Kade

by Dawn Martens

  Kade looks at me, disbelieving. “She doesn’t want me, we’re just friends.”

  “Yeah, right! She told me she wants you Kade, I’m not just making this shit up!” I decide to quickly tell him what she said about Layla.

  “Nik, I’ve known Ashley her whole life. She loves kids, she’s not going to say that about my soon to be sister in law. You probably misunderstood, I know how you like drama.” With that infuriating and completely incorrect statement, he storms out and slams the door. What the fuck? I don’t deserve this shit. He doesn’t believe me, fine.

  Fuck him.

  KADE

  I know Ashley can be a bitch, I’m not completely oblivious, but I also know her better than anyone else on this planet. The things Nikki claims Ashley told her is something I could never believe she'd say. She's never been that nasty before, ever, and I've known her since she was a kid. Even if Ashley did run her mouth, she didn’t deserve the ass kicking Nikki gave her. Ashley doesn’t deserve to be hit, ever. I know for a fact her mother used to raise her hands to Ashley.

  Ashley’s older brother Damon was my best friend in the world. We met when we were five years old, in pre-primary. We stayed friends all the way through primary school and high school, until he enlisted the moment he turned eighteen. I was pissed. He kind of sprung it on me. I think he knew I wouldn’t want him to go. I know Damon and Ashley didn’t have the best childhood, their mother was always saying mean shit to them and putting them down. Damon spent a lot of time at our place growing up.

  “I want to make something of myself, Kade. Someone I can be proud of,” was what he said when he told me about enlisting. I knew I was being selfish but fuck if I didn’t want him to go. He wasn’t my brother by blood, but he was still my brother. I still remember the day he left like it was yesterday. We spent the day together, pretending that tomorrow both our lives wouldn’t change drastically. We kept in contact, writing letters and what not, but it wasn’t the same. I missed my buddy. Two years later, Damon died in battle. At the tender age of fucking twenty. I was devastated. Fuck, I still am devastated.

  My best friend.

  NIKKI

  The next morning I’m dragging my feet about the kitchen, making myself a strong coffee. I live and breathe the stuff, unlike Layla, who's just plain weird. Kade emerges from his room and I completely ignore him.

  “You going to apologize to Ashley?” he asks in a soft voice. A big change from last night’s tone. I almost choke on my coffee?

  “I’m sorry?” I say, thinking I must have heard wrong.

  “You need to say sorry to Ashley, she’s a friend of mine and I don’t want to have to choose between you two.”

  “There is no choice, you chose her, and that’s fine. And no, there's no way in hell I'm going to say sorry to that bitch,” I say frankly.

  Kade sighs, like I am the bane of his existence. Well, I sure as hell am not his problem anymore.

  “Just tell me when she’s coming over, I’ll go hang out with Layla. Problem solved,” I say with a shrug.

  “You are fucking infuriating, Nikki,” he growls.

  “Whatever, Kade,” I mumble, walking away from him.

  Chapter Ten

  The first week after the fight Kade starts avoiding me. It's so fucking awkward! Whatever, if he wants to sulk and hide from me because I punched his ‘best friend’ who is a total bitch, that’s fine with me. I’m not going to beg him to talk to me. However, his backing off pisses me off. I know it shouldn’t, but it does.

  James and I are hanging out. It’s been a busy week with my internship and I’m happy to finally have a couple of days to myself. I decide I wanted to work out a bit in the gym and ask James if he can be my sparring partner. He hesitates at first, but then agrees. We get up off the couch and head into the gym, over to where the mats are on the floor. We start off playing around, laughing. I try punching him a few times, but he dodges my every endeavor. I try to do a sneaky kick I learned in self-defense class, but he intercepts and grabs my leg in midair, leaving me standing there hopping on one foot like an idiot.

  “James!” I squeak out. He laughs, letting go of my leg. We start messing around again, and I manage to get one hit in, but after that first time James kicks it up a notch, letting me know he’s just been fooling around the entire time, not taking it seriously. Shit, he’s good.

