I set my phone down on the counter and placed my hands next to it as I dipped my head down. I was feeling a lot of things, and I was slowly working through what they meant.
After about a minute, I pushed off the counter and straightened. No matter how much sadness or frustration I felt, everything boiled down to one emotion.
Anger.
Anger at myself for believing that it would be okay to care for someone. Anger that Dad was canceling on me. Anger that Cayden was the reason Dad was canceling.
And anger that my heart, as it hammered in my chest, felt as if it were breaking into a million pieces.
I thought about calling Michelle. Reaching out to her and begging her to get on the next plane back to Chicago with me. But I couldn’t do that. She was so happy with Bryant. I didn’t want to be that kind of friend.
And really, there was no reason for me to see Cayden ever again.
I’d perfected the shut-in vibe. Back in Chicago, I lived for control. It was only since I met Cayden that I’d lowered that wall. There was no reason I couldn’t build it back up—stronger this time. So high and tough that no one was ever going to penetrate it again.
Feeling ridiculous, standing there in a summer dress and heels, I marched back to my room and changed into shorts and a t-shirt. I threw my hair up into a messy bun and then made my way back out to the kitchen to start making a sandwich.
I could stay in Dad’s house forever. There was no need to ever leave.
Feeling the compulsion to clean everything around me, I grabbed my dad’s cleaning supplies and started wiping down the counters. Once I got to my phone, I clicked it on and pulled up my music app. It wasn’t long before I lost myself in all my favorite eighties music.
It was so freeing, taking control of my life again. There was no more worry about what was going to happen with Cayden. With Dad.
Cayden would be in juvie, and there was really no reason for me to ever go there. And Dad? We’d taken a step forward last night, but now we were right back to where we’d always been. Dad was nothing if not consistent.
And I, Scarlett Lamoroux, would go back to my life. The way it had always been.
I was elbow deep in sudsy water when my phone rang, cutting my music off. I pulled my hands from the water and shook them off as I reached over to grab my phone.
I slipped it between my cheek and shoulder as I plunged my hands back into the suds to locate the plate I’d been washing.
“Hello?”
“Hello?”
I hesitated as the warm familiar sound of Cayden’s voice washed over me.
“Scarlett?”
I swallowed, my heart hammering so hard in my chest that I feared he could hear it. “Yes?” Why did I make that sound like a question? I knew who I was.
“Hey,” he said. His voice sounded sad. Hurt.
And that made me worried and angry at the same time. Worried that he was in pain. Angry that he was the one who’d put himself there.
“What do you want?” I asked in my most confident I-don’t-need-you voice.
He sighed. It was deep and low. “I guess you saw the news.”
I flipped on the faucet and rinsed the dish I’d been unknowingly scrubbing over and over again with the washcloth. It was sparkly clean. “What do you want, Cayden?”
I was worried if I talked too much more with him, my resolve to hate him forever would wane. I needed to keep my distance from him if I was ever going to find a way to forget him.
“Scarlett, I—”
“Look. You live a completely different life than I do. I mean, you star in movies. You have over seven million social media followers. I have seven, and half of them are my family. We’re too different, and we were crazy to think this would ever work.” My words tumbled from my lips like a faucet I couldn’t turn off.
I hesitated, wondering if I should keep going or wait for him to answer. Then I began to wonder if he’d even heard what I’d said. I slipped the phone from my shoulder and glanced down at it.
Nope. It said we were still connected. So I shoved it back under my chin. “Cayden?”
He sighed again. “I’m still here.” He paused. “It’s not what you think.”
I shook my head, trying my hardest to stand my ground. I needed to be strong if I was ever going to survive life sans Cayden. “Listen, I can’t do this. I was supposed to go out with Dad today. Your stunt made it so I can’t. I want to believe that you love me. I want to believe that you care about me. And you probably do. But my life is different than yours. I need someone I can rely on.” I closed my eyes as a tear rolled down my cheek.
Oh, how true those words were.
I needed people I could depend on. I needed them to believe that I was worth sticking around for.
“Scarlett, I…I’m sorry.”
I sighed. “Okay,” I managed. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to say to that.
“Can you come see me? I want to give you something.”
I blinked a few times, a little shocked. “In juvie?”
He cleared his throat. “No. I’m home.” Then he paused and cleared his throat again. “Please?”
I hated how my whole body reacted to the pleading in his voice. It was hard to keep my resolve to push him from my life when I cared so much. If this was me staying away, I wasn’t sure how I was ever going to heal like I wanted to.
But I was also intrigued, wondering what he wanted to give me. So, despite the warning bells in my mind, I agreed. Just as the words left my lips, the front gate buzzer sounded.
“I sent a driver to get you. I figured you wouldn’t want to drive.”
I swallowed, hating how thoughtful he was being. He’d hurt me. I needed to remember that. “Thanks,” I said as I made my way over to the door and let the car in. A minute later, a guy in a baseball cap and t-shirt stepped out of a black Subaru.
“You Scarlett?” he asked, snapping his gum.
“Yes.”
He waved toward his car. “Ready when you are.”
“I’ll see you in a few,” Cayden said.
