Again, he fell into silence, merely watching as I unraveled before him.
“Answer me!”
His eyes were steady, his voice calm, and it made me hate him. “What do you want me to say, Sadie? There’s nothing I can offer right now that’s going to calm you down. You’re not in a place to hear my side of things.”
“Your side of things?” I shook my head. “I only realized a few seconds ago that there were sides of things!”
He sighed—a deep exhalation that told me I was losing ground before I even had a chance to fight. “We’re on the same side. I know you aren’t going to believe that, but we are. You have to trust me.”
“You want me to trust you? You just admitted that our entire relationship is a sham! How in the ever-loving hell do you expect me to trust you?”
“I never said what we have is a sham.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Now you’re putting words into my mouth. I said I sought you out, but I haven’t explained why. You’re too busy going off the deep end to let me.”
That was it. The final straw. Fatigue crawled through my body like a snake. I felt vulnerable, alone, and hidden away from the world. I couldn’t listen to him anymore.
“I think it’s time I go home.”
“You’re probably right, but I don’t want to leave things this way. Can you calm down and let me explain? Listen with an open mind?” His eyes pleaded with me, but I was too overwhelmed to give in.
“Sadie.”
Stubborn, I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. I was too afraid of what I might say. There was a part of me that wanted to believe him, but I knew I needed time and space to process things before I could be rational. It was too risky to try right now.
He studied my face. When he spoke next, it was the old Kade. I heard love and softness, but I didn’t trust it. “Hey, look at me. I’m sorry. I had no intention of telling you this way. And I was going to tell you.” Pausing, he stroked my cheek with his thumb. “I do love you, Sadie. It may not have started out that way, but it didn’t take long.” He moved closer and grazed his lips over mine. I shut my eyes, hating him for having the nerve to kiss me and hating myself for letting him. His touch sent warmth down my spine, tingles ignited my lower back, and a sliver of my resolve crumbled. Before he could confuse me any further, I pulled away.
“It’s getting late, Kade. You have school and I need to get some sleep. We’ll talk more later. Okay? That’s all I can give right now.”
He paused before answering. “All right, Sade. I can live with that.” He stood and pulled me to my feet. My knees wobbled, and feeling it, he wrapped his arms around my waist. Lowering his mouth to my ear, he whispered, “I have you. And I’m not letting go.”
I couldn’t react, but it didn’t seem to matter. With a small smile, he took my hand and led me out of the darkness.
Chapter Eleven
Days turned into a week, and then two. Since the night with Kade in the park, I’d been deep in Distract Myself at All Costs mode. Pen had never contacted me back and I was worried what that meant. She’d been adamant that I be cautious, so her silence when I reached out to her was worrisome. In an effort to avoid thinking about that and Kade’s awful confession, I had been spending my time on homework and getting my campaign for Homecoming queen off the ground. Luckily, Harper and Maddie were all for my plan to put Kitty and Angie in their place and they’d been a huge help. Even Molly, though she didn’t go to the school, was getting into it, constantly texting me ideas for slogans and ways to get votes. She’d even risked her fashionable wardrobe by helping me paint posters at home. I was secretly trying to think of a way to introduce her to Harper and Maddie. They’d likely get along well, but I was a little nervous about merging my two worlds. Harper was one thing, but Maddie had no clue about any of it.
My other problem was Cam. He’d missed three days of school and when he came back, it was with an attitude. Maddie told me he’d been slapped with a three-day suspension because he’d back-talked a teacher and started a fight with a couple of kids from the football team the morning I was supposed to meet him to talk to Mrs. Moody. When I’d finally caught up with him between classes to discuss our project, we’d ended up screaming at each other. Even now, I wasn’t quite sure what had caused it. All I did know was that we weren’t speaking and he seemed to be actively avoiding me.
It was Monday of the third week since the night in the park with Kade. Harper and I were in the art room after school, trying to decide on a design for my next round of posters for Homecoming queen. We were both wearing paint-covered smocks to protect our clothing, though she managed to still look as if she’d stepped right out of a fashion magazine. I, on the other hand, could have easily blended into the cast of Annie.
