Chapter Thirty-Four
Sky
O h, my god.
Oh, my god.
Oh, my fucking god.
My heart thumps rapidly in the pit of my stomach as I hold Ruby’s eyes while Cade wars within himself. I silently try to convey that it’s going to be okay, giving her a shaky nod. I only hope that the fear in her eyes isn’t reflected back at her, because I’m not really sure it’s going to be okay.
Cade is crying. The stoic human embodiment of stone is unraveling before my eyes, and I’m as terrified as I am shredded by it. I want to reach out and pull him into my arms, but I also don’t want to set him off. He’s clearly not okay, and his knife is sharp, way too close to Ruby’s jugular. What if it slips? What did she even do that would make Cade want to hurt her?
I slowly edge closer, afraid of startling him but also needing to somehow get him to let go of her. The door is shut, but someone could walk in at any minute, and every second that I don’t diffuse this feels like a second closer to Cade being hauled out here and probably expelled, where I’ll never see him again. I know this is unacceptable, but I also know in my heart that he would never really hurt Ruby. This is just a mistake, a misunderstanding.
“Cade…” I school my tone into one of calm reassurance, and hover a hand over his shoulder.
He doesn’t acknowledge me, keeping his head down, dark hair over his face. If he didn’t have Ruby’s life hanging in the balance, I might say it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, watching a demon weep. He’s cloaked in black, damp from the rain and trembling with heat. But her life is at stake, and I catch her eyes again. She pointedly looks at the door and then back to me. There’s a subtle emphasis of strain in her stare, and I know she’s willing me to get help.
I give a slight shake of my head. That would blow this up way bigger than it needs to be. Cade is just… He just needs someone to love him through this. I don’t know what happened to him after they took him earlier in the day, but it couldn’t have been good.
“Cade,” I try again, gently letting my hand rest on him.
“Don’t,” he warns, but the growl is laced with pain.
“Let her go,” I say firmly, resisting the urge to stomp my foot.
He finally turns, but doesn’t remove the knife. “Why?”
I’m almost unsure as I see the look on his face. Crystal tears drip down his cheeks, collecting along his jaw, and his eyes are so earnest with confusion.
“Because…” I try to find the words, not knowing how to explain to him why he shouldn’t hold a knife to someone’s throat. “Because she’s my friend.”
“Friend? Friend? ” He squeezes his eyes shut. “How can you be friends with someone like her?”
“Someone like what?” I glance between the two of them.
Ruby may be snippy and surly, but she’s been the only person here to invite me in. She’s not especially kind, but she’s definitely not cruel, and I feel closer to her than I ever felt to anyone back home. She’s actually real, despite our recent spat. And now my spawn of satan has his hand clamped so tightly over her mouth that her skin is going white around his fingers.
God, she’s not going to let me live this down.
Cade continues. “She’s a bully. She’s the reason I had to stitch you up.”
My bottom lip falls. A bully? Ruby ? She’s more mouse than man.
“Why would you want to be friends with someone like that? Make it make sense, Sky. Please. I’m fucking begging you. Explain to me how you can put that aside.”
“Because it was an accident!”
“Right,” he scoffs.
“It was!” I actually stomp my foot. This has gone on long enough. “Now let her go.”
“No. If you’re too stupid to protect yourself, I’ll do it for you.”
He turns, cracking his neck, and panic explodes in my chest.
“It wasn’t her fault!” I shriek and latch onto his wrist. “It was Brittney. Brittney pushed her. That’s how I split my elbow. Cade, please. Let her go. We’re friends. If you want to hurt someone, hurt that red-headed bitch. Just let Ruby go!”
I’m surprised when his muscles beneath my grip soften, but nothing could prepare me for the murderous look in his eyes when he turns my way.
“Britney?” The name rolls off his tongue with a potent dose of poison.
I ignore him and use his distraction to my advantage. I’m able to pull his hand away from Ruby’s neck, and as I do, he stands and lets go of her mouth. She gasps as Cade paces into the center of the room.
“Are you okay?” I breathe and pull her against me. She nods and trembles in my arms. I rub her back and tuck her head under my chin, hoping my towel doesn’t fall.
“I should have handled her a long time ago,” Cade says, but he has his head down, talking to himself. “I wouldn’t put it past her,” he mumbles. “Fucking, fuck. I didn’t even consider her.”
“Get the knife,” Ruby whispers in my ear.
I eye the black hilt that is clenched in Cade’s death grip and tuck Ruby behind me. I think the worst is over, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t still feel uneasy, and I can imagine how it’s making Ruby feel.
“Cade. Give me the knife.” I step forward, putting a hand out.
He blinks and looks up like he’s just now noticing I’m here.
“What?”
“The knife.” I clap my hand open and closed, raising my chin.
His eyes dart from me to Ruby, and I step a little to the right to conceal her.
“I can’t.”
I narrow my eyes, absolutely sick of this bullshit. “What do you mean, you can’t ?”
“She’s going—”
“Cade, I swear to god if you don’t give me that fucking knife I will never talk to you again.”
This seems to stir him, and I’m not sure if it’s a good thing. He braces the palm of his hand against his forehead and the blade slips between his hair. He takes a step back and then a step forward, his face screwing up in turmoil.
“But—” He finally looks at me.
“No.” I cut him off.
“Fine!” He yells, going from anguish to rage in blink, and throws the knife at my feet. “You want the rest?!” He reaches down and pulls up a pant leg, revealing another switchblade, this one lodged in his boot.
He throws that one at my feet too and then fists his hair. “What else do you want? You want my stash? You know where it is. Take it. Have all of them.” He flings his arms out and steps forward.
On instinct, I back up, and he halts, blinking as if I’ve slapped him.
“Fuck.” He hangs his head. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.” He falls to his knees and tears begin to coat his lashes. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Sky.”