Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
Cadence
Istayed at Jade’s for as long as possible, but the pull of adulting became too great and eventually I headed out.
As I walked back into my house with armfuls of grocery bags, I wasn’t surprised to see the place was still quiet.
There were no signs that Elijah had emerged from the office at any point while I’d been gone.
It wasn’t uncommon for him to become hyper focused on a task and forget to eat, so chances were good that he’d skipped lunch.
Meanwhile, Jade and I had ordered DoorDash from Panera Bread and binge watched The Gilmore Girls all afternoon.
I began the tedious task of putting the groceries away when the door to the office opened. I forced my body to keep moving as I prepared for the incoming bomb.
I hated tension.
It gave me anxiety, twisting me up until I could resolve it.
That was one reason I left today. I wouldn’t have been able to sit in a house all day with our fight hanging over our heads. Inevitably, I would have approached Elijah to clear the air. And I didn’t think he deserved that small form of mercy.
I heard Elijah’s feet as he crossed the hardwood floor. “Hey, babe.”
I swallowed, trying to force the lump out of my throat.
He placed a kiss on my head before grabbing a water bottle from the fridge.
What?
When I didn’t move, Elijah turned back to me as he twisted the cap off. “What’s wrong?” He brought the plastic to his lips while waiting for me to respond.
I opened my mouth then quickly shut it again, my face scrunched into a scowl, unsure of what to say. Elijah had a gift of being able to move on quickly after an argument. He was always the first one to put it behind us. Then would eventually forget the fight even happened in the first place.
Kind of like what he was doing now.
Me, on the other hand, I had to talk about it and get all emotional.
I was good at holding a grudge.
Like, really good.
“What about this morning?” I asked.
“Oh, right. I’m sorry about everything I said. I didn’t mean to upset you. I just couldn’t believe what happened last night and then you going out after. That was a big slap in the face.”
Were we really hashing this out now? Over three bags of groceries—in reusable grocery bags, thank you very much—standing in the middle of the kitchen?
“It goes deeper than that, and you know it. I can’t believe you’d think I’d be searching for attention like that. The entire time I was at the gala, I wanted to leave. I hate those fancy parties and having to act all prim and proper.”
“I know.” He set the water down on the counter and moved in front of me. He put his hands on my shoulders and slid them down arms, sending a shiver up my spine. “But I can’t help that my family expects that stuff from me. It’s kind of a package deal. You knew that from the beginning.”
Did not.
He threaded his fingers through mine.
My Elijah wore ripped jeans, backward hats, and old tee shirts, not business suits and tuxedos.
But I didn’t want to start another argument. “Yeah.”
I let him pull me into a hug, surrendering against his body. I closed my eyes, put my head against his shoulder, and took a deep breath, taking in the comfort of his familiar scent and the feeling of his heartbeat against mine.
Maybe all of it was just a big miscommunication.
I made chicken and broccoli alfredo for dinner with a homemade savory alfredo sauce and butter rolls. It was to die for, and I was in a much better mood with a full tummy. We both were.
“Great dinner, babe,” Elijah said as he placed his napkin on the table.
“It was, wasn’t it?” I sipped my red wine and leaned back in my chair. “So, did you get your project from earlier finished?”
He nodded. “For the most part. My dad is going to be thrilled with the numbers once I show him what we’ll gain from absorbing Arrow Finance. Just another step in making our company one of the biggest powerhouses on the East Coast.”
“That’s great.” I took another sip of wine and watched Elijah grow animated as he talked about work and the family business.
I should be paying more attention since I also worked there, and the bigger the company became, the more responsibilities I’d have.
Development meant more employees. More employees meant more people to pay, which meant more numbers to crunch.
I ‘uh huh-ed’ and ‘oh awesome-ed’ in all the right places as he kept talking. I got up and started to clean, needing something to keep my hands busy while I listened.
It was getting late, and despite the fact it was a Saturday night, this was the epitome of our everyday life. If I was feeling extra frisky later, I’d sit down on the couch and read an actual paperback book instead of going to bed and reading on my kindle.
Our boring, simple life.
As Elijah ran out of details to share, he stood from the table and pushed in our chairs.
It was a ritual we followed every day. Never go to bed with a dirty house. It was always nice to know you didn’t have any dishes waiting for you when you got up.
He picked up my reusable grocery bags. “I’m going to run these out to your car and lock up.”