“What about if we take a picture of you already wearing a crown and make that the centerpiece of the poster? That way, everyone’s kind of already got the picture in their head.” Harper was digging her phone out of her bag, not waiting for my consent. This is basically how it had been going. Harper and Maddie had taken the reins and I simply went along with whatever they decided, mainly because I didn’t have a clue what to do myself.
“If you think so.” I pursed my lips, mentally picturing it. “But isn’t that kind of, oh I don’t know, presumptuous?”
“No,” was the firm reply. “Trust me. I’ve been watching Kitty and Angie prance around this school for two years now as they work on their campaigns. What we are doing is tame compared to them.”
“Okay,” I gave in. “Where are we going to get a crown?”
The words had barely left my mouth when she pulled a shiny piece of metal out of her bag. Grinning, she presented it to me. “Already done.”
Of course. Sighing, I put it on my head. “Where do you want me?”
“Sadie! You can’t wear it like that.” She shook her head but the smile on her face softened the words. “Maddie will be here in a few minutes with your dress and then we can take the picture.”
“Dress? What dress?” Confused, I looked at the door.
“Just a little something that will definitely get people thinking of you as the queen. Don’t worry, it’s only for the picture. Of course, if you do win, this’ll just be the start.” She waggled her eyebrows at me, making me laugh.
I took the crown off and we went back to the poster design. I was trying to picture Molly’s latest slogan, Sadie Criswel, the Queen of Jefferson, on the top of the poster board, when Harper cleared her throat. I looked up.
“Sade. I was wondering… you mentioned the other day that you were made into a”—she looked around cautiously—“you know.” I nodded. I knew what she was asking. “How? What I mean is, what’s the process for… that?”
I walked to the door and stuck my head out to look for anyone passing by. It was clear, but I shut the door, anyway. As I made my way back to our work area, I tried to think of what I should tell her. Deciding on the full truth, I started to explain.
“Well, the first part of this is going to sound kind of terrible.” She blanched and braced herself. “See, about once a year, this place called The Nursery, which is a vampire facility where we’re all ‘born’, receives a group of human babies. Some of them are abandoned by the birth parents or in the child protective system for one reason or another., but others are outright stolen from hospitals around the country. That all depends on how many were pulled from CPS and stuff.” Harper drew in a breath and I saw tension all throughout her body. “Do you want me to continue? I know this is a little hard to hear, but it’s our way of life.”
“No, no, go on. I need to hear it. I just wasn’t prepared for that.” She waved her hand at me. “I’m okay, finish.”
“Okay. So—”
“Wait,” she interrupted, “is there only one Nursery? Here, in Jefferson, for the whole country? World?”
“No, there’s one in every region. The one here covers most of the South. From what I know, there are four or five in America. Other countries handle it about the same way, tho
ugh.”
She considered that for a moment and nodded. “Okay, go on.”
“So, as I was saying, these groups of babies are brought into The Nursery and they’re taken care of like a normal baby until about the age of two.”
“What do you mean ‘taken care of’?”
“Well, it’s a very large building… more like a compound, actually… so while they’re still human, the Nursery workers keep them separate and treat them like you would any other baby. They nurse them, play with them… keep them healthy and loved. And when they reach the age of needing more social interaction, they’re all brought together like in a daycare setting where they can play and learn from each other. That’s where I met Molly. We were in the same batch and sort of bonded immediately while we were in there.” I stopped to see how Harper was handling what I was telling her. She was doing the outline for the lettering of one poster but I could tell she was 100 percent listening to me, so I kept going. “When the kids turn about two years old, vampires who want to become parents, or those looking to add to their family, come in and choose the child they want. After they pick, the parents’ blood is drawn and the kid is taken somewhere else in the facility for the procedure.”
Now Harper was looking at me, her eyes as round as saucers. “What… what is the procedure like?”
