Deceptive Cadence (9 page)

“Cadence?”

“Yeah?”

“You’re pretty much the coolest sister ever. All my friends’ sisters never do stuff like this. They’re more like Harper.”

“What did you say about me, loser?” Harper kicked him in the ribs as she flopped onto the sectional behind us and huffed. “You guys are so lame.”

Memories flashed before my eyes. She turned seventeen on the fourteenth, and she’d continually called it “the suckiest birthday ever,” which I found understandable. Only since school had gone out had she emerged from her bubble to interact with us in a
friendlier
way again.

“Hey, Cadence!” She snapped her fingers in my face. “What’s up with you?”

I blinked and shook my head. “Ah . . . I have a bit of a headache.”

“Take some drugs, you idiot, and stop staring at me.”

I faced the screen to play with Dusty.

Several minutes later, Mum walked in and sat to fold laundry. Harper pulled her knees under her chin and said, “So what’s the deal with you and that Gordon kid? Rumor has it you two made out.”

I swung to her in alarm. “We did not!”

I glanced at Mum, who raised her eyebrows. “Cadence?”

“It’s just a rumor, Mum.”

“Well, no, actually.” Harper grinned at me. “I saw you two at it at the disco. Carla and her cronies have been whining about how you stole one of their guys.”

My cheeks burned. “I didn’t! We’re not going out.”

“But he wants to, right? He’s just been biding his time, making his way through all your friends and getting to know them―”

“Shut up!”

She chuckled. “You know I’m right.” She glanced at Mum. “You know he just wants to have sex with you.”

“Gross,” Dusty muttered without looking away from the screen.

Mum cleared her throat to catch our attention. “Harper, I think that’s enough.”

Harper scowled and sat back. She folded her arms and pouted.

“Cadence?”

I looked back at Mum.

“You know I’m not going to lose it like your dad, so I wish you’d tell me things like this.”

I hung my head. “I know, but it’s nothing. He just kinda stole the kiss and―”

Harper scoffed. “No, he didn’t! He put the moves on you and you kissed him!”

“Enough, Harper,” Mum said sternly, then turned her attention back to me. “Cadence, it doesn’t matter who kissed who, I just want you to know you can come and talk to me about these things. I will understand and not get angry at you. I want you to be safe and happy, okay?”

“But Dad will―”

“Leave your father to me. You’re almost fifteen now, so he needs to accept that boys will be showing an interest in you.”

“Although I don’t know why.” Harper kicked me.

I scowled at her.

The phone rang and Mum went to answer it. Harper leaned forward. “Dad’s gonna lose it.”

I slapped her leg, but she just smirked.

“Cadence! Geri’s on the phone for you,” Mum said.

Relieved, I rushed to answer.

That night, Dad called me into his room to talk. I knew exactly what he would say before he even looked at me. Mum stood by the window to make sure he didn’t lose it. He patted the bed beside him, and I tentatively sat. I tried to remember when we had this conversation before, but the memories were hazy. It might have been with my boyfriend in eleventh grade. Why was it so much sooner?

“Cadence, you know how I feel about you with boys,” he said.

I slumped, my head falling. “I do.”

“I just worry about you. You’re a sweet, pretty girl who boys will try to take advantage of. You need to be smarter than them and see through to their true intentions. I know that I lose my temper whenever a boy is associated with you in any way, so I want you to know that you can go to your mother for help if a boy tries anything you know you shouldn’t be doing. She can tell me and we can deal with it together.

“You’re a special girl, Cadence, and I love you very much. I’m only hard on you because I don’t think there’s a single boy out there who deserves you, and to find that some scumbag . . .”

He clenched the quilt on the bed. My gaze fixed on his hand as I held my breath, knowing how easily he could snap. “I can’t stop you from making your own decisions, I just have to trust you and know that you’re smart and capable of making good decisions. Just please, don’t be afraid to come to us. We love you so much.”

His hand released the blanket. I flinched as he raised it toward me. He wrapped it around my head and pulled me into his chest. I relaxed into his embrace, breathing in his familiar scent and loving him more than ever.

I wrapped my arms around Dad, wishing he’d never let me go, that I could tell him what would come in my life and that he didn’t need to worry. I wanted to tell him about how wonderful Austin would be, and how much he would love him. But I couldn’t, so I nuzzled into his chest and sighed, hoping he understood that I loved him too.

EIGHT

The weather finally turned warm, and the last term of school had begun. Ninth grade was almost over . . . again. I climbed off the bus and plodded up toward the area where my group of friends hung out, pleased with how things had gone this time around. I still encountered dramas, but nowhere near as bad; far less people turned on me and ended up hating me for badly handling breakups and such.

Geri waved from her vantage point standing atop the picnic table. She leaped down, sprinting right for me. The whole group watched as she wrapped her arms tightly around my neck.

