Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
Cadence
Jade
Today’s the day, right? You’re coming home? Call me crazy, but I’ve missed you.
Yep! I’m about to head out. Want to plan lunch soon?
Definitely. I have so much to tell you!
Oh really? I’m not positive I can wait that long.
First, how is everyone? I haven’t seen them in forever.
I bet they don’t even remember who I am.
I wouldn’t be so sure.
They definitely remember you. Wes specifically asked how you are.
Did he?
Yeah! So don’t worry, you haven’t been forgotten. You are unforgettable.
Did they get to see Rebel Rebellion’s show?
Yes, and everyone loved it. The band came and sat with us after, and we all had a blast.
Did Damien behave himself?
As much as Damien could. Lol.
Good. I’m so glad you two worked out whatever it was between you.
I can’t imagine what I’d do if you guys didn’t get along with each other.
Why do you say that?
Well, that was what I wanted to talk to you about…
Okay…
I’ve been texting Damien a lot and I’m ready to tell him I like him.
The craziest part, is I think he might like me, too.
Wow. That’s amazing, Jade.
Really?
Yeah, I’m happy for you!
Maybe I found my ‘Elijah.’
Wouldn’t that be great?
Damien is just so sweet and funny.
I could talk to him all day. He makes me smile.
I bet.
Hey, I’m about to start driving.
I’ll text you when I get home.
Okay. Drive safe. Love you!!
I will. Love you.
My throat tightened as stomach acid climbed my esophagus.
The pain in my chest stole the air from my lungs.
Somehow, I’d forgotten how Jade felt about Damien.
The reminder made me feel dirty, like I’d went and rolled in the mud and didn’t shower for a month.
Him and I being friends wasn’t the problem.
It was every time I’d thought about him touching me, holding me, kissing me.
Each thought was a betrayal, not only to Jade, but to Elijah as well.
People had fantasies, even Elijah. We’d talked about celebrity crushes and who we would take a tumble in bed with.
It alleviated most of my guilt for fantasizing about Damien, but with Jade it was different.
You don’t fantasize about your best friend’s crush.
Even if they fit in the celebrity category.
As I read the words he sent me just this morning, I was at a complete loss.
Damien
You forgot my hoodie.
Next time I see you, I’m going to steal something of yours until you give it back.
His message included the emoji with the winking face and tongue out. It was flirty and open-ended, waiting for me to reply. There was absolutely nothing sexual or inappropriate about it. But after texting Jade, I couldn’t respond.
Was he interested in her? Did he talk to her more than he talked to me?
The idea that Damien and Jade’s conversations mirrored mine and his, made me want to throw up. It was like poison, seeping into my veins.
There was so much about him that he didn’t share with me.
Even though we’d been texting for a few months, I didn’t know anything super personal.
He excelled at being evasive, without you realizing he didn’t give you all the little details.
He answered any question I asked, but didn’t offer any extra information voluntarily.
Honestly, I’d never met anyone like him before. How could I feel so close to him, and yet so far away at the same time?
But after what Jade said, did I think that way because he didn’t want to let me in?
When he made it so obvious he didn’t like me in the beginning, I’d only tried harder.
He could just be placating me, letting me assume we were friends.
He claimed to not have someone in his life, but was that the truth?
How many other girls did he text? And why did that thought bother me so much?
It was entirely possible that Jade knew him better than I did.
Especially since I was beginning to realize I didn’t actually know him at all.
Why didn’t he talk about his parents?
What had happened to Grant and Maylee’s dad?
Why did he act like his life began the moment he turned eighteen?
What did he think about right before he shut his eyes to go to sleep?
Why didn’t he have a serious girl in his life?
…What did he think of me?
I swallowed down the thoughts, trying to irradicate them completely. I realized they were all irrational and groundless. I was lost in my own downward spiral for absolutely no reason other than overthinking.
It didn’t matter if Damien and Jade found their way to each other. I wasn’t a romantic option for him anyway, so I would be ecstatic for them.
But the nagging voice in the back of my head reminded me—that was total bullshit. I wouldn’t be happy for them.
I mean, of course, I would be. It was Jade. But there would always be that thought—what if he wanted me instead?
That little voice didn’t care about my relationship with Elijah. It saw everything in me, including how I felt about Damien, even if I refused to admit it to myself.
There was only one course of action for me going forward. I had to put space between Damien and I. For Jade’s sake.