“It’s no big deal. Nothing horrible happens.” I smiled to assure her. “The child is injected with the parents’ blood and kept under surveillance for forty-eight hours. During this time, the blood moves through their system, planting the genes and traits from the parents into the child’s DNA, so as they grow, they will have the same look and stuff of their new family. It’s also when the fangs form.”
“Is it painful? It sounds like it would be.”
“No, we don’t feel it. They put you to sleep while it’s happening.” I fell silent and waited.
“So… that’s it?”
“That’s it.”
“Wow,” she whispered. “I guess it’s not as terrible as what I was imagining.” A thoughtful look crossed her face, but before I could ask her what she was thinking about, Maddie came bursting through the door.
“Sorry, sorry! I didn’t mean to be late, but I swung by the practice field to watch Boone for a little bit and completely lost track of time.” Boone was her boyfriend and also the quarterback of the Jefferson High football team. They made an odd sort of pair, with her eclectic style and his typical jock persona. Still, somehow it worked for them. They were one of the only genuine couples I’d seen so far at school.
I eyed the dress bag draped over her arm. “That looks a little puffy,” I commented, thrusting my chin at it. I was beginning to wonder exactly what I’d gotten myself into.
“Oh, it’s gorgeous.” She gave a breezy wave. “You’re going to look fabulous. I can’t wait!”
Harper must have read my body language. “C’mon Maddie, let’s take it over here and see what we’ve got. Give Sadie a little moment to herself.” The two exchanged a glance and moved to the other side of the room, their heads bent toward each other as they whispered together.
What am I doing? The closer it got to Homecoming, the more ridiculous my plan seemed. I’d made a snap decision when I announced I was running, and now I regretted it. I couldn’t back down, though. Not now. I’d made such a fuss about it in my fight with the Devil Duo, they’d never let me live it down if I withdrew from the race now. Sighing, I motioned for Harper and Maddie to come back.
“So, are you ready to see it?” Maddie’s eyes were a bright with anticipation and I couldn’t help but smile a little at her enthusiasm.
“Sure, let’s do this.”
Harper took the hanger and held it up as Maddie unzipped the length of the plastic sleeve. Bright pink ruffles appeared and I groaned. I generally liked pink but it depended on the shade and this wasn’t it. Not to mention I was about the “unruffliest” person there was. I was going to look absurd. Harper gave me a sympathetic look but didn’t say anything.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” Maddie gushed. I looked from her to the dress and back again. I couldn’t believe she was actually saying that. Maddie herself wouldn’t be caught dead in the atrocity she was holding and we all knew it. I tried to withhold comment, but my horror won out.
“Um, Maddie. Is there any chance you’re joking?”
She wrinkled her nose at the question and held her hopeful expression a few more seconds, but when it was clear I wasn’t going to buy her story, she let go of the ruse. Her smile vanished, replaced with a defeated expression. “I know, I know. It’s awful.”
I let out a deep sigh of relief. “Thank God. I thought for a second you were serious. I mean, this looks like something Little Bo Peep would wear. All I need is a staff and a flock of sheep following me around and you could put me in a storybook. Why did you pick this?”
“I didn’t.” She shook the dress with ferocity. “When I got to Addie’s, Mrs. Hensworth said someone came in while she was at lunch and bought all the dresses appropriate for the Homecoming Court.” Addie’s, I had learned, was the place to shop when it came to formal wear, and Mrs. Hensworth was the owner. I had little doubt who had done the shopping and from the looks on Harper and Maddie’s faces, they knew it, too.
“They’re trying to sabotage me.”
They both nodded in agreement and we all looked at the pink horror with identical scowls. Harper plucked at a ruffle with one finger, feeling the gauzy material. “Well, they’re only doing it because they view you as a serious threat.”
“What good does that do me, though? Now, not only do I not have something to put on my posters, I don’t have a dress for the actual event, either.” I frowned. “If they were looking to screw me over, they did a good job.”
