Boy, did I feel stupid. Now I really wish I had ran away. At least then, I could live in a world where I was right and Cade was wrong. Now, it seemed as if I were this crazy, irrational person and Cade was the nice, sensible one. The considerate one.
My stomach sank. This wasn’t good.
Chapter Seven
Now I felt stupid. Like, completely, totally, hide-my-face-and-never-come-out, stupid. And I needed to say something. Apologize. Ugh.
“I’m sorry,” I said, staring at my hands in my lap. This was an interesting turn of events.
He chuckled. “It’s okay. Completely wrong and illegal in all fifty states, but okay.” He patted my shoulder, and I wasn’t sure if it was meant to be supportive, but I took it as a bit condescending. But right now, I seemed to be misinterpreting everything he did, so what did I know?
“Yeah, but I could have asked instead of…freaking out.” I glanced over at him and gave him a smile.
He studied my face before he shrugged. “It’s fine.” And then his flirty smile was back. “Should I be flattered that it totally bothered you?”
I rolled my eyes. There he was. The Cade we all knew. “No. You shouldn’t. Overreacting seems to be my forte right now.” Especially since I stormed out on my parents just a few hours ago.
My gas tank was evidence of my unstable emotions. I had filled up yesterday, and, after my angry drive around town, I was already at half a tank.
“Wanna talk about it?”
I glanced over at him and took in his expression. It was almost genuine. Like, I could tell him what was going on in my life and he wouldn’t use it against me. But that neon sign shone bright in my mind, and I shook my head. “Just normal school stuff.”
For a moment, he looked as if he didn’t believe me, but he didn’t linger on it. Instead, he folded his arms. “So, what’s the plan now? We can go back in there,” he said, nodding toward the coffee shop.
I glanced at the doors we’d just come out of, but shook my head. There was no way I wanted to go in there. Not after I had made a complete fool of myself. “How about your house?”
His skin paled. “Probably not a good idea. My house is…busy.”
I smiled, thinking of his little brothers and sister from the night before. They were so cute. When I glanced up at him, a pained expression passed over his face. Was he embarrassed by his family? Why?
Sure, his house was rundown and looked like it needed a good paint job, but his mom and siblings seemed nice. It may be crowded, but from where I stood, everyone seemed to love each other. It wasn’t like my house, where everything seemed to be falling apart.
“Yours?” he asked.
I shook my head. Maybe a bit too soon and a bit too fast. “My parents are there, and they don’t allow me to have boys over.” As the last few words left my lips, heat raced to my cheeks, their meaning hovering around me.
When I glanced over at Cade, he was smiling. “Oh, and what did you think I was talking about?”
“I’m… Definitely not that,” I stammered.
He feigned a look of confusion. “Definitely not what?”
Oh man, this conversation was sinking fast. “So, if not either of our houses, then where?”
Cade glanced around and then waved for me to get out. “Come on, I’ll take you to a good place.”
I hesitated but then climbed out of my van. With my backpack slung over my shoulder, I followed after him. He stopped at his motorcycle and handed me a helmet.
I was actually a little excited to ride on the back of his bike again. And it might have something to do with the fact that it meant I got to be close to Cade again.
As much as I wanted to tell myself that Cade was a bad guy, these last two days were telling me that I might be wrong. I mean, he saved me from the side of the road yesterday, and this whole coffee shop debacle had been entirely my fault. I’d assumed that Cade was using me when, in fact, he was trying to help me feel comfortable. He had thought he was being kind.
I was the irrational, freak-out person in this situation.
“Hey, Pen?” he asked, glancing behind him.
I snapped out of my thoughts and glanced up at him. “Yeah?”
“This only works if you get on the bike,” he said, winking at me.
What used to be something I hated was slowly turning into something that I understood. Cade winked when he was teasing. I wondered if it was because he knew that sometimes his words could offend.
