Chapter 3 Cadence
Cadence
The heat breaks across my skin, warmth radiating over my body as I peel my sleepy eyes open just enough to see the sun beams filtering through my light pink curtains.
It feels nice to stretch my legs out under the soft velvet of my white comforter and I spend a second to enjoy the sun on my face.
But then a loud bang resounds, pulling my attention toward the hallway and I groan. Brayden.
I lean up out of my bed to stretch my body, pulling my arms up over my head as a yawn falls from my open mouth.
It’s been six days since my text message with Zach, which I've tried not to overthink, but he hasn’t been to the house since then either.
I’m not sure why I wake up thinking about that, but I think it’s because by now I’m used to hearing both of the boys talking loudly downstairs, chatting with Dad over his coffee before they run off for school.
Especially since today is game day; the first of Friday Night Lights.
But all week it’s been pretty quiet and it's starting to feel a bit strange.
I jump up and start to get ready for the day, making up the sheets of my bed like I normally do before heading for the shower. Right as I hear a door slam shut, heavy footsteps stomping down the hall to follow, I swing my door open.
“Hey!” I shout as I turn down the hallway, watching my brother run past my door.
“Yeah?” His fluffy bed head falling into his tired eyes as he turns around to face me.
I look past him, hoping that maybe I'll spot Zach too, realizing how pathetic that may seem. But it's no luck.
“Where were you the other night?" I ask him and honestly, I don't know why I ask him.
I guess probably because we've both been so busy and I never really got to pry.
He came home fifteen minutes late that night and I don't really know what his conversation with my mom was and I was too chicken to text Zach the next day and ask. So I genuinely am curious.
“Oh, I was out with Zach,” he says quickly but very calmly, and I toss him an annoyed look.
We stare at each other for a beat before he caves and holds his hands out in defeat. "What?"
“I know that’s what you told Mom,” I start as I cross my arms over my chest. “But we both know that’s not the truth.” I raise my brows at him.
Brayden rubs the back of his neck anxiously as he shoots me a look. One that asks me how the hell I could possibly know that but also hinting that he realizes he's been caught. I uncross my arms and decide to walk back toward the bed to fix my sheets, letting him have my back.
“I talked to Zach,” I admit when he doesn’t answer and I hear his footsteps walk toward my door. "He told me you might have been with some girl." Brayden raises a single brow at me, and I realize that I just admitted something I probably shouldn’t have.
I think back to what Zach told me last week.
He won’t like that we’re texting otherwise…
But what’s wrong with that? Technically, Mom asked me to reach out to him, so if anything, I have that as an excuse.
Besides, Bray has never talked to me about not talking to Zach or anything of that sort.
He’s the one who gave me his number after all but then again, he did state to use it only for emergencies.
But I don’t want to make it obvious that I know it would bother him, because really, I don't.
I try to relax my expression before I turn to look at him. I hold my breath, waiting for him to say anything, wondering what’s going on in his head right now. And then I start to feel streams of anxiety charge me when I notice him squint his eyes at me, confusion layered behind them.
“You talked to Zach?” His features contort, almost like a look of disgust and shock mingle together. I don’t know how to react, but I try to make my expression look as nonchalant as possible or else he might suspect something. But really, what is there to suspect?
I stare at him for a second, urging myself to stay calm, but really, I am kind of freaking out right now.
“Well, yeah,” I start with as much unfeigned sarcasm as I can muster. “It was that or Mom call his mom to find out why you were late.” I turn back around, acting as if it’s not a big deal.
“And he told you I wasn’t with him?” Shit.
I didn't think about that. Not only did I just admit that I spoke to Zach, but I also practically just ratted out his best friend's loyalty, and his willingness to give up his cover for him.
But more so, now I can kind of sense that maybe he doesn't like the idea of me talking to Zach, and I guess I understand. That is his best friend. But can’t he also be mine?
I’ve known him just as long as he has. If anything, I’ve known him longer because I was the first person to talk to him in class that day, but I digress.
