Chapter 5
Chapter Five
Cadence
Iuncrossed my legs, only to recross them as I wiggled in my seat. I knew I was becoming a distraction.
I checked my phone to see that twenty minutes had passed since I told Jade I’d leave. I planned to excuse myself after the speeches, but they were dragging on.
And on…
It was getting harder and harder for me to pretend I was listening.
Elijah slid his hand on my knee, and I turned to him and smiled. Only to meet narrowed eyes and a scowl.
“You are shaking the table. What are you doing?”
I bit the inside of my cheek, willing myself to settle down. “I’m not feeling well.”
“Maybe you should head home then.”
I tilted my head. “Would you mind?”
“That might be for the best.”
“I’ll excuse myself after this toast.”
Elijah nodded and pulled his hand away. The sudden absence of his touch drove home the fact he had barely touched me all night.
This entire evening had turned out completely different from what I’d imagined as I walked through the doors earlier. There had been no quality time spent with Elijah, no romancing, or flirting. Only disappointment and an urge to flee.
When everyone started clapping, I stood. “Thank you for inviting me, Mr. and Mrs. Powell, but I’m feeling a bit under the weather. I’m going to head home.”
“Take care, Cadence,” Mrs. Powell said, flicking her gaze my way before returning to the stage.
“I’ll see you at home,” Elijah said.
Escaping into the night, the guilt of lying should have weighed on me.
Instead, laugher bubbled inside as I unlocked my cage and spread my wings.
Throughout the entire event, no one had spoken to me, afraid they could catch my lack of sophistication and crassness like a contagion.
They didn’t deserve my guilt. Hell, they didn’t deserve the time I spent thinking about it.
I found my Jeep and climbed in, longing for the comfort of leggings and a sweatshirt. My toes were completely numb in my shoes, but I’d never squeeze my feet back in if I took them off now. And knowing Jade, she’d make me come in and get her.
I wasn’t in a huge hurry to arrive at The Whiskey House, so I allowed myself a moment to pull the pins from my hair. It was close to orgasmic as each one released some of the tension in my head. I uttered a low moan as I rubbed the sore spots on my scalp.
Night had fallen, but the people of Charleston were still out making the most of the evening. It was always like this, and one of the reasons I loved it here so much.
I texted Jade after parking at The Whiskey House. When she didn’t answer, I called. And FaceTime’d. And called again.
I clicked my tongue as I opened my door and slid out of my Jeep. I walked inside, the low hum of voices almost too loud. The live music might be over, but that didn’t stop the patrons from gathering at the bar or in the dimly lit booths along the wall. The night was still young for them.
As for Jade, I found her at the bar laughing loudly with two girls I hadn’t met before.
“Jade,” I called out as I approached her.
“CAAAAAAAY, you made it!” She jumped off her seat and threw her arms around my neck.
“I’m here to take you home, silly girl.”
“But I’m not ready yet. I’m hanging with my new besties, Sadie and Claire.”
“Jade’s been telling us all about you,” one of them said.
“Yeah, it feels like we already know you,” said the other.
“It’s nice to meet you guys.” It warmed my heart to see Jade making new friends.
“Have a seat and drink with us, Cay.” Jade sat back down on the stool.
“I’m sorry, but I’m exhausted.”
“But it’s Friday. Time to live a little.”
“Jade…” I groaned.
“Besides. I might have volunteered you for something.” The way she muttered the last part into the rim of her drink made me instantly suspicious.
“What did you do?”
She bit her lip as she looked up at me. “I may have offered your Jeep to tow Rebel Rebellion’s trailer back to their bus.”
“You… What?”
“Their bus broke down! They needed help! You wouldn’t let someone in need suffer, so I didn’t think you’d mind helping them out.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and popped out my hip. She was right, though. I was the helping type. “Uh. Fine.”
Jade clapped her hands together. “Yay! I knew you would. I’ll let Damien know you are here.”
“I’m not so sure that’s a good idea. Damien doesn’t exactly like me.” I never mentioned how it seemed that Damien treated me like some kind of diseased animal, and she never seemed to notice. After the last show I went to, I was certain he purposely avoided me and preferred Jade’s company.
“That’s ridiculous. Everyone likes you.”
Jade jumped off her seat again and grabbed my hand. I had to gather up the bottom of my dress to keep up with her. Drunk Jade was a quick one.
She pulled me to the back corner, where I hadn’t noticed the piles of miscellaneous gear stacked by the door. The first to walk inside through the vendor door was Damien, of course. When he looked up and noticed me, he stopped.
“Damien! Look who I found!” Jade gushed.