“Oh my gosh, Cadence! Come with me.”

“Why?”

She tugged my arm. “Trust me.”

“Can I at least put my bag down?”

“Sure, but hurry up!”

I dumped my bag on the table and glanced at everyone watching me. “What?”

The girls grinned and giggled and the boys turned away, pretending to be engrossed in conversations with each other. My eyes narrowed on them suspiciously.

Geri grabbed my wrist and gave me a sharp tug as we headed to the lower quad area. She darted around, glancing behind the gym, and scanning the field.

“What are you looking for?” I asked.

“You’ll know when you see it.” She turned toward the art building and she gasped. “Right there!”

I turned and saw Robbie and his friends huddled together with several groups of girls hovering nearby. “What am I looking at?”

“Oh my gosh, Cadence. Open your eyes!”

Robbie pushed off from the wall to grab one of the guys, and I saw it. I saw
him
. He was probably the hottest, sexiest guy I’d ever seen. He stood leaning against the wall, one leg bent up and his hands in his pockets. He wore the gray boys’ trousers, perfectly fitted, with the pale blue dress shirt bearing the school emblem . . . also perfectly fitted to show his sculpted arms and chest. He had his chestnut brown hair trimmed and styled neatly.

“Who is that?”

“Are you kidding me?” Geri exclaimed with exasperation. “That’s
James
!”

“Huh?” I squinted, then my jaw dropped. “No!”

She giggled and bounced up and down. “Yes! Rumor is that he heard the girl he likes thought he looked like a bum, so during the holidays, he got a haircut and pulled out his school uniform from the back of his closet.”

I stared at her completely stunned as she yanked on my arm. “But . . . he’s not supposed to like
me
!”

Her giggling intensified. “But he does! Cadence, this is incredible. Guys don’t normally do this.”

Awestruck, I stared at him as he stood, calm and completely relaxed, listening to his friends talking.

Geri shoved me. “Go talk to him.”

I shook my head. “I can’t!”

“Why not? He’s practically begging you!”

His head turned and he saw me. We looked at each other for a split second, then he pushed off from the wall to face me.

I gasped and tried to run, but Geri grabbed and held me. “No, Cadence!”

“I can’t talk to him!”

“Stop it!”

We struggled against each other. When I saw him heading toward us, I pushed her off me and straightened. The groups of girls watched him, even gravitated after him as he crossed the quad, his gaze fixed on me. I held my breath as he paused in front of me, slowly looking me over.

“Hello, Cadence.”

“Hermnm ah . . .”
Why am I acting like a love-struck idiot?
I thought I was over all this. But then again, I felt more like a teenager than a twenty-five-year-old, so I blamed my stupid body chemistry.

He smiled, and with his hair out of his face and his scruff gone, it just about made me melt on the spot. “You look good too.”

“Your teeth are white.”

Geri nudged me in the ribs.

He chuckled. “Dentist cleaned me up, and I quit smoking.”

“Ah . . .” I couldn’t stop staring at him, even though I probably looked like a fool.

His smile widened and I bit my lip, the urge to kiss him forcing itself to the surface.

He stepped closer to me. I tried to step back, but my feet felt like they had dissolved into the ground. His fingers ran down my arm and I swallowed hard.

“Are you speechless, Cadence? I didn’t even know that was possible.”

My gaze flashed up and met his. His eyes looked clearer, brighter, and bluer. I looked down, not wanting to feel what he stirred up inside me.

His fingers brushed against my cheek, then pushed the hair from my half ponytail back over my shoulder. He leaned closer as he caressed my face. My breathing quickened, but I managed to regain a drop of sensibility as Dad’s loving eyes flashed into my mind. I pulled back, just a moment before he kissed me.

“I told you not to kiss me.”

Amusement flashed in his eyes as a wide grin swept across his face.

“Cadence!” Geri hissed.

I leaped back from James, pulling free of his touch. I turned away from him to regain my senses. This was madness! I loved Austin! I hurried away, my face burning.

Geri was hot on my heels. “Cadence! What the hell?”

“I couldn’t, Geri. I just couldn’t.”

“Why not?”

The bell rang.

“Because I can’t!”

She grabbed my elbow as she redirected us toward our bags. “Why not? He’s changing for
you
!”

“But he’s not supposed to.”

She halted, staring at me. “What does that mean?”

I avoided eye contact. “I’m just not comfortable with it. I mean, is he for real, or is this just a thing to get into my pants?”

“You sound like your dad.”

I turned away, ashamed of the feelings I struggled to suppress.

“Cadence, all this stuff he’s doing is incredible! How many girls get to say a guy was this determined to have her?”

I reached the table and pulled my bag over my shoulders. “He’s still
him
though, Geri. He still hangs out with the same group and is still a bully.”

“No, he’s not. He’s been going out of his way to be friends with our group. Come on, Cadence!”

