22. Jade
Chapter twenty-two
Jade
Shopping with Addie is an experience. Like me and her brother, I'm darkness and she's light, so our styles rarely cross paths at a single store.
And worse, she always has money, and I never do.
Until recently anyway. Even after getting my car fixed, I have money burning a hole in my pocket, thanks to my first few paychecks.
The responsible adult part of me knows I should save it, and I promise myself after today, I will.
But Coop and I need some new clothes, and fuck I really want these boots.
The heel is higher than I typically wear, and I've never dated anyone tall enough for me to wear anything this high.
No that's not right, because we aren't fucking dating, we're…
is he paying me for sex? No, he hired me before we decided to do this.
We're simply two friends providing orgasms for each other on demand.
Streaming orgasms without the commercial break.
A flush creeps up my body, and I pray it hasn't reached my cheeks because Addie is pushing the box with my size into my hands.
As soon as I put them on, I know I'm leaving the store with them. The dark purple and blue subtle flower details are outside my norm, but against the black, they're sexy as fuck. Before I pay, I grab a matching pair of red chucks for me and Coop too.
Having money feels unreal.
"What do you think?" Addie asks, holding up a long sleeve chiffon top in the next store. "Does this say, it's my first day of school but I absolutely did not go school shopping because I'm an adult and it was already in my closet?"
"Get the green," I tell her.
She flips through the hangers on the rack and pulls out her size. Like her brother, she touches everything. Every rack we pass, every table stacked with jeans. Has she always done this and I'm only now noticing? Or is this new?
She takes an armful of clothes into the dressing room, and I plant myself on the bench to wait for the inevitable fashion show.
"Is Mateo seeing someone?" she asks out of nowhere.
I've never been more grateful for a door between us in my life.
"Why would I know?" I deflect. I'm not proud of it. I'm betraying my friend for dick, and I hate myself for it. "And what makes you think that?
"Because you're with him all the time?" She poses it as a question, as if I'm stupid for not putting it together myself.
The door opens, and Addie saunters to the three-way mirror.
"And there's no way he's smiling all the time from spending time with your grouchy ass.
" She sticks her tongue out at me and turns back to the mirror.
She makes a face and looks to me for confirmation.
I mimic the look back at her, and she heads back into the dressing room, tossing the shirt and hanger over the door to me.
"What's his deal, anyway?" I ask, hanging the shirt on the discard rack. "I honestly assumed I'd be fielding unwanted texts from horny women."
"Honestly? I don't know," she says. "Oh my God, ew. Nope. Who designed these?" Seconds later she tosses a pair of jeans over the top of the door.
"For a long time, I thought he was gay," Addie says, effortlessly switching back to her train of thought.
"You know we've never met a woman he's dated?
But last time we visited him in Baltimore, I faked being sick to get out of some stuffy dinner and found the NDAs in his safe.
That's when I realized he's not gay, he's a manwhore. "
NDAs? What the fuck?
"Wait, back up. Two things. First, what kind of NDAs? And second, you found them in his safe? Does he know?"
"I only read a few, but they were basically don't kiss and tell contracts.
My heart drops. The heart that isn't supposed to have feelings. The one that's not supposed to care. Has he done this before? Am I just another one for the books? I should be angry. Under normal circumstances, I'd be flying off the handle. But I'm not, instead I'm confused.
Addie exits the dressing room again in a slinky backless top and a pair of painted-on jeans.
"And of course he doesn't know, but he should also know better than to use easy codes and passwords on his shit." She makes a turn in the mirror and grins. "Sold."
After what feels like an eternity, she only ends up buying the backless top.
"I thought you were 'back-to-school' shopping?" I ask nudging her with my shoulder as we exit the store.
She shrugs, an impish grin plastered on her face.
"Jade," she says pointing to a fishnet top on a mannequin in a window display. "That would look hot as fuck under all those old ass band tees you wear."
I make a face, and she grabs my arm, pulling me into the store.
I grab my size and a pair of ripped black jeans with belt like buckles on the legs and take my turn trying on clothes.
Using the privacy of the dressing room, I send Mateo a text.
You didn't make me sign an NDA
I wait and watch as it goes from delivered to read.
No response.
I try on the top and throw my vintage band tee back on. I've gotta hand it to Addie, she wasn't wrong.
My phone screen is dark, so I unlock it.
Mateo
…
…
Nothing. What the fuck, dude?
My phone pings.
Mateo
Addie I assume? I had a feeling she went through my safe. Little shit.
But to answer you…for good reason.
