I eyed him. I really wanted to ask him what his plans were for us. "So you're really not going to tell me what we're going to do?"
He pretended to grab a key out of the air and lock his lips. "My lips are sealed, madam,” he said giving me a flourishing bow. “You will just have to wait and find out."
I glared at him, but that didn't seem to do anything. He just winked. It was obvious that he knew this was bothering me, and he seemed to enjoy that. I folded my arms. "Who says I'm gonna come with you, then? How do I know you're not going to take me to the woods and kill me?”
Truth was, I hated surprises. They always turned out terribly.
"Well, you'll just have to trust me," he said leaning in and wiggling his eyebrows.
Suddenly, I realized how close he was to me. I could smell him—feel him—and it made my heart pound. His expression softened as his gaze met mine, as if he too had realized that we were inches away from each other. Was it possible that he could be having a similar reaction?
He pulled back and shot me a smile. "Until this evening, then," he said.
All I could do was nod as I watched him wink and step past me. He walked down the hall without looking back and disappeared around the corner. Just as I moved to head towards Chemistry I heard my name.
"Hey, Pen?” Cade asked.
“Yeah?" I turned to see him peeking around the corner.
"Try to wear something nice tonight."
I raised my eyebrows, wanting to ask more, but he just smiled and disappeared.
Wear something nice? Did he not think what I wore was nice? Granted, all I wore were T-shirts and jeans, but they weren't ripped or stained. And if we were just studying, what did it matter?
These questions raced through my mind as I walked to chemistry. By the time I opened the door, my stomach was in knots. I wished I could figure out what was going on. But from the look in his eye and his cocky smile, there was no way Cade was going to tell me.
When I slipped into my seat, I grabbed my phone from my backpack and pulled up Crista's phone number.
Me: I need your help
A few seconds later, Crista responded.
Crista: What's up? Did you find your chemistry homework?
The realization of how I had left our conversation at lunch washed over me. I felt guilty for lying to her. She’d only been trying to help, and I may have overreacted. That seemed to be my MO right now.
Me: Yeah. I did. I also ran in to Cade. After our study session today, he wants to take me somewhere. He said to dress nice. Freaking out.
Crista: What does that mean?
I sent an emoji of a person shrugging their shoulders.
Crista: Haha. Well I'll come over after school, and we'll figure something out.
Relief washed over me as I texted “thanks” and then slipped my phone back into my backpack. Crista’s style was spunky and cute, so I may not be dressed as nice as Cade wanted me to, but at least I would look better than I did right now. And for some reason, I had this deep desire to please him. I wanted him to think I looked nice because…
I shook my head. That was the last thing I needed to be thinking about. I had my outfit situation planned out. That was all that really mattered. If I delved too far into my thoughts, I’d turn into a walking mess. And no one needed that.
Thankfully Mr. Landon came walking in just as the bell rang. There was nothing like chemistry to keep my mind from wandering. At least that was my hope as he walked up to the whiteboard and started writing.
Chapter Nine
"It's pretty quiet around here," Crista said as we went up to my bedroom.
I glanced around and nodded. Truth was my house had been growing quiet over the last few months. I guess I hadn't really noticed until now how little people were actually home. Patricia was always over at her obnoxious boyfriend’s house, and my parents? Who knew. It wasn't like they ever told me anything.
"Yeah. Everybody's got a busy life," I said, shutting my bedroom door and turning to her. The last thing I wanted was to talk about my family. Not when I had this evening to get through.
Crista walked over to my bed and dumped an armful of clothes onto my comforter. I eyed some of her choices as she began to separate them into piles.
"What did you bring me?" I asked as I stared at a leopard-print romper. Krista knew I wouldn't wear something like that.
"I know what you're thinking. But trust me, you're gonna look good." She turned and smiled at me. It wasn't one of those comforting and reassuring smiles. It was more like the ones the nurses give you right before they stick a needle in your arm.
"Should I be concerned that you're taking a little too much pleasure in this?" I took a step back and held up my hands.
Crista shrugged. "Maybe. But lest we forget, you were the one who asked me to help."
I laughed and nodded. "True. I'm a glutton for punishment." I sat on my fraying armchair in the corner of my room and held out my arms. "All right. I'm ready. Change me."
I should've gone with my instincts. Crista took way too much pleasure in doing my hair, makeup, and clothes. By the time she was finished, I was surprised I still had my sight and most of my hair. I didn't understand why she hadn’t picked up on my constant wincing or shying away from her. Perhaps she had noticed—she just didn’t care.
"Oh my goodness, Penny. You look amazing." Her gaze traveled up and down my body and a smile emerged. She looked like a pageant mom whose daughter has just taken the top crown.
I narrowed my eyes. "Should I be worried about you? Since when are you this into hair and makeup?"
"I don't know. I guess I've always seen your potential. Maybe it was a dream come true." She got a contemplative look on her face.
It was great to hear that my best friend constantly thought about what she could do to change me. It wasn't like we could all be Crista. She was the kind of girl who marched to her own drum. Sure, she had flawless skin, but she also had blue hair and thick eye makeup. I touched my face. What had I done? "I'm a little scared to look now."
