When Stars Collide (Light in the Dark #2) (20 page)

“Hey,” he says gruffly, looking away.

My fingers wring together. This is my chance to speak to him. To pour my heart out and get him to understand. “I’m sorry,” I say after a long moment. “I’m sorry for not telling you about Xander and me, but I’m not going to apologize for how I feel about him.” His head flicks up at this. “I think you’ve known for a long time that we’ve had feelings for each other and it’s why you warned him from me, but that wasn’t your place.” He opens his mouth to speak. “I
know
you’re my brother and you’re only trying to protect me, but
Cade
,” my voice cracks on his name, “you were only hurting us.” He looks away and shame flickers across his face. “Xander’s a good guy. A great guy, actually. Why wouldn’t you want us to be together?”

He sighs. “Xander’s like family. I guess I always thought if you guys dated and broke up, I’d be forced to pick sides, and I don’t want to do that.”

I give him a reassuring smile. “I get that, but now we’re both adults who can make our own decisions. If it doesn’t work out, those are our consequences to deal with, not yours.”

Cade sips his beer and sets the bottle down on the table. “Yeah, I see that now.” He sighs heavily and then chuckles, but there’s no humor in the tone. “I’m still fucking pissed, though.” I open my mouth to protest and he holds up a hand for me to wait. “At myself and Xander. At myself, because I made you guys feel like you couldn’t tell me, and at Xander because he’s my best fucking friend and he didn’t tell me first. Tiptoeing behind my back in my house …” He pauses and shakes his head. “That’s fucking low.”

I flinch. “I’m the one that made him keep it a secret.”

He shakes his head again. “Regardless, he should’ve told me. But again, I realize that’s my fault.” He sighs and scrubs his hands over his face. “It all comes back to me, but I just need time, Thea. I need time to wrap my head around this. Okay?” His blue eyes meet mine, pleading for me to understand.

I nod. “Time,” I repeat. “Okay.” I stand, hoping he’s going to say more, but instead, his gaze returns to the setting sun and I know that I’ve been dismissed. 

I sigh and head inside the house. Xander’s not back yet and Rae’s still in her room, so I set about making dinner for the four of us. I keep it simple, opting for spaghetti and garlic bread. Hopefully, there won’t be any food throwing because it could get messy quick. 

Xander comes back just as I’m finishing up and Prue bounds into the house and over to me. She licks my leg and then runs over to her cushion and lies down. Xander smiles when he sees me by the stove and kisses my cheek as he passes. 

“I brought you a McFlurry.” He holds up the cup and heads to the freezer.

I laugh. “Tonight is definitely ice cream worthy.”

He frowns as he closes the refrigerator door. “Did it not go well?”

I sigh and glance toward the deck door. “It went okay, I guess. I think he’s more mad at us keeping it a secret than actually being together.” I shrug. “I think he realizes that his actions were wrong, but ours were too.” My voice grows soft. “It sucks. I don’t want him mad at us—at
you
. If he should be mad at anyone, it should be me, but it seems like he’s placing all the blame on your shoulders.”

Xander smiles but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “You’re his little sister, so it’s easier for him to be mad at me than you.” He shrugs like it’s not a big deal, but it
is
. He comes over to me and wraps his arms around me. “It’ll be okay. Just give it time.”

I laugh, the sound muffled against his massive chest. “That’s what Cade said. That he needs time.”

Xander steps back, leaning his hip against the counter. “See, we’re all on the same page.” He rubs his hand over his stubbled jaw then and I wait for him to speak. “We’re having dinner with my family this Friday,” he tells me. “Cade and Rae need to come too.”

“Oooh, is this the big reveal?” I wag my brows.

He chuckles. “Yeah, I guess so. I want to tell my parents about us too, if that’s okay?”

I bite my lip, hating that I hesitate for even a second, but I still have doubts about this actually working. Right now, it’s new and exciting and that makes things seem perfect, but what about when summer ends and the real world begins? I’m going to have to go back to school—and I still have no idea what I actually want to major in, so yay me-and Xander’s going to be playing for the NFL. His practices are going to get longer and more intense and he’s going to be
gone
. Throw in media attention on his end and it’s a recipe for disaster. 

I swallow thickly and nod. “Yeah, we can tell them.” I don’t know if that’s the right decision, but after keeping it a secret from Cade and having that blow up in our faces, I feel like we have no choice. 

Xander smiles. “Great. You know my mom’s going to be thrilled.”

I laugh. “Your mom’s the best.” And she is. She’s always been like a second mom to me. 

I hear footsteps behind us and I turn to see Rae. “I smell food and I’m
starving
.”

“It’s almost ready. Why don’t you grab Cade and we can all sit down and eat together?”

Rae nods and heads out back. 

I look up at Xander. “Showtime.”

We set about placing the plates and everything on the table and we’re almost done when Rae and Cade come inside and sit down. I end up across from Cade with Xander beside me.

We all shovel spaghetti noodles onto our plate in silence. It’s weird. I’m used to someone always saying something and not this eerie quiet. 

After a few minutes I ask, “So, Rae, photograph anything interesting lately?” It’s possibly the worst question I’ve ever asked, but I don’t know what to do to break this awkward tension. 