Maddie had been squinting at the dress as I talked. She picked it up and held it against me, her tongue clicking against the roof of her mouth as she thought. “If we take a little off here, and maybe remove the bows…” She murmured softly to herself and I looked at Harper.
“What is she doing?”
“Maddie’s mom is good at making clothes and Maddie’s picked up on a few things over the years,” she explained. “She makes half her wardrobe herself.”
We watched as Maddie continued to assess the dress against my frame. She was lost in her own world and I stood patiently, allowing her to finish.
Finally, she announced, “I think I can make this work.” Nodding firmly to herself, she continued. “I can’t do anything about the awful color, but I can definitely make this less frilly. With a little skill and a lot of luck, Harper and I can make this a dress you’ll be proud to wear.” I looked at her doubtfully and she corrected herself. “Okay, maybe not proud, but tolerable, at least.”
Harper gave me a side hug. “Don’t worry, we got this. Maddie can fix the dress and I’ll do your hair and makeup. I promise we won’t let you go out there looking like a fool.”
I hugged her back and smiled at Maddie. “Thanks, guys. I’m glad I’ve got y’all.”
“Aww, girl moment.”
The throaty voice filled my ears and I curled my toes inside my shoes. I half turned, anticipation rolling through me, though I tried to stop it. Cam stood in the doorway, arms crossed over his leather jacket, with a gleam in his eye. I didn’t want to react, but I couldn’t help the small hitch in my breath as I looked at him. Our eyes met and for the briefest of moments, the laughter we shared that day at the park seemed to hover in the air. But the next second it was gone and all I saw was a snarky expression and cold eyes.
“What are you doing here?” I worked to keep the hope from my voice. Our last encounter had been rocky, but it didn’t stop me from wishing we could recapture our budding friendship.
“I came to talk to you about the project. In case you’ve forgotten during your quest for school domination, you’re due to give an oral presentation soon and we haven’t talked about it much. I assume you want to get a good grade on this?”
H
is tone set my teeth on edge and without realizing it, I stiffened my shoulders. If another argument was what he wanted, I was ready for him.
“I remember and I’ve already gotten it ready. Since you’re not the one giving it, there’s no need for you to worry.” I kept my voice cool, though I struggled a bit.
His body was lean and fit, distracting me from the anger I was supposed to be feeling. I noticed a trace of shadow darkening his jaw and his hair was rumpled, giving him a “just rolled out of bed” look I was desperately trying to ignore. My mind and my body warred with each other, neither deciding how to react.
He uncrossed his arms and walked a few feet into the room. “Well, I am worried because we haven’t talked about this at all.” He came to a stop in front of me, forcing me to look up at him as we glared at each other.
“And whose fault is that?” I tried to make myself taller as he bent over me, but he didn’t look intimidated. I quivered slightly and the corner of his mouth turned up. He noticed. Mad at myself for letting him get to me, I stared him in the eye.
“You’re going to blame this on me?”
His question irritated me. “You betcha.” I stepped into him, resolute in my righteous anger. “I waited for you like we agreed and you never showed. And ever since you’ve been back, you’ve been picking fights with me. So, yeah. I’m gonna blame you.”
His eyes blazed. Standing toe to toe, we stared each other down, both waiting for the other to break. Harper and Maddie looked at us and then at each other.
Harper broke the silence. “Um, we’re going to go. It looks like you two have some things to work out and we’re… in the way.” Maddie scooped up the dress and made a break for the door. “Sadie, I’ll wait for you outside.” With a final glance at Cam, she followed Maddie out of the room.
“Great,” I muttered, “you ran them off.”
“They’ll get over it.”
“What is your problem?”
“You’re my problem!” The edge in his voice sliced through my composure and before I realized what I was doing, I balled up my fist and swung. He was quicker than I thought, catching it in midair and holding it in a vice-like grip. Towering over me, he stared into my eyes, his jaw working. I lost my breath. Drowning in his gaze, I noticed a rushing in my ears that pounded in time with my heartbeat. Every one of my senses was heightened as we stood locked in a silent struggle.
Between Lies Page 12