I wanted to ask why he just didn’t say the offending things, but then I pushed that aside. That really wasn’t something we had to get into tonight. So I smiled and climbed on behind him.
As soon as my arms slipped around his middle, my heart picked up speed. I could feel the warmth of his skin through his t-shirt. I could feel his hard muscles, causing feelings to rise up in my stomach.
Feelings that I wasn’t sure I wanted there.
“You ready?” he asked. The tone of his voice had deepened.
I nodded against his shoulder, and he started his bike. Soon, we were cruising down the road. The wind was loud, which was nice. There was no need for awkward conversation. Instead, I just got to sit there, holding onto Cade.
And maybe, just maybe, I enjoyed holding onto him. Because in this moment, we weren’t Cade and Penelope, sworn enemies since junior high. We were just us. And I was beginning to like that.
Cade pulled up next to one of the two water towers in town. When he killed the engine, I realized that this was where we were going to study. He pulled off his helmet and pushed down the kickstand.
I climbed off and loosened my helmet. “So this is your secret place?” I asked.
He grinned over at me as he took my helmet and set it next to his on the bike. “Have you ever been here?”
I ran my gaze up the ladder and to the little platform that surrounded the bottom of the tank. “Nope.”
He grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the ladder. “Then you’re in for a treat,” he said, slinging both backpacks onto his shoulder and grabbing the bottom rung.
Soon, he was halfway to the top, and I was still standing at the bottom, staring up at him. I wasn’t sure how I felt about climbing up the water tower. Wasn’t this illegal?
That was the last thing an aspiring lawyer needed—a record.
“Is this legal?” I called up to him.
He glanced down at me. “Ah, come on, Chocolate Milk, live a little.”
I snorted. “Wasn’t living a little what got you in trouble in the first place?”
Silence surrounded us as he kept climbing. I couldn’t tell, but I suspected that I might have hit a nerve with that statement. It wasn’t like it was a secret that he had a run-in with the police. Principal Connell had told me. In front of him.
“Cade?” I asked, hoping that he wasn’t mad at me.
“If you want to know, you should just ask me,” he said as he climbed onto the platform and peered down at me.
I glanced up at him and then reached out and grabbed onto the rung just above me. It might have been his words, or the fact that I didn’t want to be at the base of the tower by myself, but I pulled myself up.
It didn’t take long before I was climbing onto the platform, where I met Cade’s satisfied smile.
“And I thought you weren’t an adventurous person. Look at that, you surprised me, CM.”
As much as I didn’t want to admit it, I kind of liked the fact that I had surprised Cade. That I actually did something out of character. But then the fear of getting caught and going to jail crept into my mind. “So, how illegal is this?” I asked, moving to sit next to him. He had both legs dangling over the side.
He glanced over at me. “I thought you were the legal expert. How would I know?”
I eyed him. Was he serious? “I figured you’ve had a lot of run-ins with the law.”
He raised his eyebrows as he studied me.
I chewed my inner cheek. “I’m sorry.”
“Whoa. The
Great Penelope said sorry again?” He leaned toward me. “How much did that hurt?”
I shoved his shoulder, and he chuckled as he moved back. “I’m not as conceited as you make me out to be,” I said.
“Wait. So you’re saying my preconceived notions about you might not be right?” He dropped his jaw in an exaggerated movement. “Wha…?”
I groaned. “Are you ever serious, or is everything always a joke to you?” The words slipped from my mouth before I could stop them. I bit my lip as I glanced over at him. I felt like I should just record myself saying “I’m sorry” so I could play it back when I said something stupid. Which seemed to be happening a lot lately.
He shrugged and turned to rest his arms on the bottom rung of the railing. “I guess I’ve just known too many people who take life too seriously. I try not to.” There was something in his voice that sent shivers down my spine.
I know I had asked him to be serious, but I wasn’t sure that I liked honest Cade. He was intense. I sighed. “You’re probably right. And I’m always serious, so it might be good if a bit of your come-what-may attitude rubs off on me.” I copied him, resting my arms on the bottom rung of the railing.