“Thanks,” I said, my hands covered in soapsuds.
I finished washing the pans as Elijah came back inside. He threw a black hoodie on the counter. “I found this behind your seat on the floor. It’s not yours.”
“Huh. The only person who rode in my car was Jade.”
“It’s too big to be hers. It looks like a dude’s.”
“So?” I dried my hands on a towel and picked up my cell phone. “I don’t know where she got it. But I’ll tell her I have it.”
I typed up a text to Jade.
Hey, I found the sweatshirt you left in the back of my Jeep.
I set my phone down. “I can’t believe I didn’t see it earlier. I’ll just give it to her next time I see her.”
Elijah nodded before placing a quick kiss on my cheek. “I’m gonna go upstairs and jump in the shower before bed.”
“Okay. I’ll be up in a bit.”
We were definitely the lamest people I knew.
I placed the last pot in the strainer and wiped down the counters as I heard my phone buzz.
Jade
I didn’t wear a sweatshirt yesterday. What does it look like?
I held it up and tilted my head to the side. I’d never seen her wear this before.
Black hoodie with a raven on the back.
Not mine. I don’t have one like that.
Huh. Why was it in the back of my car?
Elijah is going to freak out when I tell him it’s not yours. Haha!
Don’t tell him! I’ll take the blame. But seriously. Whose is it?
OMG. Wait.
Send me a pic.
I did as she asked.
That’s a Rebel Rebellion sweatshirt!
It has to be Damien’s.
He rode with you last night, right?
Duh. Why didn’t I think of that?
Because I didn’t remember Damien getting on the bus, much less him grabbing a hoodie because I’d fallen asleep like Sleeping Beauty.
Oh yeah…
OMG. What am I supposed to do with this?!
Wear it! Free merch! Or give it to me, I’ll wear it.
I can’t wear this! Elijah would lose his mind. I should give it back.
How would Elijah even know?
If you want to take the fun out of everything, fine, return it.
I don’t have Damien’s number.
Want me to text him for you?
I didn’t respond right away. I tapped the counter as the rational and irrational parts of my brain argued.
I had no reason get Damien’s number, or even reach out to him.
I should let Jade handle it. Give her the sweatshirt and be done with it.
Have her figure everything out. She sees them all the time, anyway. I wouldn’t need to see him again.
But…
I pressed my lips together before pulling the fabric to my nose and inhaling. It still smelled like him.
Which only reminded me of the way my body lit up when I was near him. How every one of my hairs stood on end. The draw of his eyes. The way his lips curled when he smiled.
That unspoken connection was the one small string that tied us together.
For whatever reason, I didn’t want to let that go.
The sensations he evoked in me were addicting.
I liked how he made me feel. Beautiful and protected.
Holding his hoodie in my hand gave me an excuse to continue to flirt with temptation.
I feel responsible for it. Would you mind giving me his phone number?
This time, Jade didn’t text back right away.
Yeah, okay. I just want to make sure he doesn’t mind me sharing it. Let me ask him.
Seriously? After everything I did last night, I’m now a threat to the rockstar and can’t have his number without his permission?
I rolled my eyes. Whatever. What a weird thing to say to your sister.
I stared at my phone. Butterflies fluttered from my stomach and up into my throat as I tapped my foot with a nervous energy.
Thankfully, it didn’t take her too long to text back.
All she texted was nine digits:
123-456-7890
Thank you!
Have fun.
What? Have fun?
Jade, what do you mean? It’s not like that.
It’s fine. He didn’t care if you had his number.
He’s fun to talk to.
I gotta get ready. I’m heading out with some friends.
Be safe. Call me if you need anything!
She didn’t text me back, and I frowned, hating the negative feeling I got from her message. It wasn’t her usual chipper self.
I don’t know what she thought would happen from me texting Damien, but whatever it was, it would not happen.
But there was a slight shake in my hand as I put his number into a new text box, and a dryness in my throat as I typed up my message.
Hey Damien, it’s Cadence. Did you leave a hoodie in the back of my car? It just magically appeared, and I have no idea whose it is.
Before I could lose my courage and rewrite the message sixteen times, I hit send
After setting my phone down on the counter, I walked to the large window in the living room and looked up into the darkening sky as the first stars appeared. Drumming my fingers along the sill, I tried to calm the edginess that filled me.