Rae bites her lip to hide her laughter but answers anyway. “Nova’s been teaching me how to do more conceptual photos like she does. It’s not really my favorite thing to do, but it’s interesting and a skill I need to work on. 

I nod. I don’t understand a word she said. It all sounded like gibberish to me. 

More minutes pass and I say, “I think I might join a gym.” I
loathe
exercise, but Rae runs every morning, and Cade usually joins her, and Xander always goes to the gym, so maybe I’m missing out on something. 

Xander snorts. “I bet you’ll go once and never go again.”

I narrow my eyes on him. “Challenge accepted.”

He grins back. “We’ll go tomorrow.”

My stomach sinks and I give a half-hearted, “Yippee.”

Xander leans over and presses his lips to the side of my forehead. “Don’t dread it too much. I’ll be there.”

I grin. “Mmm, you shirtless and sweaty. That sounds promising.”

A clatter sends me looking in the other direction. Cade’s pushed his plate away and shoved away from the table. He doesn’t say anything as he stalks out of the room. Rae gives us an apologetic look and shrugs her shoulders. 

“He’ll get over it.”

I sigh. I really hope she’s right. 

I lost the bet. Thea made it to the gym for a second day, but I’m pretty sure she’s miserable and questioning her life choices.

“This. Is. Too. Fast,” she pants, trying to keep up with the treadmill. 

I glance at the number. “You’re only going four miles an hour. I think you’ll survive.”

“Fuck. You.” She gives me the middle finger. 

I chuckle and cross my fingers over my chest. I’ve already finished my workout and came over here to cheer—okay,
taunt
—her on. 

“If it’s any consolation, your ass looks great in those shorts.” I bend my head, getting a great look at said ass.

“I’m. Going. To. Punch. You. In. The. Face.” 

I chuckle. “Just think about all the McFlurrys you can eat now.”

“Fuck. You. And. Fuck. McFlurrys.” She’s growing even shorter of breath now. 

“I’m pretty sure you already said that.” I lean against the rail of the empty treadmill beside her. “Five more minutes.”

“I’m. Going. To. Die.”

“You’re not going to die.” I shake my head. “I kind of like you, so it’s insulting that you think I’d let you die,” I joke. I’m pretty sure she growls but it might’ve just been her trying to breathe. Who knows? “Have you talked to Cade about dinner yet?” It’s Friday night and we’re supposed to be going over to my parents’ house for dinner. 

“No. You. Do. It.”

I shake my head. “I tried. He won’t talk to me. He’ll barely even look at me.” I sigh. 

More time. He needs more time
.

“I’m. Going. To. Kick. Him. In. The. Balls.”

“Settle down, fighter,” I tell her. “He’s coping. He’ll come around.”

This time I know for sure that she does growl. 

“He’s. Being. A. Douchebag.”

I can’t really argue with her there. I didn’t expect Cade to throw us a party for this, sure, but I didn’t expect the silent treatment, either. We’re not five. But, on the other hand, I suppose the silence is better than him punching me in the face. 

“Two minutes.”

“Ugh,” she groans. “Two. Minutes. Too. Long.”

I laugh. “You can do it.” 

The seconds tick by, and when the two minutes are up, Thea immediately stops the treadmill and hops off, leaning over and pressing a hand to the stitch in her side. 

“Coming again tomorrow?”

She gives me the finger and stalks off. I think I have my answer. 

I roll our rings around the palm of my hand. I asked Thea if she’d wear it if I gave it back and she said yes, but I’ve still yet to return it to her. No moment seemed right, not with Cade moping around giving us sour looks. But I want to give it back to her soon. Maybe even tonight after we tell my parents. Fuck, we need to tell her parents too. I’m sure that’ll go over about as well as telling Cade.

I sigh and place the rings back in my top dresser drawer. We’re supposed to leave for my parents’ place in ten minutes. I spoke with Rae and she convinced Cade to come to the dinner.

My palms sweat. 

I already pissed my best friend off by not telling him I was with his sister, so I doubt he’s going to be pleased I kept this a secret too. I pinch the bridge of my nose. I keep fucking everything up, but I’m not doing it on purpose. I’m doing what I think is right, but it’s always wrong in the end. 

I force myself to stop thinking about it. I have to let the pieces fall where they may.

I head across my room to the bathroom and make sure my hair is lying flat. My mom hates it when it’s all a mess, and if I don’t have it fixed she’ll start trying to fix it even though I’m twenty-two not twelve. Moms never seem to understand when you’ve grown up. You’re always a baby to them.

When I know that my hair is decent, I open the door that leads to Thea’s room. She sits on her bed, slipping her feet into a pair of shoes. She’s dressed in a short brightly-colored dress and her hair hangs down in its usual loose waves. Like always, she takes my breath away. More so now that she’s actually
mine
. Before, I had to admire her from afar and pretend I wasn’t looking when I was. And I
always
was. 

She looks up at me and smiles, grabbing her purse from the bed. “Ready to go?” she asks.

I nod. “Are we all going in my truck?” It has a second row, but with the amount of tension that’s been rolling off Cade, I think the cab of the truck would feel stifling with all of us.