by Pru Schuyler
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.” She laughs. “You’d better go see him before he comes down and carries you up there himself.”
I stand up and pull her into one last hug before she leaves, letting her sweet warmth consume me.
When I get upstairs, Cade is lying in his bed, watching some shark week docuseries. “About time you showed up.” He throws a pillow at me, and it bounces softly off my chest.
I pick up the pillow and charge the bed with it above my head. My ribs strain at the motion. Knowing that this will only end in pain, I stop a couple feet before the bed. He sits up, sliding his hands around my hips. He tugs lightly, and I willingly collapse right into his lap.
“Nice try.” His eyes fall to my lips, and the air around us electrifies.
He lifts his head up, inches from my face. His eyes bounce between my lips and my eyes. My stomach twists as I anticipate his next move. I want his lips on mine, and I want them now.
I never knew what love was before Cade. I never wanted to truly give myself to someone before. Yeah, Austin and I had sex, but it never meant anything real. I thought it did at the time, but boy was I wrong. Without a doubt, I know I want to share that with Cade.
Taking control, I waste no more time. I crash my lips against his and bathe in his kiss. Passion and need burn between us, a fire that’s growing stronger with each move. Every cell in my body craves him, craves his touch, his lips, everything.
“Stella,” he breathes my name between kisses, like I’m his air and he’s dying to breathe.
He shifts beneath me, and I straddle his hips, feeling his length brush my inner thigh, igniting a primal desire I’ve never known. Our hands begin to explore. He slowly glides his hands over my most sensitive area, rubbing small circles that curl my toes.
I sit up, breaking the kiss, needing to feel more of him. “Cade, do you have a condom?”
His eyes darken and widen at the same time. “Stella, we don’t have to have sex. We can take this slow. We’ve got forever,” he says like that’s a fact and nothing will change his mind.
He really is everything I could ever want.
“I know, but I want to. I want you, only you.” I bite my lip.
He shifts his hips and presses the hardest part of him to the softest part of me, making a soft whimper escape me. His voice is deep and husky and calling to every cell in me. “You have no idea how bad I want you, Stels. But this week has been a lot, and I don’t want you rushing into this decision. I want it to be perfect for you.”
I huff my chest out in defeat, but in reality, I’m the luckiest girl. He pushes against me once more, and a low moan leaves my lips.
“Now, you keep doing that, and I’m going to lose all this amazing willpower I have right now.” His eyes burn into mine.
My face flushes. I love how much I can affect him with the smallest sound.
“Fiiiine.” I smirk to him and push down onto him before swinging my legs off and sliding off the bed.
A groan leaves his lips, and I instantly regret getting up.
He sighs obnoxiously and scoots onto the floor. “Come on. Let’s go get ice cream.”
My heart skips a beat at the mention of ice cream. “Really?”
He laughs. “Yes, really.”
He wraps his arms around my waist and picks me up. My ribs still ache, but in his arms, the pain is miles away. I hook my legs around his torso.
“I love you, Cade.” I’m lost in the emerald-green eyes of the boy I love.
“Say it again.” He smirks.
I scream into his ear, “I love you!”
He bursts into laughter and lowers me back to the ground. He takes my hand and leads me downstairs to his car. It’s ice cream time.
We each get a three-scoop sundae from Culver’s. I eat it way too fast, giving myself a little brain freeze. We smile, laugh, and talk about what we want for the future. Cade is going to school for pre-law, following in his family’s footsteps. One day, Cade will be the head of their multimillion-dollar firm.
When we get back to Cade’s from our ice cream date, Mr. and Mrs. Carver are in the living room.
Mrs. Carver walks up to me and pulls me into an embrace. “Hello, Stella. I owe you a thank-you for everything you’ve done for our little girl.”
“Oh no, don’t thank me for that.”
Anyone would’ve done it. Maybe not the breaking and entering or the setups, but the main part—catching him.
“Well then, thank you for being there for her.” Mrs. Carver smiles, and it touches her eyes, but the pain holds on to the spotlight.