You're different
This is different
"Who's blowing up your phone?" Addie asks from outside the dressing room.
"Your brother," I say honestly.
"Tell him you're off the clock and get your sexy ass out here so we can confirm I'm a genius."
I send another text.
No feelings
My phone rings, Mateo's name on my screen.
"Tell him to fuck off," Addie says.
I ignore it and text back instead.
Shopping with Addie.
A video comes through, and I mute my phone, unsure of what to expect.
Mateo stands in the Hayes' kitchen with a notebook in his hand. He holds it up.
In a messy scrawl it reads, "No promises."
The video ends, and I take a moment to steady my breathing and my heart. I don't respond. There's nothing to say. We had a deal.
One I'm trying to convince even myself I'm sticking to.
I slip on the jeans and exit the dressing room.
"Fuck yes," Addie says. "You need them, both of them."
I think she might enjoy spending my money more than I do, but I agree, the outfit is killer.
Back in the dressing room, my phone lights up again.
"What the fuck, dude?" I say out loud, but it's not Mateo's name flashing on the screen. It's a local number I don't know. It might be Coop, so I tap the green button.
"Hello?" I answer.
"Mrs. Bennett?" a woman says.
"It's Miss, but this is her, who's this?"
"My name is Eleanor Traxton, and I'm calling from Prudell Academy."
"I'm sorry, you must have the wrong number," I say.
"Are you Cooper Bennett's mother?" Eleanor asks.
"Yes, but I—"
"I'm calling to inform you that based on his application we would like to offer him a place here, effective the Monday after Thanksgiving. It's when our new term begins."
My knees threaten to buckle beneath me, and I take a seat on the chair in the corner of the small dressing room.
"I'm sorry, but what application?" I ask.
"It was submitted several weeks ago, and then, of course, his interview last week," Eleanor says. The sound of rustling paper accompanies her voice.
"Interview?"
"Everything okay in there?" Addie calls through the door.
I don't respond, I'm too busy trying to regulate my breathing as Eleanor continues.
"Yes, our enrollment advisor met with him at his current elementary school. Were you not aware of this?"
"No, I…I'm—"
"Our apologies, Miss Bennett, we were led to assume his teachers discussed this with you."
"Listen, I appreciate the offer, and I wish there was something I could do to make this happen, but there's no way I can afford this," I say.
"I'm sorry, Miss Bennett, I don't think I was clear. He's being offered a scholarship," she says.
"Excuse me?"
"The tuition is covered in full."
"How long?" I ask.
There's a pause. "I'm sorry?"
"How long is the scholarship for?" I ask again.
"This particular scholarship covers his tuition through graduation."
"You mean like eighth grade?"
"No, Miss Bennett, high school graduation," she says.
"How? How did he? Did this?" My chest tightens. Is this for real?
"Why don't we schedule a tour for you and Cooper, and we can answer any questions you may have. I'm sure you'll find Prudell will be somewhere your son can thrive."
We schedule a tour for early next week, and I get my clothes back on.
Everything is a blur as I give Addie the news and mindlessly swipe my card.
Coop in private school? One that challenges him?
Where he can fit in and get the proper tools for success?
My heart wants to jump out of my skin, and I hate that the first person I want to call is Mateo.
Addie and I are headed to pick Coop up at school, so I wait and let him tell Mateo when we get home.
"Dude, that's awesome," he says. His face filling Coop's entire phone screen. Addie dropped us home after celebratory ice cream, and Coop barely made it in the door before he FaceTimed Mateo.
"I'm so proud of you," Mateo says. His eyes are soft, genuine. "So do we get to go check it out or what?"
We?
"Monday, I think? Right, Mom?"
My stomach rises to my throat.
"Yeah. Coop and I go Monday. Can you bring yourself to PT?"
"I can reschedule, so I can—"
"No," I snap. I don't mean to. But he, Coop, and I, aren't a 'we.' It's me and Coop against the world. "We'll fill you in after."
From where I stand behind Coop, I watch as Mateo's face falls. It happens in a flash, and then he's grinning at Coop again.
"Are you going to have to wear some nerdy uniform?"
"Ugh," Coop groans. "Probably."
I go back to my sketch, letting them finish their call. It's another one of Mateo, because he's all I seem to draw lately. But it's the first time there's a woman in it. She sits on the counter, her hair pulled up in a messy bun. He leans into her.
He leans into me.
I rip the sketch out of the pad, crumpling it in my fist and throw it in the trash. I'm not doing this. We aren't a we.
It taunts me from the barrel.
I swallow and pull it back out, tossing it in my nightstand drawer.
No promises.