I nodded and said goodbye. After grabbing my purse and shoes, I made my way over to the car and climbed in.
The ride to Cayden’s house was quick and quiet. I spent the whole ride listening to David’s music. It was loud and helped drown out my thoughts, which I was grateful for. There was too much going on inside of my head anyway.
David pressed the intercom outside a large, wrought iron fence. After declaring who he was, the gates opened, and he started up a long driveway that ended at a mansion that rivaled Tommy’s. I tried not to let my jaw drop as my gaze ran over Cayden’s house.
I think 100 of my tiny apartments would fit in just one wing of his mansion. Yet another reason why we wouldn’t work out.
After David stopped and I climbed out, he waved goodbye and drove off. I stood in front of Cayden’s house, staring up at the large, ornately carved front doors. Even the door knocker was fancy.
This just drove home how different we really were.
I’d never been a vain person, but standing in the shadow of Cayden’s house made me embarrassed of my home back in Chicago. If we continued whatever we had, he would eventually come to our apartment complex. He would see where I lived.
And I didn’t want that.
It was a good thing that we were done.
Taking a deep breath, I climbed the front stairs. I paused when I got to the doors and counted to ten, prepping myself for what lay on the other side.
Cayden. The man I’d fallen in love with only to have my heart broken.
Was I going to survive this?
Probably not. But there was a part of me that needed closure. I needed to see him one last time. To tell him we were done. Face to face.
No regrets.
Or at least, that’s what I hoped.
Chapter Eighteen
Just as I raised my hand to knock, the door slid open and I was met with Rosalie’s surprised face. Her gaze roa
med over me as she crossed her arms and leaned against the doorjamb.
“Hey,” she said. Her voice was soft but tinted with distain.
I pushed out that thought and smiled. She had no reason not to like me. I’d never met her before. Plus, it wasn’t like I was there to take Cayden—I was there to break things off for good.
“I’m looking for Cayden.”
She glanced into the house and then back to me. Then, she grabbed the door handle and made her way out to the steps where I stood, closing the door behind her.
“He’s talking to his agent right now. It’s probably better if you just leave.”
I watched the door shut. It was like watching it in slow motion. I wanted to push past her and into the house, informing her that I had been invited, but I didn’t.
I’m not sure why. Maybe it was because I was still trying to figure out why she was here. Was Rosalie his big surprise? Like, he was going to tell me that they were dating and let me out of the fake-dating contract we had.
As much as I wanted to tell myself that Cayden wasn’t that mean, I honestly wasn’t sure. I’d thought he’d cleaned up his act. But that article proved otherwise.
I hadn’t felt so confused and hurt in a long time.
“He asked me to come,” I managed finally, feeling the need to defend myself.
Rosalie’s expression turned to sympathy as she reached out and rested her hand on my arm. “I know. He wanted to make sure you were okay. But, honey, I’m sure you’re fine.” She raised her eyebrows. “Right?”
I stared at her. I hated that she was talking to me like I was a child. “Yes. Of course, I’m fine. He just needed to give me something.”
Rosalie studied me for a moment before a flicker of recognition passed over her face. “Yes. He told me that. Hang on.” She reached into her back pocket and pulled out some folded bills. She passed the wad of cash over to me. “He wanted to compensate you for your trouble. He told me to give it to you if you came by when he was busy.”
My gaze dropped to the money. My heart felt as if a vice was around it—squeezing.
“See, he thought that a relationship with you was what would fix his image. When that didn’t happen, he called on me. We’re an item—or didn’t you see?” She pulled her phone out of her bra and swiped it on.
I’m not sure how she found it so fast, but a few seconds later, an article was up on her screen. And a picture of Cayden with his arm around her. They wore wide smiles as they laughed.
I was pretty sure my stomach dropped to the ground at the sight. My whole body began to shake as I raised my gaze back up to her.
Was she serious?
From the soft smile on her lips and the way she was leaning in, I couldn’t help but trust her.
I mean, I wouldn’t put it past Cayden. He was rapidly becoming someone I doubted I even knew. And really, I didn’t know him. It was crazy that I’d thought it would be safe to fall for him after only a few weeks together.
All I wanted to do was get out of there. Run away and never come back. I wanted to go home to Chicago. Get away from Dad. Get away from Cayden. Go back to my consistent, normal life.
I needed a place where I was safe. Where I could control everything. Where I didn’t hurt all the time.
So I swallowed against the lump in my throat and started toward the driveway.
“Where are you going?” Rosalie called after me.
“Tell Cayden we are done,” I said as I quickened my pace. I didn’t want her to see me cry. I was already hurting so much, and that would just rub salt in my wounds.
“Are you sure?” she asked.
I just lifted my hand to her as I walked away. As soon as I got to the gates, they opened and I found myself out on the street. For a moment, it had sounded as if Rosalie was laughing, but when I glanced behind me, she wasn’t there.
It was probably just my imagination.
Now alone, I stared down the street, realizing that I had no idea where I was and that David was long gone. But I couldn’t just stand outside of Cayden’s house, so I started walking. Once I was a few blocks away, I stopped to sit on a bus bench and pulled out my phone.