My words tumble out as fast as they can once I remember she gave her statement tonight. “How’s Brooke? How did the interview go?”
“It was hard, but she’s strong. She’ll get through this.” She smiles, but it doesn’t spread past her lips.
Mr. Carver stands and joins us. “Stella, we owe you a lot. Do you need a word of recommendation for school or anything?”
“No, sir. I’ve already been accepted, but thank you,” I respond to him.
His eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “Early bird. I’m impressed. Cade could learn a thing or two from you.” He laughs.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Cade grabs my shoulders and directs me to the staircase. “See you guys later.”
I lead him upstairs to his room and find my spot on his king-size bed. I roll over, and Cade is bolting from the door, straight for me. He jumps and throws his arms out, landing right next to me.
I can’t help the uncontrolled laughter rolling out of me. “What is wrong with you?”
“Nothing is wrong with me, Stels. I just love to hear that damn laugh of yours.” He smiles that jaw-dropping smirk of his. “Stay the night with me. My parents won’t care. They’d probably kiss your feet if you asked them.”
My mom said she understands if I need a few nights with Cade to help settle me down. The nightmares haven’t completely gone away, and I finally told her about them. She just wants me to feel safe.
The decision is easy. “Okay. I just have to grab some PJs.”
Cade hops off me and wraps his hand around his shirt at the base of his neck. He stretches his back and pulls the shirt over his head. “Here, you can wear this.” He throws it at me.
A wave of woods and autumn washes over me, my own personal euphoria. “Okay.” Butterflies stir in my stomach.
Cade turns around, and his sharp, defined back muscles are in full view.
My, oh my. My body temp spikes.
He flips the lights off and joins me back on the bed. I shimmy off it and undo the button of my jeans. He’s already seen me completely naked, so I might as well tease him a little. I turn, so my back is facing him.
I hook my fingers in the loops of my jeans, slowly sliding them down my legs. I kick my ankles and feet out of them. Crossing my arms over my chest, I grab the bottom hem of my shirt and pull it up over my head. I wrap my arms around and unhook my bra. I steadily slip my arms out of it, and I drop it onto the pile of clothes on the floor.
I bend straight over and pick up Cade’s black shirt, gliding it over my head and down my body. It stops at the top of my thighs.
When I turn back around, he’s in a daze, eyes locked on me. I saunter over and slither under the covers with him. The air is humming between us, and we are the only two people in the world.
He lifts the covers up and sits on top of me, straddling my knees. His eyes shoot to me. “I want to try something. Tell me if I need to stop, okay?” Cade’s eyes are burning with the brightest love and desire.
“Okay.” I can barely get the word out. My body is vibrating, reaching out for him.
He hooks his fingers in my black lace underwear, and my heart jumps. His fingertips light up every cell as they slide them down my thighs. He drops my panties on the floor along with everything else.
He lifts my shirt up just above my hip bones. Lowering himself down, he begins trailing wet kisses from my navel and over my hi
p bone, stopping his descent when his tongue finds the sweet spot between my legs. My toes curl into the mattress. His fingers graze my inner thigh, moving toward his tongue.
His finger slowly enters, and a small moan escapes my lips at the most amazing pressure. He begins picking up pace, finding a rhythm that makes me whisper his name. I feel a second finger graze my entrance before joining in the dance. He speeds up his fingers and tongue, the pressure building low, threatening to send me off the edge.
He quickens the circles of his tongue and moans to me, “Let go, Stels.”
His words are my undoing.
TWENTY-THREE
Nothing compares to the first few minutes of waking up next to Cade in the morning. At first, I’m confused, unsure of where I am. Then, his scent fills my nose, and it clicks—home. I nudge him with my arm. His alarm is going off, and I can’t reach it. He groans and then slaps his phone on the nightstand, which does nothing, except make it fly off onto the ground.
I laugh at him. “You gonna get that?”
