“Cade?”
No. Cade was in no condition to deal with a conversation. But the voice was familiar. He didn’t turn around, just said, “Go away, Aiden. This isn’t your business.”
“You weren’t inside for long. I was sitting in the car, answering some texts and calls, and you came back out. Was no one home?”
Cade started walking. He didn’t have his civilized student mask on, and evenwiththat mask he didn’t always feel like he and Aiden had enough in common to put a normal conversation together. Without the mask? It was stupid to try.
“Everything’s good,” he said over his shoulder. “Go home. Your parents are probably worrying about you.”
“I called them. They’re fine.”
“They’re fine, I’m fine. Everybody’s fine. Resume your previously scheduled programming.”
“Where are you going?”
Excellent question. Literally and figuratively. Where the hell was Cade going, and what was he going to do when he got there? Was he going back to his old life?
Not without a fight. He looked around him. They’d left the residential street and were out on the strip, mostly light industry, like garages, but with enough retail operations to serve the locals. Cade saw the store he’d been sent to most often on errands from his parents, and he knew what he needed to do.
He pulled his wallet out, looked inside, and spun around. He had a bit of money, but not quite enough. Old Cade hadn’t been proud, and he hadn’t worried about taking advantage of people. “Can I borrow fifty bucks?” he asked. He looked Aiden in the eyes as he said it. No pride meant no shame.
Aiden looked startled, but reached for his wallet as soon as he’d recovered. He pulled out three twenties and extended them toward Cade without question.
Cade grabbed the cash. If the staff of the little grocery store had changed, he might be back outside to borrow Aiden and the fake ID he’d probably been issued as part of his frat initiation ceremony, but if it was someone who knew Cade, they’d know he was buying for his parents, like he always had.
The woman at the counter was familiar, so Cade headed for the aisle he needed. Two bottles of cheap bourbon, two bottles of cheap gin. A stop at the cooler for mixed fruit juice. He chose the kind that lookedbrightest and most garish, with no regard for its vitamin content. It made him a little sick to think of giving his parents more poison, but it wasn’t like they wouldn’t figure out ways to get it without his help. And he wasn’t in the mood to worry too much about their health.
The woman at the counter didn’t ask any questions, just bagged his purchases and took his money. Her face was lifeless, and she was clearly about as interested in Cade’s decision as she would have been if he’d pulled out his calculus textbook and tried to show her the ways the numbers all worked together.
Her apathy made him feel better. This wasn’t some big, earth-shaking drama. He was getting by, the way everyone else in the neighborhood was. He wasn’t doing anything special that night.
Then he looked over at Aiden, standing by the exit door, watching the whole scene, and some of the calm drained away. For someone like Aiden, someone like the person Cade was trying to become, this would be a bigger deal. Aiden really shouldn’t be involved in any of this, but Cade was too close to his old self to care. Let the golden boy see how things really were, if he was so interested. Then he’d leave Cade alone to get back to studying.
So he didn’t say anything to discourage Aiden from falling in beside him as they walked back to the house, and when he got to the broken chain-link fence and Aiden said, “Do you want me to come in with you?” Cade shrugged.
“Do what you want.” But there was enough compassion even in old Cade to make him add, “You’d probably be happier if you didn’t, though.”
Aiden paused, but only for a moment, and then he followed Cade up the wooden steps without hesitation.
Timmy was gone when Cade returned to the kitchen. Just as well. Cade’s parents were still in the kitchen chairs they’d been in last time, both of them with empty glasses in front of them. Perfect.
Aiden hovered in the doorway, obviously not sure of the proper etiquette for a situation like this, or probably not sure what a situation like this evenwas.
Cade didn’t hesitate. He set the paper bag he was carrying down on the counter and reached into the cabinet for two clean glasses.When he was feeling ambitious or festive, Cade’s father put ice in his bourbon, so Cade reached into the freezer and pulled out a few cubes for both glasses. He knew his parents were watching him now, but he tried to keep his movements calm and unhurried. He could feel the interest in the room crank up several notches when he pulled the four bottles of booze out of the bag and set them out on the counter. His parents lived day to day, and showing them a generous week’s supply of alcohol all at once was probably like Christmas morning.
Maybe that would be all it took. Maybe he could simply offer the bottles in exchange for the signatures and move on. But he was pretty sure he’d need a little extra incentive. So he poured a generous glass of bourbon, poured the gin and pulled the fruit juice out of the bag and made a drink for his mother.
Finally, he turned to look at them, both waiting like puppies expecting a treat. Then Cade turned, took one step, and poured both drinks into the sink.
His mother actually rose to her feet, her hands outstretched as if trying to avert the tragedy. His father sat and stared as if he was unable to understand what had happened.
“We can help each other,” Cade said levelly. “You can find your tax forms and fill out my paperwork, and sign it. You just tell the truth, and I can get my grant. Keep my job. And I can give you all this stuff on the counter. But if you don’t help me? I’m going to pour it all down the sink.”
“Youwouldn’t,” Cade’s mother spat.
“Who the hell is that?” his father asked, staring at Aiden as if noticing him for the first time.
“Hired muscle. He makes sure you two follow the rules.” Cade turned and found the bottles, and set about making another set of drinks.
