“How long before we know anything?”
“I dunno. But it’s not like we can leave the guy strapped to a table for a week, so something’s gotta happen soon,” he answered, swallowing the remainder of his beer before placing it on the table.
I opened my mouth to ask him another question when my phone alerted me to an incoming text. Kaden received one at the same time, and when we looked at each other, a gloomy feeling settled over us. I wasn’t ready to dive back into the situation yet, and I would bet Kaden wasn’t either.
He released a whooshed sound of relief when he said, “It’s Riley,” before typing back a response.
When I looked at my cell, I saw the message was from my ol’ man, asking if I was coming home. I didn’t want to reply at all, but instead of making him worry, especially after what happened earlier, I told him I was stayin’ with Kaden.
“What does my sister want?” I leaned over, pretending to read his text. He shook his head before pulling the device closer to his chest.
“You don’t wanna read what she wrote.” He half laughed, typing something else back to her.
“Gross. Don’t tell me that shit,” I groaned.
“Then don’t ask.”
I still didn’t know how I felt about Riley and Kaden being an item. On the one hand, Kaden was like a brother to me. I trusted him with my life, but being lied to, by both of them, had pissed me off. But more than that, I was offended neither of them felt they could confide in me. On the other, I understood their need to keep their secret for fear my dad would find out.
I wondered if my ol’ man would’ve reacted the same as he did if they’d told him when they first got together. I believed a part of his anger came from them hiding it all these years, even after it was over. Then add in that she got pregnant at some point, it had been what pushed him over the edge, the proof now a faint mark on Kaden’s face.
“Where is she?”
“At Chelsea’s,” he grumbled, his lip curling up after he answered.
“Why is that bad?”
“Because I told her I wanted her to move in here with me, but she won’t do it. She said it’s too fast.” His fingers flew over the keyboard quicker than I thought he could type.
“She’s right.”
He stopped what he was doing to glare at me. “Not you, too.”
“You guys just got back together. What’s the rush? Besides, Riley is a pain in the ass to live with. Trust me, I know. She’s always yammerin’ on about cleaning up, and she constantly stole my stuff, especially my razors.” I gave him a half-grin when he frowned at me. “You also shouldn’t throw that in my dad’s face, either. He doesn’t like you as it is right now. There’s no tellin’ what he’ll do if he knows you two are shackin’ up.” My shoulder bounced after my warning.
“I’ve wasted enough time apart from Riley. I’m not doin’ that anymore. I don’t care who has a problem with it.” His phone dinged again, only this time he cursed before standing. “Let’s go.” He walked toward the door, his stern expression making me realize it’d be pointless to ask where we were goin’.
Sometimes it was better to blindly follow.
Sometimes, being the operative word.
7
We arrived at Chelsea’s place in eight minutes flat when it should’ve taken at least twenty, Kaden driving like a lunatic, all while only giving me bits and pieces of information.
Apparently, Chelsea had invited Ace over, but the more alcohol they drank, the more volatile the night became. I wasn’t sure what happened, but Chelsea started throwing shit at Ace, and he then had to tackle her to the ground in order not to get pummeled with whatever it was she kept throwing at him.
That’s when Riley texted Kaden to come and get her. She’d been drinking as well, although not as heavily, otherwise, she would’ve driven her Jeep to his house.
“This is exactly why she needs to live with me. This wouldn’t happen at my house.”
“Not unless Riley is the one throwing shit at you.”
He gave me a half-hearted smirk. “True.”
Once we pulled up to the house, Riley was waiting outside on the porch. Both of us exited the truck and rushed toward her. She looked a little shaken up but otherwise okay. I squeezed her shoulder right before Kaden grabbed hold of her.
I didn’t need to ask if they were still inside because I could hear them.
Once I entered, I saw Chelsea on one side of the small living room while Ace was on the other. There were items strewn all over, from books to a lamp, to glass scattered in several places.
The moment she saw me, she rushed over and threw her arms around my neck, the alcohol emanating from her making my eyes burn. I was surprised she could walk, let alone run toward me. Her blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail, but most of her strands had come loose. The strap of her tank top had fallen down over her shoulder, and if she moved the wrong way, it looked like the top part of her shirt was gonna come down.
“What’s goin’ on with you two?” I asked, preparing myself to be caught in the middle of their drama. It was apparent to everyone who knew them that there was something between them, but neither would commit to anything or each other. Off-handed remarks, from both, left everyone guessing as to what the true nature of their relationship was. Since I had my own stuff to deal with, getting mixed up in their spectacle of a relationship, and I used the term loosely, was the last thing I wanted to do. But because my sister had been affected by this shitstorm tonight, I