I huffed, knowing I wouldn’t win this battle. “Fine. Look, I won’t flat out reject him, but I’m not going to agree to anything either until I know he’s not going to try anything on me.”

She pursed her lips. She wasn’t happy with my response, but was pleased I was willing to compromise. “Good, ’cause I think you’d be good together.”

I sighed. “I don’t wanna talk about this anymore.”

“Fine.”

We turned toward the building as James walked by with his friends. I gasped, still stunned by how good he looked. He grinned at me. I dropped my gaze and hurried toward the building.

But I couldn’t escape him the whole day. He always hovered nearby, crossing paths with me so he could touch my hand and sneaking up behind me while I stood outside my classrooms. He’d whisper in my ear, making me jump, and I’d glance around to see everyone watching me.

At the end of the day, I couldn’t escape the gossip about me and him, so I hid behind a tree while I waited for my bus. Dusty found me. He leaned against the tree, trying to look inconspicuous.

“Hey, Cadence.”

I grumbled.

“I know, you had a bad day. Everyone’s talking about it.”

I huffed.

“He talked to me today.”

I slapped my forehead and groaned.

“He told me to tell you it’s his birthday tomorrow, and all he wants is a kiss from you. I told him he was gross and to stay away from you.”

A smile curled at the corners of my lips.
Good old Dusty
. “Thank you.”

He spun around the tree to look at me. “Cadence, am I smart?”

I blinked, surprised by the change in direction of our conversation. “Yes, you’re very smart.”

“Then why do all my classes bore me and the teachers yell at me?”

“Because you
are
smart and the classes are too easy for you.”

He tilted his head, surprised by my answer. “Really?”

I nodded.

“Huh . . .” He leaned against the tree. “So you think I could get good grades if I wanted to?”

“I know you can.”

A smile flitted across his face.

James stood waiting as I climbed off the bus in the morning. My friends didn’t disperse like usual, but hung back to watch as he walked straight toward me. I stepped around him as he tried to cut me off, but he followed. “It’s my birthday.”

“I heard.”

“I’m sixteen now.”

“I don’t care.”

“Sweet sixteen gets a kiss.”

“That’s
not
how the saying goes.”

We passed through a gap between buildings and he grabbed my waist, spinning me to face him. “No one’s around. No one will see. Let me kiss you.”

“No.”

I stepped back, but he kept after me. “Why are you making this so hard?”

“You’re still, ah . . . you’re, ah . . .”

He ran his hand down my arm again. I couldn’t think. He caught my hand and pulled me closer.

“I’m a what?”

He touched my face and tucked my hair behind my ear. I looked up into his eyes, entranced by the intensity that burned in them.

“I’m not supposed to like you.”

His arm wrapped around my waist. “But you do?”

“Mmm . . .” My gaze fell to his lips as they drew closer to mine. “Stop.”

He paused, barely an inch away from my lips. “I’ll never force you to do anything. If you don’t wanna kiss me, I’ll back away right now.”

My heart skipped a beat as my eyes lifted to his. Then, impulsively, I grasped his face and pulled his lips against mine. It tasted delicious, warm, and made me dizzy with the excitement that shot through me. I wanted more. I wrapped my arms around his neck, holding him tightly.

He pushed me against the wall as his arms clamped around my waist. We kissed open mouthed, the intensity making my whole body tingle with excitement. His hands caressed my back, and his fingers ran through my hair.

We only stopped because the bell rang.

I pulled away from his lips, but didn’t let him go. “Oh my gosh . . .”

A crooked smile flashed across his face. “Let’s skip school today, just you and me, and we’ll go hang out somewhere―”

“No, I can’t.” I stroked his cheek.

He softly pressed his lips against mine. “Why not?”

“I’m not like you. I want to get good grades. I want to go to class.”

“Just once, that’s all I’m asking.”

I shook my head and forced myself away from him. “I can’t.”

“Cadence . . .”

“You got your kiss, James.” I hurried away, heading straight for my class.

I flopped down beside Michael, but kept my head low. How could I have feelings for James? This was a totally new development, something that blindsided me.

“Cadence? Hello?”

Michael’s voice startled me so much I almost fell off my seat. “What?”

“Where were you this morning?”

“At home, then here at school.”

“No, I meant why didn’t you show up at the table?”

My cheeks burned, and I turned away, raising a textbook in front of me to hide my red face.

“Did you hook up with someone?”

“No.”

“You did!” He grasped the book and lowered it so he could look into my eyes. “Was it James Gordon?”

My face burned even hotter. “No!”

“Cadence, you did!”

I shoved his shoulder. “No, I didn’t!”

“So you guys are an item now?”

“No.”

“Wow, you’re making it really hard for him.”

I leaned closer and whispered, “He wanted me to skip school with him. I can’t date someone who’d want me to do that.”