She waved my concern away. "You look fantastic," she said. She grabbed my hand and pulled me up.
I hesitantly followed her as she led me into the bathroom. When we got to the full-length mirror, she kept my back to it as she met my gaze.
"Close your eyes," she said.
I rolled my eyes. "Are you serious? Do I have to?"
She nodded. "Yes."
I sighed and obeyed. She took her sweet time counting down from 10, and then she turned my shoulders and pronounced that it was time for me to look. For some reason, I kept my eyes shut as I counted down in my own mind and then opened my eyes. I couldn't believe the person I saw staring back at me.
Sure, Crista wore bold makeup and had spunky clothes, but she had done none of that with me. Instead, my eyes popped in a subtle way. My hair was curled in soft ringlets framing my face. She had picked out a button-up dress with a chunky belt. It wasn't too girly, which I appreciated.
She squealed as she hugged my shoulders. “Cade’s going to freak," she said. She glanced up towards the ceiling and said, "I am a genius."
"Yeah, yeah,” I said, shooting her an exasperated look. "An artist is only as good as their canvas."
She smiled. "That's true. But it takes a true artist to get their canvas to shine.” And then she glanced at her watch. "Oh, I got to go. I promised my mom I would watch my sister tonight so she and Jim could go on a date.”
I nodded as I made my way over to my dresser and grabbed a pair of leggings. There was no way I was going to ride Cade’s motorcycle in a dress. Crista was busy gathering her things, and a few minutes later she left.
After I slipped on my strappy sandals, I walked downstairs and found my phone. I half expected a text from Cade saying that he had to cancel. I wouldn't blame him if he suddenly got cold feet. Things had been so weird the last couple of days, and I was pretty sure that some distance would cure him of the feelings I was starting to suspect he had for me
.
I mean, come on, let's be honest. He and I were about as opposite as two people could be. And was I so delusional that I thought a few stolen moments together could replace a history like ours? From the way my heart raced when I found no text from him, yes, I might be just that delusional.
I found our text chain and decided to take matters into my own hands.
Me: We still on for tonight?
I waited, holding my breath. I allowed myself to linger with the phone on as I waited for him to respond. It didn't take long before my phone pinged.
Cade: Leaving my house right now. Be there in 10
I spent every one of those ten minutes trying to figure out how I was going to handle this evening. Thankfully it was enough time to process my game plan. Even though I was excited to spend time with him, I couldn't lose sight of the fact that he had been my enemy for so long. That he had hurt me for all those years.
As much as I wanted to believe that he’d changed, I had to protect myself. Especially now that my family seemed to be hanging on by a fraying thread. I couldn’t handle another relationship breaking down on me. And even though, deep in the corner of my mind, I allowed myself to wonder if Cade and I could ever be more than just enemies or blossoming friends, I couldn't allow those thoughts to surface.
What if I put myself out there just to have him break my heart? I was helping him because it was court ordered. I should distance myself from someone like that.
As I sat in the bay window, waiting for Cade, a noise in the kitchen drew my attention. It was my parents. They must've come home from wherever they’d been. Proof that, yet again, my dad had lied to me. What business trip lasts only one day?
"I know, Ted. But we need to say something. Perhaps honesty is something that is lacking in our family. We need to say something to the girls. They deserve that." My mom's voice was low and filled with emotion.
I scooted farther behind the curtains and peeked out, hoping no one saw me. Shadows played against the kitchen wall as my parents moved around.
“Julie, it will be fine. They are big girls. But you’re right, we should tell them.”
Just then, I heard a car door slam. I jumped, whipping around to see Cade heading up our walkway. I didn’t want my parents to know that I was skulking in the shadows, eavesdropping. So I slipped out from behind the curtains and turned the front-door handle as quietly as I could.
I stepped onto the stoop—running right into Cade. How had he gotten to the door so fast?
I squeaked and turned, pinching my lips shut. Thankfully, I still seemed to have control of my arms and softly shut the door behind me.
Cade’s arms wrapped around my waist as he steadied me. “Geez, Chocolate Milk. With this kind of behavior, one would think that you didn’t want to be seen with me.”
I shook my head and straightened, trying to ignore how good it felt to have him so close. He smelled good and he looked good. It was a deadly combination.
I stepped back, breaking the connection between us. I brought my finger to my lips and motioned toward his car. Huh, I wondered where his motorcycle was. He walked behind me, and we both got into his car.
He started the engine and pulled out of the driveway. About a minute down the road, he glanced over at me. “Wanna tell me what that was about?”
I kept my gaze trained on my hands and shook my head. “Not really.” I could see him stare at me from the corner of my eye. Heat rushed to my cheeks. What was I supposed to do? If I looked at him, he’d know something was wrong. And I wasn’t sure I was ready for anyone but Crista to know about my parents.
He sighed and turned his attention back to the road. Then he cursed under his breath. “I forgot my backpack.”
That was when I realized I’d forgotten mine too. Shoot. Well, there was no going back. I wasn’t ready for whatever truth-telling conversation my parents wanted to have. Right now, I wanted to stay as far away from them as possible.