He rolls over and lifts his head, turning to me. He shoots me a look that says it all. He is tired and annoyed. And it is hilarious. His hair is messy, falling in all different directions. I could get used to seeing this every day. I mentally capture the moment.
He jumps off the bed and turns the blaring alarm off. “Good morning to you too.” He smiles, laughing at his dramatic little scene.
I throw a pillow at him. “I have to run home to get ready. Pick me up in thirty?”
“You got it.”
I scoot off the bed and walk over to the pile of clothes on the ground from last night. I pull my jeans on but decide to keep the shirt. He can have that back later. Maybe.
“See you in thirty! Don’t be late.” I shut his door behind me, matching his dramatic antics. I hear the pillow bounce off the door, and I can’t hold back the laugh. I shake my head and head back to my house to get ready.
I decide to wear a short-sleeved dress today. It’s sage green with little white flowers all over. If you had asked me at the beginning of this year if I would consider wearing a dress to school, I would’ve called you crazy. But here I am, facing my fears.
When we arrive at school, the parking lot is packed with students. I feel like everyone’s eyes are on me. And as powerful as I felt when standing in my room, looking into the mirror, it does not compare to standing in a parking lot with a couple hundred students.
Cade parks and cuts the engine. He walks around and gets my door.
He senses my anxiousness, and his fingers slip between mine. “Just breathe, Stels. Just breathe.”
Brooke pulls into the spot next to us and flashes us a smile before joining us. Cade guides us to the entrance, and I spot Cal.
I filled Cade in on how Cal was a great friend through all of this and that he should really give him a second chance. He was hesitant at first. But after all, Cal was a big help in Brady’s takedown. So, Cade promised to play nice and be open-minded.
Cade leads us right up to him.
“Hey, Stella. How are you doing? Also, before I forget, my gran says hi.” Cal smiles at me.
“Tell her I say hi and that I will come visit soon. I’m a little anxious this morning but otherwise good.” I shrug, and Cade gives my hand a little squeeze. He never fails to remind me he’s always there, by my side, whenever I need him.
“Well, the only gossip I heard was that you’re basically a hero. Also”—he lowers his voice, so no one around us can hear—“Becca came over the other night to talk. Turns out, the other B necklace in the box was hers. She said it happened while we were together. I knew the second that box opened that the necklace looked familiar. Sick bastard. He’s lucky he’s in jail. She said she didn’t know how to cope, and she did it in all the wrong ways—cheating on me, I mean. Anyway, thought you’d want to know. I don’t know about the silver diamond bracelet yet though.”
What? Becca?
All of our time together flashes through my mind. All of her moments of lashing out, being rude and cruel. In a way, it makes sense. She was just protecting herself.
My mind takes a second to process everything. Becca was the other B. It goes to show you that you never really know what someone hides behind a mask. Some people choose a mask of happiness and cheer, like Brooke. Some choose to isolate and close everyone off, like me. And some choose to lash out at other people, getting some anger out, like Becca. No one handles pain the same way. Everyone chooses what they want the world to see.
We spend the next few minutes chatting with Cal. Cade actually laughs at something Cal said, which I never thought I would see. We walk into school, heads held high.
The first few classes I have are basically just students trying to figure out exactly what happened. By now, everyone has heard about it. They just want specific, firsthand details of what went down.
Before I head to lunch, I go to my locker to drop my bag off. When I turn the corner, I see Becca leaning against it.
I try to approach her with a fresh mind and be open to her, but anytime I did that before, it didn’t exactly bode well for me. Her eyes are soft, and she smiles when I reach her, giving me hope that this will end better.
“Hey, Stella. Can we talk?” Her voice shakes.
“Yeah, of course,” I respond instantly.
She wraps a piece of hair around her finger. I’ve never seen her nervous before. Or maybe she’s just never let me.
“Would you want to grab lunch, or coffee, or something off-campus today?” she offers.
I smile, unsure of where this is going. But I’m thankful that we’re maybe heading in the right direction. “Okay, yeah. That sounds great.”
