meet your dear Katherine and me hooking up with her friend is just a bonus I get for being the best friend in the world."

"Dream on. She just got her heart broken by a thirteen-year-old." He eyed his friend, who seemed unbothered by this news.

"I need to finish reading scripts and get to my riding classes. Do you think my time is a joke? I have meetings. Everything is going to be behind schedule," he said. "Just turn around and everything will be fine."

"You're not changing my mind. You seem to have forgotten and I am your manager. All your meetings and classes have been postponed. You have no work for the next two days and can stay in and talk to your girl for as long as you want. There is nothing that will stop you." His friend looked forward but he didn't miss the look of gratitude flash across Cage's face. "Are you trying to find reasons to not confront her? Because you are not wearing me down."

"I can't wear you down." He huffed with resignation.

As the sun dipped across the horizon and colored the road in multitudes of warm tones, Cage looked out of the window and wondered what he was going to say when he met her for the first time. It would be nothing like he had imagined, then how would it be?

He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and took it out to see who it was. He bit his lip when he saw that it was his mother on the other side, video calling him.

He sat up, finally realizing what had gone wrong. He picked up the call and waited for her stern face to come on the screen.

"Cage, darling. Why aren't you home for dinner yet?" she asked, her eyes sending daggers at him. He gulped and gave a stray look at Stephen who was driving with a smirk on his face.

"Stephen Luther kidnapped me and is now taking me to an unknown destination," he said, his hands waving in apology. "Sorry, mom." In all actuality, he had forgotten all about dinner because of his broken heart. Family dinners were imperative to be attended once a month and he had skipped god knows how many in the past couple of years. Hence, his mother had coerced him into promising to come home on that day for dinner. Bad luck for them, though… it didn't work out as planned. Cage had his heart shattered into pieces by the girl he liked and he had been moping at home doing nothing but munching on snacks he would regret having later on.

"Pass the phone to him." Was all she said.

"He's driving!" Cage informed her.

"Then point the camera at him," she scolded gently. Her sternness had gone away. As if her motherly instincts told her there was something odd about her son.

"Anna, how are you doing?" his manager said flirtatiously, making the woman giggle.

"Don't call my mom that," Cage prompted sternly from the side.

"Okay, Mrs. Cavanaugh." Stephen rolled his eyes.

"Why is my son sulking and where are you taking him?" Stephen broke out into laughter. The comment left Cage stupefied. As usual, there was nothing he could hide from his mother.

"You should ask him for yourself!" Stephen said playfully. Cage turned the camera back on himself and gave his mother a petulant look.

"Son, care to share what is on your mind?" she asked, her face soft with concern.

"It's…" he paused, running his hand through his hair. "I met a girl online and really fell for her."

"Oh!" she seemed interested in this information. "You found someone after what Keira did to you? I am proud of you, my son," she said with a glow in her eyes.