“Enough with the lies. You’re here for her. Just admit it.”
“Admit what?”
“Look me in the eye and tell me you never slept with Blair.”
“I don’t have time for this, asshole.”
“Say it.”
“Jesus Christ.” I stare at him deadpan, my gaze never once wavering as I repeat his words back to him, enunciating each word clearly. “I never slept with Blair.”But God, I wanted to.
“Fuck.” Cade’s curse comes out as a groan, and I’m thoroughly confused.
“You’re pissed off about that?”
“No. I’m sick of all the lying.”
“What lying? I... Actually, it doesn’t matter. I need to see Blair.”
Cade’s lips thin, and he folds his arms over his chest, trying to appear intimidating. “Why?” he asks, stepping closer to what I assume is Jenna’s door.
“What are your intentions?” Jenna steps forward, her expression much more relaxed than Cade’s, but it still gets on my nerves.
I internally groan. I don’t have time for this. “I plan to fuck Blair’s brains out and then ghost her, leaving you both to pick up the pieces.” I stare at them blankly, waiting for them to smileat my obvious joke. But they keep their cool. “What is this? I’m here because my friend just broke up with her boyfriend, and I want to offer support.”
“So,she’sstill your friend?”
“Jealousy doesnotlook good on you, Caden.”
Jenna finally breaks character, snorting out a laugh as she pulls me into a hug. “Nice to see you again, Zane. Blair’s in her room. It’s the second door on the left. Please knock. She’s going to hate me enough for giving you my address. But it’ll be worse if you walk in while she’s flicking her bean or something.”
“What?” I cough, choking on my words, but that’s nothing compared to Cade’s reaction. I swear he’s going to vomit.
“The fuck, Jenna?” He turns a weird shade of green. “That’s my sister.”
“So what? Does that mean she’s not allowed to masturbate?”
At that I laugh—a little for Cade’s reaction and a little for Jenna’s brazenness. I knew I liked her.
“She can do whatever she wants, but I shouldn’t have to hear about it. Or worse—”
“I’m going to go in,” I interrupt their back and forth, gesturing to the door. “I’ll leave you two to argue this out.”
I spin toward Jenna’s apartment but someone stops me, a hand curling around the collar of my suit jacket, almost choking me. “Wait.”
I reluctantly turn, my face stoic as I anticipate whatever warning Cade’s going to give me.
But when the sincerity in his eyes hits me, my defense drops as the fight in me dissolves. “Don’t hurt her, okay?” he whispers, his voice thick with emotion. “She’s been through enough.”
While I could easily tell him that I won’t, just like I told Jenna, for some reason I can’t form the words. “I…”Fuck. “I…”
Cade’s gaze softens and he nods slowly. “I get it. You never set out to hurt her and you still did.”
A sigh escapes me, and an uncomfortable energy settles between us. I wish he was wrong, but he hit the nail on the head with extreme precision, and all I can say is, “I’ll try.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
ZANE