  “Where the hell did you learn your moves from?” I ask, breathless.

  He shrugs, “Around.” Vague as always.

  “Will I ever get a straight answer out of you?” I chuckle.

  He just grins.

  We go at it for a little while longer. When we hear the front door open, I make a move because James is distracted. I jump on him and I’m able to pin him down as I straddle him. At that moment Kade walks in, taking in the scene, his face tightening in anger.

  “What the fuck is going on here?” he seethes.

  We get up off the floor without saying anything to him. He’s being an ass as usual. I look at James, and call out “I win," with an evil smile. I even add in a little victory dance.

  “Should have made this into a bet.” I laugh and James chuckles, shaking his head at my antics.

  I look over at Kade. “What’s your problem? We were just sparring.”

  James looks amused as Kade walks out and slams his bedroom door. Fucking baby. I stare at James, seeing him in a new light. The man didn’t even break a sweat and I know he was just humoring me by letting me get a few moves in on him. Who knows what he's really capable of? Still waters run deep. James should get that tattooed.

  I head to the bathroom for a nice hot shower.

  ******

  It’s been two whole weeks, and Kade is still giving me space. I don’t know if he’s still mad about the Ashley fight, or if he’s pissed I’m spending so much time with James. Either way, he needs to get the hell over it. We usually mumble greetings to each other and remain civil, but we don’t hang out or joke around anymore, and he doesn’t hit on me or make any moves. We act like strangers.

  Ryder rang me up last night, and asked me out on a date. I know Ryder has been interested in me for a while, but I never took him seriously. He's Layla’s cousin and I know for a fact Layla doesn’t like the girls Ryder gets with. However, after weeks of nothing from Kade, I decide to give Ryder a chance. He’s gorgeous enough, and I need to move on from Kade because my obsession is not healthy. Ryder wants to come and pick me up, but I tell him I'll meet him at the restaurant. I dress in white skinny jeans, a tight black strapless top, and a pair of strappy black heels. My hair is dead straight, and I’m wearing the slightest amount of makeup with some cherry lip balm. I head out to the living area to grab my clutch bag and almost collide with Kade. His gaze rakes over me, and he looks at me in confusion.

  “Where are you going?” he asks, curious.

  “Out,” I say evasively.

  “Out where?” he demands.

  “I have a date.”

  “Date?” he whispers. “A fucking date?” he yells.

  “Yes, Kade, a date. God!” I throw my hands up in exasperation.

  “Who the fuck are you going on a date with?” he demands roughly.

  “None of your business,” I hiss.

  He looks livid. He walks off and slams his room door. Mature.

  I sigh, grab my bag, and head out.

  I pull up to the restaurant, and Ryder is standing by the front door waiting for me. He looks so fucking hot, wearing a nice pair of jeans riding low on his hips, and a white shirt folded up to his elbows, showing off the amazing artwork on both of his forearms. I know the tattoos cover both sleeves of his arms, and he also has one on his neck, a script saying something in another language. I have no idea what it says or means. A black tie hangs loosely around his neck, dressing up his casual look slightly. His hair has gotten longer, and almost reaches his chin in slight chocolate brown waves. I grin. Ryder has always dressed for himself, in his
own style because he doesn’t care what others think, nor does he follow trends.

  When he sees me, his stormy gray eyes light up. I see him give me a once over and clearly he likes what he sees. The feeling is mutual.

  “Hello, beautiful,” he says huskily, walking forward to meet me. That one word sucker punches me right in the gut. It’s what Kade calls me.

  “Hey, Ry,” I greet, leaning on my tip toes to give him a kiss on his cheek. He smells delicious, that familiar cologne he always wears.

  He puts his hand on the small of my back, gently leading me inside. The waitress seats us, and we start making small talk. I try to purge my mind of all things Kade, but I can’t stop thinking about him, and it’s completely ruining my date. Hell, lots of women would love to be in my place right now. Ryder is drop dead gorgeous, attentive, tattooed, and a talented musician. What woman wouldn’t want that? “So, I hear you are interning at a public relations firm.”

