I knew my actions were going to cause the guys some hurt, but I’d prefer to hurt them with the truth than keep them happy with a lie.
“Devil’s warehouse. Marco was closing up, so he let me stay at his.”
Caden sighed, guilt crossing his green eyes as he spoke.
“Yeah, I know. Skeet and Hunter argued about it this morning. Thanks for being honest with me.”
That made me stare at him in silence for a moment.
He already knew where I’d been?
Wait, what?
“They argued?”
He nodded, cocking his head slightly at me.
“Yeah. Skeeter was going to kill Marco for fucking you, but Hunter talked him down and reminded him that he didn’t want bullets to fly over it. Ty told you to be careful, baby. You know you could have started a war, right? You sure you’re okay now?”
I nodded, ignoring the fact he was sweaty as I wrapped my arms around him.
“Yeah, I’m okay.”
“Liar,” he murmured, tightening his hold on me and kissing the top of my head affectionately.
I waited for him to finish his workout and quickly shower, before heading up to the kitchen for some coffee.
He didn’t hesitate to pull me down onto his lap on the couch, where I curled up under his chin to relax in his hold as his fingers played with my hair.
I’d missed this.
So fucking badly.
“Baby?” He said out of the blue, his lips trailing up my neck softly as he waited for my answer.
“Yeah?” I mumbled, his voice coming out almost strained.
“Stay with me tonight?”
Yes please.
“Feeling lonely, Holloway?”
“You know I’m lonely without you here every night. Kind of wish you’d just come back to me,” he said against my skin, making me peer up at him with a small smile.
“I mightn’t be here all the time anymore, but I’ve told you that you’ll always have me, Caden.”
“I know. I just miss sneaking around in the middle of the night with you,” he replied, no joking in his tone.
“Do you miss pretending to like me and making a joke out of me too?”
Where the fuck did I pull that shit from?
“Hey, you know I regret all of that. Why’d you say that?” He asked with a frown, making me glance away.
I gave him a small shrug.
“I still wonder how much was real, you know? I hate it, but I can’t help it.”
“All of it was real,” he promised, his voice becoming almost desperate.
“How can you say that after the big reveal?” I snorted, but he held me tightly to stop me moving as he met my gaze.
“I tried so hard to fucking hate you. The moment you snapped back at me in the kitchen that first time we met, my dick got fucking hard, and that pissed me off a little. When I found out about how Max treated you, I guess something changed in me. I stopped trying to hate you, because I could see how much you already hated yourself. The more I got to know you, the more I wanted you, and after you let me sleep with you, I realized how much I actually liked you. I cracked and told the guys about that dumb idea of mine, and the rest fell into place after that. I can’t ever take it back, but I wish I could, baby. Everything I felt and said was real, the bullshit in the middle was me in a panic,” he said softly, and I could hear the honesty and self-hate in his voice.
My heart ached at the confession though.
“The idea was yours? Why’d you panic about it?”
“Because, I don’t fall in love with anyone, Rory. Especially not trailer trash poor chicks such as yourself,” he grinned, earning a playful swat from me.
Asshole.
I raised an eyebrow, speaking dryly.
“So, it was because I was poor? It would look bad for your rich boy status?”
“No. Because I don’t do love, and I never wanted it, but you have no idea how badly I craved it from you. Even now, I do,” he admitted, my heart tugging as a small smile hit my face without permission.
“You crave me?” I asked quietly, earning an affectionate smile from him.
He was so handsome when he smiled so honestly like that.
“Always, baby. When you’re not around, it fucking hurts.”
“Caden, I didn’t know you were romantic,” I said slyly, trying hard to make light of the conversation before I got teary, but he chuckled and kissed the tip of my nose.
“Pretty sure I’d do just about anything for you. I just won’t kiss the others for you, unlike Jense and Lukas.”
“Hey, they’re in love, asshole!” I laughed, earning a grin from him.
“Yeah, thanks to you, match maker. You really okay with them doing shit without you there? You don’t seem the sharing type,” he stated, and I raised an eyebrow with a smirk.
“Neither are you, but you have to share me with five other guys.” I paused, my voice going quiet. “Is it wrong? Are we…”
His hand gently moved over my mouth to shut me up as he ran his nose up the side of my neck, his lips tickling my skin as he spoke.
“There’s nothing wrong about how we express our love, baby. If anyone tells you it’s wrong, you punch them in the fucking face. I mean, it was difficult at first when it wasn’t just me and Ty with you anymore, but we figured out how to cut the jealousy out and make it work.”
“Well, that’s how it is for me with them,” I mumbled from behind his hand, and he removed it before leaning down to give me a playful kiss.
“How about we stop talking and curl up with a movie?”
“Sure,” I replied with a smile, loving how sweet he could be when he wasn’t being a sexual deviant.
“Then you get on your back for me and let me bury my face between your fucking legs for a while,” he added, earning a saucy grin from me.
And there went the sweetness.
Should have known he wasn’t being completely cute.
“Well, who am I to deny you? I guess I can do that for you. Movie first though, rich boy.”
“Stay put,” he laughed, standing and heading into the kitchen to find some snacks for us.
Well, for me.
I was going to be his snack later.
I spent a few days at Caden’s, and I’d only just closed my school locker at lunchtime, when cold sticky liquid hit my head and ran down my body.
Seriously?
We were back to that shit?
I scowled as I turned, meeting eyes with my fucking sister, who looked scared but angry at the same time.
Was she fucking stupid?
Don’t answer that, of course she was.
Must have gotten that gene from the man who we shared a ball sack with.
“Claire, what the fuck was that for?” I snapped, shaking some of the soda off my arms without taking my eyes from her, just in case she tried something extra stupid.
She gritted her teeth and tossed the empty cup to the side, fake bravery all over her face.
“That was for Mandy, you fucking bitch. How could you?!”
Little old me?
I couldn’t do shit from my fucking jail cell.
I laughed dryly, the sound appearing to bounce off the hallway walls.
I didn’t have time for her pathetic attempt of fighting me.
“What the hell do you think I did to her? I was in jail, you fucking idiot. I can’t exactly do anything from in there.”