My phone rattled on the granite countertop as a message came through, and I had to force myself to move slowly. There was no way he had texted back that quickly. He was a busy person. A rockstar for crying out loud. He didn’t have time for small-town people like me.
I forced out a laugh when I saw a text from my mom.
Mom
Hey Sweetie. Just checking in. I love you bunches!
She didn’t know I was anxiously awaiting a message from someone, and her message had brought a genuine smile to my face.
I let out a calming breath as I typed back.
Love you too, Mom. Miss you.
I nearly threw my phone in surprise as it vibrated in my hand, Damien’s number displaying at the top.
Damien
My bad. Yeah, that’s mine.
It’s okay. I didn’t want to throw it away if it belonged to someone.
You’d toss away someone’s clothing that easily?
Heartless.
You’re one to talk. I might just throw it away on principle.
Haha. Now, now. Let’s not be too hasty.
I leaned over the counter on my elbows, giving him my full attention.
Wow, this sweatshirt must be worth a lot then. I should sell it on eBay and make a few bucks.
I doubt anyone would want it, but you could try.
Oh, really? Lead singer, Damien Walker of Rebel Rebellion’s very own used sweatshirt. Definitely worth a small fortune.
It even smells like you.
Haha
Give it a try, and let me know how it ends so I can prove to you no one wants my shit.
Also trying to ignore the fact that you smelled it…
I ran my finger over the ribbed material of the cuff of the sleeve. I got the feeling he was being modest. Did he not realize his effect on those who watched him on stage?
I think you’d be surprised.
And good. I have no explanation other than simple curiosity.
Eh. I doubt it.
So…
Curiosity?
Nope. Not going there.
Did the bus get fixed today?
Yeah, finally. We almost missed our gig, though.
I’m surprised you’re not busy right now. Shouldn’t you be sweeping your adoring fans off their unsuspecting feet?
That was earlier. You caught me at a good time.
Lucky me.
How was your night?
Do I need to beat anyone up today?
His message caught me slightly off guard, and my fingers froze over my phone’s keypad.
At dinner, things with Elijah had been normal. And that ease had soothed me.
But Damien was willing to fight for my honor just because someone had shown me unwanted affection. And Elijah still believed it was my fault.
The realization buried itself deep in my belly, joining the uncertainty that had settled there before. Someone I barely knew cared enough to stick up for me, but the person who was supposed to always support me couldn’t be bothered.
It made Elijah look bad.
I swallowed hard as I moved from the counter to the couch. I pulled a blanket over my legs and chewed on my bottom lip.
I couldn’t pin down how that made me feel.
My emotions were all over the place. At complete opposite ends of the spectrum. One minute I was nervous and giddy, the next anxious and hurt.
No. It’s been a mild night.
And honestly, the only one questioning my honor was Elijah.
Good. I’ll rest easy knowing no one dared disrespect you today.
I couldn’t stop myself from asking the question.
Why do you care? You don’t even know me.
Maybe not. But no woman deserves that.
Women should be cherished, treasured, and pleasured. A woman’s body is a haven, and anyone who can’t see that is an idiot.
Besides, well-behaved women rarely make the history books.
That’s very philosophical of you.
Haha.
I like philosophy.
Seriously? That’s actually really cool.
I am trying to find the compliment in there, however, it feels more like an insult.
Rockstars don’t really seem the philosophical type.
You should meet more of them.
I’ll get right on that.
What do you like then?
I pursed my lips and looked around my house.
What did I like? Books?
I’d gotten rid of most of the quirky things I liked because they didn’t fit the house’s aesthetic, according to Mrs. Powell. If the item had held enough sentimental value, I’d boxed it up and put it in our attic. But during that time, I would have done anything to make the Powell family happy.
I should have known then I never would.
Idiot.
Not many people know this about me, but I am actually a giant nerd.
What like Star Wars or Harry Potter?
My skin warmed as heat moved to my cheeks.
I do like Harry Potter, but I watch the Japanese animated shows and read the manga. I love to read.
Normal books too.
I always have a book I’m reading, usually I read two or three at a time.
That’s pretty impressive.
But I’m not surprised.
No?
Naw. Everyone has something they do that’s embarrassing.
And what is yours?
If I told you, I’d have to kill you.
I thought we were sharing secrets.
But then it wouldn’t be a secret anymore.
Noted.