I follow her to her car, and we drive in silence until we reach the coffee shop.
I order a plain black coffee, and she orders a white mocha with peppermint and mocha swirl. Once we get our order, we head to a table in the corner, away from everyone else.
She starts first, eyes locked on her cup, her fingers rapidly tapping on the sides. “What you did was pretty amazing. I know you found those necklaces and that bracelet.” She pauses and takes a deep breath. Her voice cracks. “Um, the other B necklace was mine.”
Her eyes glaze over as she revisits the dark memory. “It was over a year ago. I was drunk at some random house party. I was wasted and found a quiet room to lay down in. Some guy came in, doused in some lemon smell. I was too drunk to move or fight back, but unfortunately, I was not drunk enough to forget. Long story short, you also solved my rape while solving Brooke’s. For that, I’ll forever be thankful.” She sighs. “So, anyway, thank you. Because I can put a face to him and know he’s getting what he deserves. I’m going to talk to the police today after school. I just thought you deserved to know.”
For some reason, my mind takes me back to the first time we met. Where she basically threatened to ruin my year if I continued to talk to Cade. Seeing her then with all her armor on compared to now is refreshing. It takes a lot of bravery to let your guard down and open up. It’s raw and exposing. Nothing really compares to the true nakedness of vulnerability.
I take a deep breath and let her words sit with me for a second. “I’ll go with you after school. If you want, of course,” I offer.
She smiles, and it creeps all the way up into her eyes. “That’d be great actually.”
I smile back at the potential start of a new friendship.
We sit and chat for a little while longer, and I decide to share my own story with her. By the end of our lunch break, we seem to be miles closer than we were before.
After school, I drive with Becca to the police station. She gives her statement and hands them pictures of her with her family, wearing the necklace that was found in the box. She cries, and I cry, and a silent bond is forever formed.
When we are leaving, a girl I recognize from school, Sophie, is walking in with her parents. She mouths, Thank you, and heads to the officer waiting to put another nail in Brady’s coffin.
When I pull into my driveway after another emotionally draining day, I can’t get to my room fast enough to throw on some sweats and just read. But apparently, Cade has other plans for me. He’s sitting on my porch with roses in his hand, and he’s wearing a tux.
What is this boy up to? I smile at him as I step out of the car.
He walks up to me, handing me the dozen white roses. “These are for you.”
The roses invade my nose when I inhale that fresh scent that only exists in flowers.
“Thank you.” I look up to his gorgeous green eyes, framed with dark black lashes.
His smile stretches across his whole face, showing those damn dimples of his. “Come on.” He opens the front door to my house and grabs my free hand.
My voice comes out all giddy as we climb the stairs to my room. “What did you do?”
“Just wait.” Promise and surprise linger in his voice.
We turn the corner to my room, and he steps behind me and puts his hands over my eyes. “No peeking.”
When he walks me into my room, I can smell candles burning, instantly making my heart race. A lump rises in my throat.
Warm lips find my cheek, pressing a gentle kiss that reaches my heart. “Okay. Three, two, one.” He removes his hands from my eyes.
My senses are overloaded. Dozens and dozens of roses of all colors line my desk and floor. Candles are scattered all over any open surface, lining a path to the bed. On it lies a box wrapped in red wrapping paper. But the best gift of all are the words written in rose petals—Go to prom with me?
The lump in my throat threatens to break free, but I keep it at bay. He did all this for me, just for me. I’m shocked and astonished at how he finds ways every day to make me feel like the only girl in his world.
He nudges my back until I’m practically jogging to the bed. “Well, come on. Open your present.”
I tear the wrapping paper to reveal a plain brown box. I peel the tape back, and the words University of Colorado are staring back at me. I pull out the crewneck, and in the box is a second one. I pull the second one out, slightly confused. A small navy-blue satin box sits in the bottom. My heart flutters. I look to Cade. He is just as nervous and excited as I am. I pick up the soft box and lift the lid. It’s a key. I look back up at Cade, not any closer to figuring this out.