  “Yeah, it’s a good start for me. I’m enjoying it,” I tell him honestly.

  After we eat, we head over to Club Deception. Ryder knows how much I love to dance. I down a few shots and head to the dance floor with Ryder following behind me, his hands on my hips. We’re dancing to Ke$ha’s “Crazy Kids”, grinding on each other, and having a great time. I can feel that he's hard, aroused. In a swift move Ryder spins me around, and kisses me hungrily. He tastes good and he is a fucking amazing kisser, but I find myself just not feeling anything. He notices because he quickly pulls away, his face now blank. Fuck, I don’t want to hurt Ryder, but he's just not Kade.

  “Want me to take you home, Nicole?” he asks knowingly. Only Ryder calls me Nicole, he knows I hate it.

  “Yeah. Thanks for tonight, Ryder. I had fun.” And I did, or at least, I tried. Fucking Kade.

  “I know you and Kade have something going on, but I’m here. If you ever need to talk, call me,” he says, staring into my eyes.

  “Thanks, Ry,” I say, giving him a warm hug. Ryder drives me home, as I’m too tipsy to drive. I tell him I’ll get my car tomorrow.

  When I make it home, Kade isn’t there. Only James is.

  “Hey, Nik, have fun tonight?” he asks as I walk into the kitchen.

  “Yeah, I did. What have you been up to?” I ask him, curious as ever. Layla and I have come up with random theories on what James does in his spare time. FBI agent, cross dresser, male stripper, and spy have all been mentioned. So has the idea that James has a secret family with a wife and kids. All insane, we know.

  “Oh, just busy.” James, vague as ever.

  We chat for a bit before I head to my room. As I’m getting ready to go to bed, my phone rings. It's Layla. “Hey.”

  “Hey, I stopped by tonight, and Kade said you were out on a date. Who were you with?” Nosey Layla.

  I sigh. “Um, Ryder.”

  Silence. “My Ryder? Ryder, Nikki? Well, how was it? I want details!”

  I go over the date with her, and she just listens. “What you need to do, Nikki, is give Kade a chance. You never know what will happen unless you try.”

  We talk for a few minutes more before we hang up. I let her know I’ll talk to her tomorrow.

  When I wake up the next morning, my car is parked out the front. Ryder. Whoever lands him is going to be one lucky woman.

  Chapter Eleven

  KADE

  I can’t fucking believe she's going on a date! Who the fuck is she going out with? I have backed off a bit since her fight with Ashley, mainly because I don’t know how to handle the situation. She and Ashley hate each other. How am I supposed to juggle my best friend and the girl I want? I never should have backed off. Then I come home, and find her straddling James in the gym. I know nothing was going on there, but fuck, it looked bad. I was livid. I was just giving her some space, which I thought she needed. I still want her. God, her being out with some asshole is killing me right now. James comes into my room. “What the fuck, man?”

  “Nikki is out on a date,” I seethe.

  James's eyebrows shoot up. “With who?”

  “I don’t fucking know,” I growl.

  “Well, maybe if you got your head out of your ass she wouldn’t have turned to another man,” he says nonchalantly.

  With that he leaves my room.

  I’m sitting on the couch, when Layla walks in and asks where Nikki is. I tell her she’s out on a date, and even Layla doesn’t know who she’s out with. She leaves a few minutes later.

  I’m not going to sit here all night, if I do I’m just gonna get more fucking pissed. I quickly call up Derek. “Hey man, busy tonight?”

  “Not at all. Wanna go grab some beers?” he asks.

  “Yeah, meet up at our usual place?”

  “Yeah, see ya,” Derek says before hanging up.

  After a few rounds, the tension is slowly dissipating. A few women come up and offer to come home with me, but I decline each one.

  All I want is Nikki.

  A few shots later my phone rings.

  “Yeah?” I bark into the phone.

  “Kade, man, it’s Ryder.”

  “Hey man, haven’t talked to you in a while, what’s up?”

  “You need to get your head out of your ass before you lose Nikki for good,” he says infuriatingly.

