12
CADE
I don't know what pisses me off more—when she's being an irritating little shit, or when she refuses to acknowledge me at all. No part of me should want any part of her. I should be glad she declared me dead to her or whatever the fuck it was she said, but I'm not. I crave her attention like a goddamn heroin addict, desperate for a fix.
The waves are perfect, but my eyes are glued to the blonde sitting on the beach. She's yet to say a single word to me since I let the bomb slip about Kellan's actions behind closed doors. I can't say I blame her, but that doesn't make it any easier to deal with.
“Why don't you just go talk to her?” Bryce suggests, as if it's the easiest thing in the world.
I roll my eyes. “Because I don't care enough.”
“Yeah, okay.”
Just the sound of his voice is irritating me, let alone the way he's acting as if he can read my every thought. And don't even get me started on the fact that he's fucking right. The only thing I want is to get him off my case.
“I'm serious, fuckwit. She can do whatever the hell she pleases.”
He smirks at Jayden and then back at me. “So, if I wanted to go for her...”
My jaw ticks, but I look away in time to cover it up, making it seem like I'm checking out the incoming waves. “Knock yourself out.”
“Sweet. Thanks, bruh.”
Bruh.
Fucking bruh.
He uses that word only on rare occasions, and almost all of them are sarcastic. He and I both know this is only a ploy—an attempt at getting to me. And I refuse to let him win. I can't. I'll never hear the end of it.
Instead of making it obvious I'm pissed off, I grab the first wave that comes our way, even though it isn't the neatest of the bunch. The second I stand up on the board, I cut it to the left. My frustration must be a little more than I thought, because I'm not used to how hard I turn into the wave. I lose my balance, and before I know it, I'm being tossed around under water.
Lesson learned: never take your anger out on the ocean. She has no mercy.
THE BONFIRE ASHER AND Colby lit in the middle of the beach is exactly what we need for the last night here. We all sit around in the Adirondack chairs they pulled from the deck. To be honest, Colby and his tendency to hit on Lennon has been getting to me since the second we got here. What's even worse is the fact that she gives it just as well as she takes it.
Jayden plops down into the chair next to me and hands me a beer. I murmur a quiet thank you and take a long swig, until I realize the other part of our trio is MIA. My brows furrow as I look at Jayden.
“Where's Bryce?”
He becomes smug as he nods behind me. The second I turn around, my blood goes from cool to scorching hot in a millisecond. Standing next to Lennon on the beach is none other than my best friend. I can tell from here that he has the charm turned all the way up. Lennon laughs at something he said, looking like she's actually having a great time.
“You all right, Cade?” Jayden questions.
The almost-full can of beer cracks in my hand and liquid spews out. “I'm fine.”
He chuckles. “Maybe, but your beer sure as hell says otherwise.”
“I said I'm fucking fine.”
If it wasn't obvious before that this little scheme is pissing me off, it is now. I toss the can onto the ground and get up. Jayden tries calling my name, but I can't be bothered. He's my best friend. She has to know that if I was aware of Kellan's extracurriculars, Bryce was too. Then again, maybe she just doesn't care.
I walk across the patio and into the kitchen, trying to calm down. My fingers tug at my hair as I groan, until a small giggle pulls my attention to the fact that there's someone else in the room. Tessa leans against the kitchen island with nothing but amusement in her eyes.
“You good, Casanova?”
“I really wish people would stop asking me that,” I grumble.
She shrugs. “Then maybe make your emotions a little less obvious.”
“Like I haven't tried. Your best friend is fucking infuriating.”
The grin that stretches across her face shows nothing but love. “I know. That's exactly why she's my best friend.”
A brilliant idea comes to mind, and I smirk. If she wants to flirt with Bryce, it's only right I do the same. Unfortunately, Tessa notices the second I take a step closer.
“I wouldn't even attempt that if I were you,” she warns.
My brows raise. “Oh? And why's that?”
A male voice sounds from right behind me and has me freezing where I stand. “Because I'll break you in half for even thinking about it.”
Asher walks around me and over to Tessa, pulling her into his arms. She smiles dreamily up at him.
“You're such a caveman.”
He bends down and kisses her quickly. “You love it.”
“Ugh,” I groan. “You two make me sick.”
Turning around, I go to head back outside when Tessa stops me.
“All right, this is the only time I'll take pity on you,” she says, and I turn back around to face her. “She's more affected by you than you think, and judging by the way seeing her with Bryce has you, I'd say it goes both ways.”
I cross my arms over my chest, unsure if I should deny it or just let it go unmentioned. “What's your point?”
“My point is that you shouldn't let fuckboys take your girl—even if he is your best friend.”
“She's not my girl.”
Tessa snorts and holds Asher's hand as she slips past me. “Sure she's not.”
The two of them leave me alone in the house, and in an instant, I'm completely on edge. Since when do I let some chick get to me like this? She's nothing but a stuck-up, spoiled, trust fund brat with a serious attitude problem. She just also happens to be one that sets my soul on fire.
It means nothing.
It's harmless.
I should ignore it.
However, all of that goes flying out the window the second I step outside to see Bryce tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. A light blush coats Lennon's cheeks as she smiles down at the sand, and I see red.
I storm over to the two of them, grabbing Bryce by the back of his shirt and pull him away. He makes a noise like I'm choking him, but I honestly don't give a shit. Not about that, and not about the fact that Lennon is calling me an asshole as I drag him toward the water.
The second I let Bryce go, he falls to the ground.
“The fuck was that for?” he shouts as he pushes himself back up.
“You fucking know what.”
“You said you were cool with it!”
I get up in his face. “Yeah, well, I changed my mind.”
The two of us stand chest to chest, staring each other down, until he finally snickers and shakes his head while taking a step back. I didn't just fall for his trap; I fucking threw myself into it. Still, I couldn't stand seeing Lennon with him for one more second.
“You're so screwed,” he tells me.
“Fuck off. I am not.”
“Sure, bruh.”
He walks away and back over to Jayden, leaving me to process what the fuck just happened.