“Wait. I can teach you something?” He clapped his hands. “Call a press conference and alert the media. Cade Kelley teaches Penelope Hammond a life lesson.”
I rolled my eyes. Great. There seemed to be only two sides of Cade Kelley. Obnoxious or super serious. This was going to be a challenge.
“Okay, Mr. Bipolar. Let’s get this Calc homework done before it gets too late and I get grounded.” Plus, I wasn’t sure how I felt about our conversations slowly becoming more and more intimate. This didn’t bode well for me, and I was sure he felt the same. Keeping our relationship where it was at seemed like the best idea.
He grinned and pulled the backpacks closer to us. “Yes, ma’am.”
After grabbing out our books, notebooks, and pencils, we settled in for a long night of Calculus.
Chapter Eight
The next day at lunch, I wasn’t in as bad of a mood as I had been the day before. I think it had something to do with me and Cade and the fact that I had successfully avoided both of my parents since I’d seen Dad with his suitcase.
I didn’t come home from our study session until ten, when everyone was already asleep. This morning, I stayed in bed until the last minute. I didn’t even stick around the house for breakfast. I grabbed something on the way to school when I stopped for gas.
Now, the stale gas-station breakfast sandwich was gone, and I was hungry.
Crista glanced over at me. “You’re in a good mood,” she said, bopping her head to the beat. I could hear her music from the earbud she’d taken out so we could talk.
I sighed. I wasn’t going to be in about a minute. I needed to tell her about what had happened with my parents the night before. Maybe she could give me a different opinion. Maybe what I thought was happening to my family, wasn’t.
“Well, I think my parents are splitting.”
She stopped moving to study me. After she pulled the other earbud out, she focused on me. “What? How?”
I sighed as I slumped back in my chair. “When I got home yesterday, I found my mom crying and my dad with a suitcase. They tried to play it off as a business trip, but come on, when was the last time my dad ever went on a trip for work?” I snorted. It was a ridiculous lie, and I was angry that my parents thought it would actually work. “Never.”
“Oh, Pen. I’m so sorry. That stinks.”
It felt good to talk about it. And Crista was awesome. Her parents split up a few years ago, so if anyone knew what I was going through, it was her.
“Yeah. Thanks.” I sighed as I fiddled with the strap of my backpack. “I knew if anyone would understand, it would be you.”
She patted my knee. “You’ll get through this. I promise you.”
I hoped so. I knew most of the kids at my school had parents that had split up, so it wasn’t like it was a foreign concept. But, I guess I never thought it would happen to me. We’d always been the perfect family with the perfect house. It felt strange that it was crumbling down around me, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
Crista drummed her fingers on the table. “You know what I’d do? I’d confront them. It’s ridiculous that they are hiding from you like this. I’d call them on their crap and see what they do.”
I smiled over at her. I’d always admired her bravery. She was a grab-life-by-the-horns kind of girl, and if you didn’t like it, the door was right there. It was the exact opposite of me. My constant need to please people caused me headaches. Maybe I needed to take a page from her book. Take charge of my life.
“Yeah. I’ll try it.”
She studied me and then laughed. “You’re not going to do that,” she said as she picked up her soda and took a drink. “But it’s cute that you think you will.”
I chuckled, hoping to mask the hurt that bubbled up inside of me. It hurt that she doubted me. Like I was so wrapped up in other people that I couldn’t stand up for myself. And even if that were true, I didn’t need my best friend thinking it.
“Hey, I think I left my Chem homework in my locker. I should grab that before class.” I gathered up my stuff and headed toward my locker before she could say anything.
Right now, I was an emotional wreck, and I didn’t need to break down in front of her and the entire senior class. When I got to my locker, I sighed. What was happening to me? How was I losing control like this?