I grabbed my suitcase that I had set by the door and yelled to my mom. “I’m heading out. Love you!”
“Wait!” Not even a second later, she came running out of her bedroom with her hair half done and still in her robe. “Did you really think you’d get out of here without a hug or kiss?”
“I thought I’d try at least. You know I hate goodbyes.”
She pulled me against her chest, and I instinctively curled into the embrace.
Her hugs were one of the best things on the planet.
Warm, soft, and everything about my mom that comforted me.
If I had to choose between a Big Mac or a hug from her on my deathbed, I’d still pick a hug. And I loved a good Big Mac.
“I love you, Mom.”
“I love you too, sweetie. Drive safe, okay?”
“I will.”
“Let me know as soon as you get home.”
“Okay.”
We pulled apart, and I noticed the tears brimming her eyes. She’d never been great at goodbyes either.
As I walked out the door, I yelled one last ‘I love you’ before shutting it behind me, all while trying to keep my own tears from falling. I had expected to be upset leaving Fayetteville. It was my home, after all, and I’d missed it more than I’d realized. But I didn’t expect to feel like this.
Melancholy clung to me, thick and heavy on my shoulders.
I was afraid to go back to Charleston. Being here had led me further down the path to finding what I truly wanted. I didn’t want to go home and forget, only to end up back in that cage once again.
And now more than ever, I missed my friends, my mom, and my home.
As I hefted my suitcase into the back of the Jeep, I was surprised to see Blake’s car pull into the driveway.
“What are you doing here?” I asked as she got out of the car.
“You didn’t think I would let you leave without saying bye, did you?”
“I hoped, anyway.”
“Oh, stop. I know how much you hate saying goodbye, but do this for me, okay?”
She gave me the same speech my mom had: Drive safe and message when I made it back. I pulled her into a final hug.
I sniffled as I pulled back. “Thanks for coming by.”
“I’m here anytime. Don’t you dare hesitate to call me. Seriously. Anytime.”
I smiled. “Okay. I’ll keep that in mind, but I’m not making any promises.”
We said a few more words before she climbed into her car, and I got into mine. We backed out simultaneously, and when we went our separate ways, I honked as she threw a hand out her window and waved.
I put on my 2000’s pop hits playlist this time and cranked the jams as I made my way south.
When I’d made it home, Elijah seemed overjoyed to see me. He helped me bring in my suitcase and even ordered takeout from our favorite spot.
Despite barely speaking while I was gone, he seemed to have genuinely missed me. In no time, we fell back into the routine that we shared.
Comfortable.
Familiar.
All the things I thought I’d left behind in Fayetteville.
He even apologized for pushing me to miss Noah’s funeral, which had completely shocked me.
And when we became intimate, it felt like everything was okay. As if all that worrying I’d done about my relationship had been for nothing. Elijah and I were exactly who we’d always been.
Was it possible I was overreacting about the entire thing? Was I looking for an excuse to give up on Elijah?
Our relationship seemed perfectly fine right now. I’d even been able to push Damien completely from my mind.
At least until I envisioned a pair of icy blue eyes and red hair above me as I climaxed.
But that was beside the point, and something I wanted to forget happened in the first place.
The earthquake that had been shaking my world had finally quieted.
As I made my way to work the next morning, I felt renewed. Energized and eager to check things off my to-do list and be the overall badass I was.
As I set my stuff down at my desk, someone came up behind me.
“Morning, Ms. Copeland.”
I turned. “Good morning, Mr. Trevino.”
“Can I see you in my office?”
“Sure, just let me get everything booted up, and I’ll be right in.”
“No. Now.”
His tone sounded firm and unyielding. A sense of dread climbed up my spine and settled on my shoulders as they tensed.
“Oh, okay.”
I followed him like a puppy who had just gotten into trouble. This didn’t suggest a normal chat. The air, thick with anxiety, hovered around us.
“Please have a seat, Ms. Copeland.”
I sat as he shut the door, cutting off all the sounds from outside.
I expected Mr. Trevino to sit behind his desk for our discussion, but he surprised me by sitting on the front, our knees mere inches from each other.
My ears grew hot. I swallowed before asking, “What did you need to talk to me about?”
“I’ve got some bad news.”
I waited for him to continue. And when he didn’t, I huffed. “What is it?”
“It’s been brought to my attention that you made some grave errors during our compliance inspection.”