We just won the championship! Our team is ready to quickly get showered and celebrate not only our win but the end of the season as well. Thank fuck Dex and Mav are ready to get on the plane and back to their women so that I don’t have to mention how fucking ready I am to see Cayden. I wouldn’t anyway, and if they wanted to go party with everyone, I would deal with it, but I’m happy that’s not the case. I can just go along with them on the plane without having to say a word.
As we board the plane, the anticipation of seeing her deepens and my excitement intensifies, but I attempt to stay in control of my true feelings. I want to remain calm, cool, and collected, however, I’m fucking dying to see the bright smile that I haven’t seen in two weeks. Not to mention her shimmering hazel eyes and long auburn hair–hair I wish I could wrap around my fist and pull her close in order to smash my lips against hers. Fuck! My cock starts to jerk behind the zipper of my jeans. Glancing around the plane, I make sure no one is paying attention before adjusting myself in the seat.
We pull into Cynthia’s driveway around mid-afternoon, and Dex is out of his truck while Mav gets out of his car before I even have a chance to blink. Fucking traitors! Callie and Cydney have my boys so pussy-whipped they don’t know their heads from their asses anymore. Truth be told, I’m confused about Cayden. I’m not far behind them, and I haven’t even had the pussy. Grabbing my luggage out of the trunk of the Camaro, I stride up to join everyone gathered in the front yard.
“Where’s Cayden?” I question, glancing up at the front door. She hasn’t walked out yet, but she knew we were coming in today. Eyeing her sisters and mom, I notice the hesitation and guilt in their eyes.
They don’t want to tell me, but eventually, Cydney speaks up, “She’s with Brody.”
Anger flares and I see red. I leave them all standing there as I storm into the two-story house. My heavy footfalls pound on the steps. I race up the staircase to the same bedroom I’d stayed in at Christmas. Brody! Fucking Brody! That name makes my skin crawl, irks me to the fucking core, and boils my blood unlike anyone else. I’ve never even met the dude, and yet, I can’t fucking stand to hear him mentioned.
It’s all jealousy.
I know it is.
It’s jealousy that he’s had her, he’s kissed her, fucked her, held and comforted her. He’s done everything I can only wish I could do with her. He’s back, and I know without a shadow of a doubt that he’s going to try and make a move on Cayden, but will she give in? Why shouldn’t she? Everyone has warned me that I either need to give in or give up, however, I haven’t listened. There’s a chance now that I won’t have a choice. Maybe she’s making it for me at this very moment. Fuck! I don’t want to think about this shit anymore.
I throw my luggage on the bed and begin to put away my clothes, hanging some in the empty closet and shoving the rest into the drawers of the dark wooden dresser. Lying down on the bed afterward, I realize how tired I am. Between our team winning the championship and then rushing home, I’m exhausted. My body sinks into the most comfortable mattress I’ve ever laid on and my head burrows into the pillows. My lids begin to close; and in no time at all, I’m in a set of horrifying nightmares. One right after the other, each a reminder for me.
* * *
A loud boom of thunder along with sounds of rain pelting the roof wake me from a deep sleep. I squint my eyes as they drift around the dark room, wondering how long I’ve been asleep. A bright flash of lightning shines through the window, casting a glow in the room for just a second as I pick up my phone from the nightstand. Shit! That was close to the house.
An instant gut-feeling of worry travels through me. Is Cayden back? What the hell is she doing? Where did Brody take her? Is he keeping her safe in this storm? I would keep her safe. Shaking my head, I try to clear my mind of those thoughts. I glance at the time on my phone. I’ve only been sleeping for a little over an hour, which means the storm is causing the darkness. My eyes are dry and hurting from sleeping in these damn contacts because I never sleep in them, and can tell it’s time for me to take them out.
Walking toward the door, I flip the light on and go over to the dresser to get my contact case, solution, and glasses. No one has ever seen me in my glasses, but I have terrible vision. It’s so bad, I can’t see five feet in front of me.
I take my stuff into the Jack and Jill bathroom that separates my bedroom from Cayden's. After washing my hands, I push back my sandy blond hair, which has grown since the beginning of the year. It's now long enough that strands fall into my eyes. I tip my head back, and with one hand, I hold my eye open while the other moves in closer to pull out the contact. Before I can peel it out, the other door flings open, hitting my elbow, and my finger jabs me in the eye. "Ah, fuck!" I howl in pain and cover my now stinging eye with my hand. I guess that answers my questions–where she is and if she’s safe–but fuck my eye hurts.
"Oh, shit! I'm sorry! I didn't know you were in here," Cayden stammers and quickly tries to shut the door behind her.
"Wait!" I grab the door, stopping her from leaving. With my good eye, I study her starting with her face and working my way down. "Why weren’t you here?"
She puts her hands on her hips and glares in irritation. "Does it really matter if I was or wasn't here when you showed up?"
"It mattered to me." I uncover my eye, but it doesn't want to stay open and tears are leaking out. Shit, it hurts!
She huffs and throws her arms in the air. "Why does it matter, Zac?"
"Because we're friends." I shrug. "I wanted to see you and to celebrate with everyone."
"Friends?" She scoffs, chuckling without humor. "I'm not your friend, Zac. We're two people that got thrown together by association. We were roommates for a few months. That’s it."
My head jerks back as if she’s slapped me. "You don't think we’re friends? Good to fucking know, Cayden. So what, douchebag Brody's your friend?" God damn jealousy rearing its ugly head.
"I've known Brody my entire life, Zac. I know everything there is to know about him. Unlike you," She hisses.
My steely glare focuses on her. "Then maybe you should go spend more fucking time with your friend."
"Maybe I will!" Her voice rises as she slams the door shut, leaving me alone in the bathroom with my hurt eye along with my bruised ego. Thirty seconds later, the door flies back open. “Just so you know, this wouldn’t even be an issue if you would pull your head out of your ass and realize what’s right fucking in front of you.” With those parting words, she slams the door one more time.
She’s not telling me anything I don’t already know. She has it all wrong. So. Fucking. Wrong.
Blowing out a deep breath of air, I look at myself in the mirror for a moment and remind myself that I can’t have her. This is me and Cayden…I want her friendship, but don’t want her to be with anyone else. She wants to be more than friends, and because we aren’t, she fights with me at every turn. I don’t know any two people that have a more fucked up relationship than us. Even Cydney and Mav weren’t this complicated, and I have no one else to blame except myself.
I begin to remove my contacts. It takes a few painful tries, but I finally get my contact out and do the same with the other. I put my thick black frame glasses on and slam my side of the door shut. Going back to lay on the bed, I sulk in my own pathetic misery until I fall back to sleep.