I pushed aside my feelings and focused on my combination. After I opened the door, I studied the contents. Truth was, there was no Chem homework. I’d finished that all last night. Like I was ever going to forget homework. That wasn’t me.
After I gathered a few stray pieces of paper and threw them into the trash, I glanced at myself in the mirror and took a deep breath. I was only reacting like this because my emotions were all over the place. And there was some truth to Crista’s words. I should confront my parents. I did deserve to know if they were getting a divorce. I just wasn’t sure if I was strong enough to ask them myself.
“Oh man, one night of breaking into the city’s water tower and you’re becoming a habitual delinquent.”
I froze as Cade’s playful voice sounded from behind me. I glanced into my mirror to see him studying me with a half smile tugging on his lips. Even though it felt like he might be flirting with me, there was something he’d said that forced me to stop.
“So it is illegal to climb up a water tower like that,” I said, whipping around to glare at him. “You had me break the law.”
He laughed and leaned closer to me. I tried to ignore the fact that there were only inches between him and I.
“But it felt so good, didn’t it?” he asked. His voice had turned husky, and I wasn’t sure if he too was painfully aware of how close we were.
Breaking myself from the trance he had me in, I shook my head and turned back to my locker, hoping my warm cheeks didn’t give me away. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my conflicting emotions.
“That’s it. Next time we do something you recommend, I’m Googling it. At least a search engine won’t try to coerce me into breaking the law.” Not sure what to do, I fiddled with a few notebooks, shifting them around.
“Do I make you nervous, Chocolate Milk?”
I snorted and turned, slamming the locker door shut behind me. “Nervous? Why would you think that?” I stuck my hand out in front of him, praying that it wouldn’t shake. “See? Not nervous.”
Cade glanced down at my hand before he took it in his. “What about now?” he asked, inching closer to me.
Well, yeah, now my heart was galloping in my chest. I was pretty sure that Principal Connell could hear it from his office. I feared how my voice would sound, so I just shook my head.
After a few seconds to compose myself, I tried to focus on something else. “So, what are you doing here?” I asked.
He dropped my hand and pu
shed his hands through his hair. “Well, since it’s Friday, I was wondering if you wanted to get together and study.”
I eyed him. What kind question was that? Of course we were going to get together and study. “Do you have homework due on Monday?”
He nodded.
“And wouldn’t it be beneficial to get it done?”
He nodded again.
I patted his shoulder, grateful for the fact that he looked a bit surprised at my touch. Maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t as cool and collected as he seemed. “Then we are getting together.” I shot him a smile and turned to head toward Chemistry. I’d just hang out there until the bell rang.
“Hang on,” he said, grabbing my hand and halting my retreat.
It was becoming strange to me, how much he was touching me. Was it just his personality, or did it mean something more? I had only had an antagonistic relationship with him in the past, so these encounters would have seemed completely out of character. But now that we were sort of friends, I wasn’t sure what this meant.
I was going to have to study him closer the next time we were around other people.
“What?” I asked, meeting his gaze. I hoped that he didn’t see how his touch melted my insides like chocolate on a hot day.
“Since we are doing something you want to do tonight, I get to pick something for us to do after.”
I eyed him. What did that mean? “Something I want to do?” I pulled my hand from his grasp and folded my arms.
He laughed. “Ah, come on. You can’t tell me you don’t enjoy any opportunity you can get to play teacher.”
I stared at him. Is that really what he thought of me? That all I wanted to do was schoolwork? True, my life consisted mostly of doing homework, but I didn't like that he thought it was my hobby. “Well, Cade, you're about to learn so much more about me."
He whispered something like, “I hope so” under his breath, but, by the time I glanced over at him, his lips were closed. He peered over at me and smiled. "How about I come pick you up tonight and we’ll head over to the water tower to do some homework. My thing doesn’t start till nine anyways."
Rule #2: You Can't Crush on Your Sworn Enemy (The Rules of Love) Page 5
