I prayed she would tell me I was wrong.
Tasha
“Get out.” I held the towel around my body, covered but feeling exposed.
I couldn’t believe how far south this evening had gone. When Cade arrived earlier, we’d kissed our way through the kitchen, down the hall, and then tumbled onto my bed. We made love with me on top, and after, we talked and laughed and kissed. By the time we moved to the shower, I had the rest of this evening planned. We’d go to bed naked, watch a movie, snuggle, and sleep in.
What I didn’t expect was for Cade to tell me about his lack of college plans. To tell me our hard work, and his desperate request to “fix him,” had meant nothing. He wouldn’t be happy giving up on being a lawyer. No matter how he’d arrived at RU, he had a gift. He was taking the coward’s way out, and what kind of friend would I be if I let him?
“Not rich enough for you?” he asked, needling me.
“This has nothing to do with that.” Angrily, I swiped the tears from my cheeks. He couldn’t be this dense.
“No?” He raised his eyebrows in challenge.
He stripped off his towel, wadded it up, and threw it on my bed. I watched, mute, as he pulled on his boxer briefs and dragged on his jeans. Even fuming he was attractive, chest glistening with water, wet hair messy on his head.
“No, you idiot,” I said. “What would you care if I did think you were too poor to handle my extravagant lifestyle?” I threw my arms wide, gesturing around my bedroom. “I’m as shallow as they come. If you can’t move me into a house that looks exactly like my dad’s mansion, then I have no use for you.”
He was shirtless, T-shirt in his hands, and glaring at me.
“It’s not like you made me any promises, Cade. How the hell am I supposed to know you aren’t going to start going to frat parties every weekend to pick up girls with your bag of crappy one-liners?” I didn’t know that he wouldn’t. Not really. “How do I know that you aren’t sleeping with me because I’m the girl who’s around? I’m the only one who stayed since the accident. No one else would have put up with you!”
“Why did you have sex with me?” he challenged. “Did you feel so damn sorry for me you couldn’t help yourself?”
I took a step toward him and pointed a finger. “Take that back.”
“If you hit me again, Tasha, I won’t be responsible for my actions.” He really did look angry. The shuttered quality of his eyes reminded me of when I first started going over to his house to work with him. When he behaved like a wounded animal backed into a corner. Growling and snarling.
“I’m not going to hit you,” I snapped. I probably should apologize, but I was too angry to admit fault.
“No need to lose sleep, kitten. I’m fixed. Your job is finished.” Cade turned his shirt right side out and yanked it over his head. “And so are we.”
I clutched the towel to my chest, aware that beneath that layer of terry cloth, my heart was aching. Breaking.
“Good idea about the frat party thing, though,” he said. “Now that we’re through, and I have my tongue back, I’ll go put it between another girl’s thighs.”
He may as well have reached out and slapped me. I sucked in a breath, hating that he witnessed me gasping for air like a fish on land. He hadn’t lied about the silver-tongued-fox thing. He was good at flaying with his words.
“Goodbye, Tasha.” He bent and picked up his wallet, which had tumbled to the floor in our frantic haste to get undressed earlier. Again I thought of how far we’d come from pure bliss just a few minutes ago. He shoved the wallet in his pocket, turned his back on me, and walked out of my bedroom.
I would’ve followed, but I didn’t know what to say. Hurt as I was, I didn’t want him to go. I thought as I stood rooted to my carpeted floor how I’d let Tony walk all over me. The first time he showed me what an ass he was, I should have let him go. It would have saved a lot of heartache.
So that’s what I told myself. Letting Cade go would save a lot of heartache.
I told myself that as I heard him slam my front door. And I told myself that when I watched out the window as he climbed into Blue 2 and screeched out of the parking lot. And then I told myself that again when I lay in bed, in my damp towel, but I didn’t believe it.
I wasn’t sure if I ever would.
Cade
I drove to my house, my temper burning.
My vision was a tunnel as I drove Blue 2 home. I didn’t know what I’d do when I got there. I sure as hell couldn’t sleep. Maybe I’d pack a bag and go…somewhere. I didn’t know where, but I had the sudden urge to get the hell out of Ridgeway.
I parked in the driveway rather than the garage, figuring I’d leave soon enough anyway. A silver Honda caught my eye. It was parked at the curb, unassuming, plain, but it was there all right. And it belonged to Joyce Wilson.
I climbed out, stared at her car for a few beats. It was around two in the morning and there was no reason for my mom to be here.