15. Stress & Mind Games #4
Cade’s mouth turns into a devilish smile. “Well, then, let’s burn them all to the ground, shall we?” he says in a voice that makes it clear he means the words, even if they sound a bit sarcastic.
Tristan looks at me, a little confused at Cade’s about-face.
“Just like that?” he asks, turning back to Cade.
Cade shrugs and leans back towards the table.
“Look, man, it’s the twenty-first century; if Neanderthals are still camping out being homophobic, then they need to be booted off the island.
The world’s got bigger problems than to cater to homophobic pricks’ continuous efforts to gatekeep love, especially when most of them don’t do it right themselves.
Besides, it takes a real shitbag to use and out Qiang as he did,” he tacks on at the end.
It takes a beat of silence for it to process before I narrow my eyes at him.
“Wait…” Tristan murmurs with surprise.
Cade barks out an almost derisive laugh.
“You called me because I have a reputation for knowing something about everyone. What makes you think that wouldn’t include Qiang as well?
I know what Kingston did to them; I’ve seen the video.
I know how Qi reacted to what Kingston did; I’ve seen that video too.
I also know about the fight in the locker rooms, although there’s obviously no video footage of that.
So, even though I didn’t expect your call, I wasn’t surprised when I got it. ”
“So, you knew what we were going to ask for before we even got started?” I verify, realizing this guy has been playing with us the whole time.
“Of course I knew,” he says without a trace of remorse or shame on his face.
“Then why?” Tristan asks, trying to catch up with the game, too.
We’re used to navigating our way out of situations, not going head-to-head with someone used to playing these games, so going from feeling like we were getting somewhere to realizing we were being toyed with all along is a bit of a shock.
“Why?” Cade asks incredulously. “Because it’s fun. Because I wanted to play a bit and see how much of you I could read, to see how you operate, and definitely to get a feel for the two of you.
“I’m extremely picky about who I align myself with. My family’s reputation isn’t the greatest, as I’m sure you know, so everything I do, along with the people I surround myself with, is carefully chosen to align with the reputation I want my family to have going forward.
“The relationships I have, the investments I make, and the favors I give are there to help build a stronger reputation. It doesn’t mean that I’m not still well-trained in some rather shady practices, nor that my moral compass always points in what society deems the right direction, however, I also make sure everything I do sticks to a moral code that I am proud of,” he says sincerely, his face morphing from the cold exterior we’ve seen so far to a more genuine mixture of pride and sincerity.
For the first time since knowing him, I feel like I’m seeing enough of the real him to understand why Gio and Holt trust him so much.
I turn to look at Tristan, who is gazing back at me with an unsure expression. I know he feels Cade’s genuineness, too, even if the sting of being played with this whole dinner is still smarting. I turn back to Cade and give him a glimpse of the same sincerity he just gave us.
“I don’t know if this helps your confidence in the reputation you’re building, but it’s the friendships you have that recommended you more for this inquiry than your personal reputation.
So your reputation is still shady as fuck, but the crowd you’re aligning yourself with is recommending you despite that. ”
Cade raises his eyebrows at that. “How so?”
I shrug nonchalantly. “Your reputation is so mafia-coded it’s ridiculous—definitely not someone we’d trust. But we trust Gio and Holt and their ability to choose their friends wisely, so…” I let it trail off, knowing he’s got the point.
Cade lets out a small laugh and shakes his head.
“Fair point, and speaking of Gio and Holt, I’m sure they’ve already mentioned there’s going to be a party at Zeta Tau Xi this weekend, and we’d love for you guys to join us,” he says, talking about the frat house that he’s the president of, and both Gio and Holt live in as well.
I have a feeling that he’s genuinely inviting us, but there was also a vulnerable fondness that passed his face at the mention of Gio and Holt, and I think it’s also a way to change the subject before he gives too much of his interior away.
Just because he’s going to help us doesn’t mean he’s ready to trust us enough to see him without his mask off. Honestly, I feel like he’s the kind of person who no one gets to see with his mask all the way off, including the friends he’s so obviously fond of.
“We’ll be there,” Tristan very uncharacteristically agrees firmly, most likely picking up on the idea that this guy could be more than just an acquaintance if we play our cards right.
Something tells me he isn’t wrong and that Cade could be a good friend to have once you get past the mind games and disreputable reputation.