Brothers always have things with their sisters and their friends.
I don't have an answer that won't implicate me, because I know my voice will shake in a way that will give off guilt. So I choose to stay quiet.
“Did you tell Mom that I wasn’t with Zach?” Brayden asks, and I can hear the worry in his tone. Of course he’s already told her one thing and is probably concerned that I ruined that for him, making him out to be a liar to Mom but if that were the case, she'd have said something by now.
“No. I told her Zach didn't answer me either and that you boys must have been deep into beer pong or something,” I answer him, finally feeling more relaxed now, seeing as I’m not truly hiding anything from him anymore as I talk.
“Cade…” Brayden’s tone is a warning, but it causes me to chuckle.
“Okay, I left out the last part,” I say.
“But I didn’t tell Mom. The fact is that you still broke curfew and you know Mom gives us a lot of leeway.
You’re going to ruin that if you lie and get caught.
Just be honest next time.” Now I’m starting to sound like I’m his parent.
But anything to get the attention off the fact that he might feel some type of way about me and Zach talking.
Though, it was one time and it hasn’t happened since.
Brayden doesn’t say anything, instead just continues to give me a very mysterious expression, so I do what I can to break the awkwardness up. “Where were you anyway? Why did you lie to Mom?”
“Now that is none of your business, little sis.” Bray winks at me and I feign a puking motion, knowing that he probably really was with some girl. I mean . . . it’s Brayden.
“Well, hate to break it to you big bro, but it is kind of my business if you expect me to cover for you next time.”
“I’ll keep that in mind for next time,” he says.
“But look, I gotta go. Zach’s waiting for me downstairs.
I'll see you later. You going to the game tonight?” he asks, not really waiting for an answer as he taps his hand against the doorframe before dipping back into the hall and jogging down the stairs.
I roll my eyes as I nod my head. I never miss a game and the Harper High Timber Wolves have a big year ahead of them.
Of course, as much as I love to watch my brother play, the number one quarterback in the entire state, I also know I'm going to find myself a little distracted while watching a certain wide receiver play this year.
Though, I've always found myself watching him more from time to time.
I can't help it, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited to see him completely crush this year.
I know how much football means to Zach, to both boys really. So it's going to be an exciting season.
Which reminds me of something Brayden just said, pulling me from one thought to another. Zach is downstairs?
My heart skips. I’ve been driving myself crazy with thoughts of what he’s been up to since we've last talked; he hasn’t come around the house since the day he showed up with Ashley.
And though I have seen him a few times in the halls at school over the last few days, I thought that maybe he was trying to avoid me because of what he said.
But why would that be the case if he didn’t feel the same way I do?
Does he even know that I . . . have a crush on him?
I shake my head at the immature thought.
He's probably just been busy, and he probably doesn't even think about me like that.
The feeling of butterflies start to overreact in my tummy as I rush over to my window, the one overlooking the front yard of the house down to the street out in front.
And sure enough . . . there’s Zach’s jeep parked against the sidewalk.
I try my best to stay hidden behind the comfort of my curtains as I watch him.
All he has to do is look up through his windshield though and he’d see me staring at him from above, but he seems to be busy scrolling on his phone.
I take a deep breath, observing the way he has one arm out—the one with all of his tattoos, hand gripping the steering wheel, muscles flexing effortlessly—while his phone is in his other hand.
I stay as still as possible for whatever reason, not wanting to get caught.
I’ve never really taken the risk to purposefully watch him in a super sneaky way like this, but I’m glad I decided to be a little spy because, goodness, he’s beautiful.
I’ve never seen someone as handsome as Zachariah in my entire life.
And he just seems to get more and more handsome every time I see him. How is that even possible?
Suddenly, I can feel the house shake a tad as my brother slams the front door and I watch him as he runs from the front of the house toward Zach’s parked car. And as my eyes follow his route, I look back over to the jeep and immediately gasp out of shock.
Zach is looking right up at me.