“It’s okay. I forgot mine as well.” I glanced over at him and smiled. “I guess we can just go to your portion of the night.”
He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “Well, we’d be early, and I hate being early. Are you hungry?”
I furrowed my brow. I couldn’t help but feel like this was slowly morphing into a date. And I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. “Like dinner?”
There was silence in the car before Cade shook his head. “Not a dinner date, if that’s what you’re asking. I was thinking more along the lines of you’re a human and I’m a human. And, as humans, we need to eat.”
I studied him. It almost seemed like he was blushing. But that would be weird and highly improbable. So I pushed the thought from my mind. “Well, if it’s strictly because we are the same species and both need to eat, then I guess it would be okay.”
His shoulders relaxed as he focused on the road ahead. “Yeah. It’s our need to survive.”
“Okay.” I giggled. As much as Cade bugged me with his constant joking, when I stepped back and just listened to what he said, I realized that he was funny. “Why do you always joke?” I blurted out.
A smile tipped his lips. “I joke?”
I nodded as I looked out the window. “Yeah. It makes it hard to know when you’re being serious or not.” My voice dropped to a whisper. “Hard to get close to someone like that.” My body flushed as I spoke those words out loud.
You could have heard a pin drop in the silence that followed. I nervously pulled on my seatbelt. I needed to work off this anxious energy that was building up inside of me.
I couldn’t wait for Cade to say something. “Where’s your bike?” I asked. Good. Stick with something simple.
“Um…it looked like it was going to rain, so I thought I’d save you from getting wet. My grandma let me borrow her car.” He glanced over, and I could literally feel his gaze sweep over me.
What was he thinking? I wondered if I looked nice enough. I tugged at the hem of my dress. “I hope this is okay. Crista helped me get ready.” I closed my eyes. Why did I say that? Now he was going to think that I couldn’t dress myself.
“You look nice,” he said, his voice was husky.
I swallowed. Oh crap. What was happening?
“I mean, I didn’t get a good look when you were ninja-ing out of your house earlier, but…” When he didn’t finish his sentence, I glanced over at him. He had that cocky half smile again. “You clean up good, CM.”
I pursed my lips. When was I ever going to outgrow that nickname? As if he sensed my frustration, he winked at me. “You take life too seriously, Penelope.” He exaggerated my name.
I folded my arms. Seriously? How can I go from a pounding heart to complete frustration like this? It was like getting emotional whiplash every other minute. It was exhausting.
“I take life with the right amount of seriousness,” I said, rolling my eyes at him.
He tapped the steering wheel as he pulled to a stop at a red light. “When was the last time you did something crazy?”
I wrinkled my nose as I tried to think back. The only thing I came up with was climbing the water tower with him, and I doubted that would prove my point.
So I sighed. “Fine. I’m predictable. I don’t like to make mistakes. And I like to follow the rules.” The dam inside of me broke, and I continued, the words spilling from my lips. “And what is so wrong about that? Look at you. You’re being forced to spend time with me because not taking life seriously got you in trouble.”
His lips parted as he watched me. A horn honked from behind us, and he snapped his attention back to the road.
Now that he was no longer staring, my senses came back to me. What the heck had I just done?
Chapter Ten
We drove in silence. I studied my hands, wishing that I could somehow go back in time and change what I had said. I could be such a dork sometimes.
I raised my head and parted my lips to say something, but words didn’t want to form in my mind. I doubted that “Um…da
h…” would translate to “I’m sorry” so I just snapped my lips shut.
When I glanced over at him, I saw that his jaw was set and he was studying the road ahead of him. Man, I must have really ticked him off.
“I want to take you somewhere,” he said. His voice was low, and for a moment it sounded as if there was some hurt lurking in the back of his tone.
I settled back in my seat and nodded. “Okay,” I whispered. That was the only thing I was going to allow myself to say. I was scared that ugly Penny would rear her head and hurt Cade again. And for some reason, that was the last thing I wanted to do.
It felt so strange.
Five minutes later, Cade pulled into Mick’s Diner. It was a train car–turned restaurant. From the large front windows, I could see people either sitting in the booths or at the counter along the far wall. It wasn’t the fanciest place, but it served food. And I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t starving.
After he turned the engine off, I pushed open my door and stepped out onto the cracked pavement. The sound of his door slamming drew my attention over. He had a strained expression as he glanced toward the diner. Then he dropped his gaze.
What was happening?
“Are you sure this is okay?” I asked as I walked toward the front of the car.
He flicked his gaze over to me and nodded. “Yeah. Why do you ask?”
Before I could stop myself, I said, “You’ve gone all brooding on me.” Heat raced through me as the words floated through the air between us.
His eyebrows rose as he studied me. “Brooding?” He chuckled, which I took as a good sign. He wasn’t angry. There was just something going on with him. I guess Cade always seemed like he had everything figured out, so it was strange to think that, maybe, he didn’t.
“You get on my case for joking too much, and now you’re not happy because I’m not joking?” He stepped closer to me, and we walked to the front doors together.
Rule #2: You Can't Crush on Your Sworn Enemy (The Rules of Love) Page 6