There was only one person I could call.
Michelle.
“Hello?” she asked.
“Michelle, come get me,” I said, my voice breaking with every word.
“Scar? What’s wrong? Where are you?”
I was sobbing now and pretty sure she couldn’t understand a word I was saying. But no matter how many times I tried to compose myself, I couldn’t find the strength to speak.
She declared she’d find me through her phone finder app and told me to hang tight, she was coming to get me.
I nodded and mustered a thanks.
I sat on the bench, completely broken. Hurt by everyone in my life. My heart felt like a piece of lead in my chest.
I was broken.
Thankfully, Michelle showed up before I’d spiraled too far down the rabbit hole. She was with Bryant, and as soon as they pulled up, she was out of the car and wrapping her arms around my shoulders.
I was thankful for her strength, ‘cause right now, I had none.
She helped guide me to the car door, and I flopped inside. Bryant said a quick hello, and I just nodded.
Michelle got in on the other side and scooted to the middle seat so she could wrap her arm around me. After telling Bryant to drive to Dad’s house, she patted my shoulder and told me everything would be okay.
All I could do was cry.
Everything in my life had come crumbling down. I thought I was strong. I thought I’d conquered the pain inside of me. But I hadn’t. And those I was supposed to trust had let me down.
Again.
By the time we got to Dad’s I was out of tears. Instead, I just kept my gaze trained on the world outside the window.
Michelle said goodbye to Bryant and led me into the house. Once we got to my room, she ordered me into bed and said she was going to make us some hot chocolate.
I slipped into my pajamas and crawled under the covers. I was sitting with my knees pulled up to my chest when she came back into the room. After handing me a mug, she climbed onto the bed and then peeked over at me as she sipped the steaming cocoa.
After a few seconds, I sighed, setting my mug down on my knee and glancing over at her.
“Whenever you’re ready,” she said.
I nodded, taking a deep breath. Then I told her everything. About Dad canceling. About Cayden. About Rosalie. It hurt, saying it all. But it also felt good to get it out.
I was so grateful for Michelle. For the fact that she willingly took on my problems. That she stuck around. That she didn’t hurt me.
She was truly my best friend.
After I finished, my voice trailed off. Feeling tired, I studied the hot chocolate, waiting for her to speak.
She cleared her throat. “I think we should go home,” she said.
I raised my gaze to hers. “What?”
She smiled at me. “You’re not happy here. This was supposed to be the greatest summer ever, and it’s not. We should go home.”
I shook my head as I reached out and grabbed her hand. “What about you? What about Bryant?”
A flicker of sadness flashed in her gaze, but then she shook her head. “He’ll understand. Besides, we have video chat and texting now. Plus, come on, he lives here and is going to school on the east coast. I live all the way in Chicago. Was this really going to last?” Her voice trailed off. She took a sip from her mug as she focused on the wall behind me for a moment.
Before I could say anything, she snapped her attention back to me and gave me a big smile. Then she reached over to the nightstand and handed me my phone.
“Call your mom. She’ll understand. We’ll be back home this time tomorrow.”
I stared at my phone. I knew if I called Mom and told her how unhappy I was, she’d buy me a ticket right there and then. And really, that’s what I wanted. I just couldn�
�t understand why I felt sad when I thought about leaving.
I felt this twinge of uncertainty in the back of my mind. Almost like I wasn’t ready to go home.
But that was stupid. So I shook my head and called Mom’s cell. A few seconds later, she answered.
It didn’t take long for Mom to interrupt me and tell me that she was buying our tickets home. She mumbled something under her breath that sounded like “typical,” but I wasn’t sure.
I decided to just let her do her thing. I asked her to text me the itinerary and then hung up. Once my mug was half empty, exhaustion took over. I set my mug on the nightstand and lay down, pulling the comforter up to my chin.
Michelle was listening to music while she lay on her bed, and I couldn’t help but feel my eyes grow heavy.
My body relaxed into the mattress as my eyes drifted shut. For the first time in a long time, I felt relaxed. Like I’d finally regained control of my life.
And while I wasn’t sure I was going to love the outcome of this control, it was familiar. And right now, that was all I was clinging to.
“Scar.” Dad’s harsh whisper jolted me from my sleep.
I jumped, sitting straight up in bed and almost banging heads with my dad. I blinked a few times as I stared at him, trying to figure out what was going on. “Dad?” I asked, rubbing my eyes and glancing over to the clock.
Ten o’clock.
Dad cleared his throat as he sat down on the bed. When I peeked back over at him, I saw that his eyebrows were furrowed as he studied me.
And then I realized why he woke me up. He knew I was leaving.
“Your mom called me,” he said. He looked tired. He had dark circles under his eyes, and there was an emotion in his voice that I’d never heard before.
“I’m sorry,” I said, reaching over to grab a pillow and hug it. There were so many emotions going through me right now that it was hard to breath. I hated that I was hurting him. But I felt so broken here. I needed to get back home. I needed to feel normal again.
“Is it…is it because of today?”
Rule #6: You Can't Fall for Your Fake Summer Fling: A Standalone Sweet High School Romance (The Rules of Love) Page 13