  “None of your business, man,” I tell him frankly

  “Actually it is, seeing as I just had a date with her, and took her home because when we kissed, she only thought of you.”

  Fucking hell, she went on a date with Ryder?

  “Stay away from her, Ryder,” I growl into the phone, my fists clenching.

  “No worries there, but if you don’t man the fuck up, I’ll make it my mission to see that she’s mine.” The bastard then hangs up.

  Fuck!

  Derek looks over. “What was that about?”

  “Ryder fucking took Nikki on a date tonight.”

  “So? You aren’t with her.”

  I look over, ready to punch him, then he goes on. “Get your head outta your ass, man, if not, she’s gonna move on without you.”

  Fuck, he’s the third person today to say this shit.

  NIKKI

  Ryder and I haven’t spoken since our date, and Kade is acting weird too; our interactions are now more strained than ever. He barely even acknowledges I’m around. I’m mostly hanging out with James. I catch Kade staring at me every so often, but when I stare back he looks away. Tonight I’m going clubbing. Yes, clubbing again, what can I say? I love to dance. Simone says she'll meet me there. I don’t take that much time with my appearance; I just wear a pair of soft leather pants and a white off the shoulder top, paired with my red heels. I call a cab to come and pick me up.

  When I get to the club I don’t see Simone anywhere. A cute guy asks me to dance, and when I nod, he pulls me to the dance floor. A couple of songs later, “Slut Like You” by P!nk is playing, and I love this song. I glance around the club, looking for a still missing-in-action Simone, when Kade pops up in my line of vision. I’m having deja-vu. I walk away from my dance partner and up to Kade.

  “What are you doing here?” I ask. This is not my usual spot, so it can’t be a coincidence that he’s here.

  “I have my ways,” is his vague, infuriating reply.

  “Come on, Nik, were getting out of here. We have unfinished business,” he says, taking a hold of my arm.

  “Kade, no,” I say sternly, pulling my arm out of his hold. I walk away, shouting over my shoulder, “I might not be home tonight, don’t wait up!”

  I hear him yell “fuck”, which I ignore. I walk back over to the dance floor and resume my dancing.

  “Nikki, stop. Fuck, you are worse than Layla with this running shit.” He grabs my arm, and that’s it, I’ve had it. I turn around, fist clenched, and punch him right in the jaw. He stumbles back. “What the fuck, Nikki?” he hisses. I run off the dance floor and Kade chases after me. When I get outside, Kade grabs me a
gain. I turn around, and notice that his face has started to bruise. It makes me feel slightly better.

  “Just leave me the fuck alone, Kade. God, I wanted you so bad! But now you just need to let me move on!”

  “No, why the hell would I let you move on when I want to be with you? I’ve also never been jealous before in my life, and I don’t fucking like it, Nikki! Not to mention your fucking date with Ryder.” How the hell does he know that?

  “How did you know it was Ryder?” I ask.

  “He fucking called me, and told me to get my shit together before I lose you for good!” He growls out.

  “I just need time, Kade. Can you give me that? We need to work on some sort of friendship first, learn to actually trust each other! If you really want to prove to me that you want me, keep your dick in your pants,” I tell him frankly, my voice hoarse. He was the one pursuing me when he hooked up with that Kelly chick. I know, my fault, I was avoiding him, but come on, when you say you want someone, you don’t just go and do that.

  “I can do that! But the same rules apply to you. No more dates, none of that shit. Let’s go home.”

  We are quiet on the way home. We pull into the driveway and I hop out quickly. I walk to the front door ahead of him, looking through my purse for my house key. Kade stops me with a hand on my arm. I still.

  “Nikki,” he whispers softly. I glance up at him, and watch as he gently pushes me against the door, his lips demanding on mine. All of a sudden the door swings open and we land on the floor, Kade on top of me. He looks down into my eyes, and I feel like I can’t breathe, his stare is so intense. When we hear a laugh, we glance over, and see James standing there smirking. Kade gets up and then helps me up.