He stood there, his mouth slowly parting as his eyes roamed my body. I lifted my chin defiantly, waiting for him to tell me how inappropriate I looked, just as Elijah had. Instead, he whispered, “God, you’re beautiful.”
His words were so quiet, I almost missed them, but I didn’t. Heat rushed to my cheeks, and a lump formed in my throat as he said the one thing I’d wanted to hear all night from someone who wasn’t a total creep.
But Shane and Hudson walked in behind him, followed by Jeremiah and Colton, ruining the moment.
“Well damn, Cadence. You sure know how to clean up.” Colton made an exaggerated show of checking me out before blowing out a whistle.
“I know. Isn’t she gorgeous?” Jade bumped into my arm.
I rolled my eyes. “You act like you guys have never seen a girl in a dress before.”
Hudson furrowed his brow. “That’s because I’m not sure we ever have.”
They all laughed at Hudson’s joke, except for Damien. His gaze left a trail of electricity as he looked me up and down again.
“So. Someone told me you guys need a tow?” I said.
Jade giggled.
“And that same someone mentioned you had a Jeep.” Colton stepped up to me expectantly.
“Why, yes. Yes, I do.”
“I’d consider that a match made in Heaven then.”
“I wouldn’t go that far. How long until it’s loaded and ready to leave?”
“Prolly not too much longer. We almost have all the gear packed up,” Hudson said.
“Cool. Just come grab me at the bar when you’re ready for me to pull her around.”
“Thanks. You’re a lifesaver.” Shane turned and walked out the door.
I let my gaze flick to Damien’s dark expression before turning toward Jade and nodding for her head back to the bar.
She pranced in front of me, and I tried to keep up with her in my heels. But at this point, my blisters had blisters.
“What do you want to drink? It’s on me.” Jade returned to her seat. It seemed Sadie and Claire had moved to a table, leaving just the two of us.
“Nothing. I’m not going to drink before I pull a trailer.”
“You are so responsible. That’s why I keep you around.”
“I thought you kept me around because you loved me.”
“I mean that too, obviously,” she said dramatically.
“So… I’m curious about something.” And honestly, I had been for a while now. “Are you seeing any of the band members? Is that why you always go to shows and make an extra effort for them? Do you like one of them?”
Jade pursed her lips and looked at her hands in her lap. “No, not really.”
I raised an eyebrow and leaned into her. “You’re an even worse liar when you’re drunk.”
She scoffed. “I’m not lying. I’m not seeing any of them. But…” She paused. “I may have a tiny little crush on Damien. Okay? But I can’t figure out what he sees when he looks at me.”
“Oh.” There was no explanation for why my blood ran cold or why I felt like I couldn’t breathe.
“Yeah, but it’s no big deal.”
“If you like a guy, it is a big deal.”
Unplanned, we both looked over our shoulder, catching a glimpse of the topic of our conversation. His arms flexed as he carried some sort of big black box out the door, highlighting his muscles and colorful tattoos.
“You’re right,” I said. “He is hard to read.”
“I know.”
Every time I watched him with his fans, he smiled at them and made them feel like they were his entire world.
As if each one was the sole reason he created music.
Not that it was a bad thing. It only made seeing the real him that much harder.
How did you know when you were getting just Damien, or Damien Walker—lead singer of Rebel Rebellion?
It wasn’t as if he was inauthentic. Only that he hid pieces of himself from the world.
“I’ll tell you what,” I said, putting my arm around her shoulders. “If he ever decides he wants to stop hating me, I’ll talk to him about you, okay?”
“He doesn’t hate you.”
“Yeah, okay. Anyway. I’ll just have a Coke.”
Jade crossed her arms and furrowed her brow. “If you say so.”
“And I do. Say so, that is.”
Jade huffed next to me, but I was busy flagging down the bartender. We ordered our drinks, then Jade asked about the gala.
“It was terrible. These people acted like I had the plague. All the creepy old men looked at the ladies as if they were meat on a platter just waiting to be scooped up. It was disgusting.”
I told her about the man on the balcony.
“Ew. Did Elijah protect you at least?”
“Hah. He blamed the fact that I was approached on my outfit. Apparently, it’s my fault. He said I was a walking target.”
Jade’s jaw dropped. I rarely talked ill about Elijah. She honestly had no idea about the innermost details of our relationship. “You’re kidding. I’m… speechless. Seriously?”
“I wish I was.” I also wished she’d forget about this little detail I let slip.
Someone cleared their throat behind us, and I turned to find Damien. How hadn’t I noticed him approach? Any other time, I would have been acutely aware of his presence.
Literal stars filled Jade’s eyes.
“Can I get your keys to hook up the trailer?”
“I can do it.”