Chapter 5 #2
The audacity of this man. An unprofessional part of me wants to play our game that bloomed sophomore year in the student-athlete dining hall.
The nutrition team was discussing Vitamin C, and because everyone thinks of oranges, they wanted to be different.
Cade returned to our table with twenty lemons stuffed in his pockets, claiming he would make freshly squeezed lemonade.
Well, he asked Mallory to make it, and she agreed.
Out of nowhere, I straightened. “What are the odds you’ll eat a lemon? Peel and all.”
A challenge burned bright in his eyes. “One through ten?”
With a number in mind, I held my fist in the air. “On three.”
One, two, three.
“Eight,” we blurted at the same time. Looking back, it seems so silly, but everything changed between us when he shoved the lemon into his mouth and started chewing with that smile still on his face.
Things were so simple then, but it’s not our game anymore.
There is no us.
“No,” I finally say. “I can’t play the game with you.”
The weight of his sadness dulls his voice. “I understand. And don’t worry. I’ll sign with—”
“Me,” I breathe. “You’ll sign with me.”
His eyes go wide. “Why?”
Forcing myself to look at him, I smile. “Because it’s my job, and I always do my job.”
I’m a professional. I’ll take care of Cade like I do my other clients. Our past is in the past, and there will never be a second chance.
Before he can argue with me, Winston bursts back into the room with a wide smile. It’s a stark contrast to Andy and Trevor, who look gray and miserable. But my attention is fixated on the contract in Winston’s hands.
The thing that will bind me to the first man I loved.
The man I can never love again.
“Requesting me!” I cram a handful of frozen dark chocolate chips into my mouth, followed by a spoonful of strawberry ice cream. “Can you believe it?”
Mallory fingers the gold four-leaf clover pendant around her neck and drops onto the pink gingham comforter beside me. I confiscated her phone before explaining Cade’s ambush this morning because she would’ve called him.
“Men suck,” she asserts, tipping her carton of rocky road ice cream to mine in a salute.
It’s been too long since we hung out at what used to be our home. After graduating from CLU, Mallory moved to Lake Anita with Kenneth. This place doesn’t feel like home without her, but my platonic soulmate found her happily ever after, and I love that for her.
An affronted gasp fills the space, and Mallory peers over the edge of the bed. “Do you have something to say, Gray?”
Messy tufts of fire-engine red hair appear as Kenneth drags his body from the floor. “All men suck?”
She cradles his face in her hands. “All men suck except you. Happy?”
“Now I know you’re lying, Eddie.” The nickname—a short form of Edwards, her last name—used to irritate Mallory, but now it makes her giggle.
“You definitely thought I sucked last night when I forgot to start the dishwasher.” His freckles practically glow from being so close to her. It’s sickeningly adorable.
“Okay, I get it. You’re the cutest couple to ever exist. Now, can we get back to the issue at hand?
You two are best friends with the man who almost ruined my career!
He just strolls in with no explanation of what happened between us and declares I’m his agent!
” I flop back and stare at the ceiling. “If Trevor finds out about us, I’m beyond screwed. ”
Mallory lies beside me and pulls me against her side like we used to after a bad day. “He won’t,” she soothes. “But are you sure you can work with Cade? It’s a weird position to be in.”
I scoff. “I don’t have a choice.”
“What about seeing him in a friendly, non-work-related environment?” Kenneth asks.
Pressing the pillow to my face, I sigh. “Once again, I don’t think I have a choice. We practically share custody of you two, so unless I want to split my already limited time with you in half, I better get used to seeing him around.”
Personally and professionally.
“Want to come to Lake Anita on Tuesday?” she asks. “I know work has been a lot lately, but we miss you. I miss you.”
If anyone understands how important my job is to me, it’s Mallory. It’s why she hasn’t brought up any of the girls’ nights I’ve missed because I was too busy drowning in work. Still, I feel guilty.
I sigh. “I have a ton of work to do, but I’ll be there.”
Kenneth grabs my carton of ice cream and dips his spoon into it. “I remember when you and Cade were inseparable. You two were practically in lo—”
“Stop.” I sit up. “Do you want to give my best friend little redheaded babies someday?”
Emerald eyes dart nervously between me and Mallory. “We actually haven’t decided if we want to—”
“That’s not what I’m asking you, Kenneth. I’m asking if you want to keep your dick attached to your body or not.” I scan my bedroom for something sharp. Tweezers may take an eternity, but they’ll get the job done.
“Very badly.”
I smile. “Then don’t finish that sentence.”
He shivers. “It should be illegal to be sixty-four inches of pure terror.”
Mallory wraps her arms around us both. “Quit it. Play nice you two.”
Because I love them, I’ll play nice with Cade too.