After coming up empty-handed, I shut the fridge, my expectant gaze on Cade. His asshole grin says all I need to know. It wasn’t paparazzi.
Ooo-kay. Fuck you very much. It could happen.
“What’s for breakfast?” I ask on a huff of annoyance. I’m desperate, okay? Hospital food tasted of cardboard and that clear liquid diet is for the birds. I want food. I want meat. I want some damn calories! And if I have to come down from my high horse and beg—eh, maybe not beg—ask Cade for some food, then I will. We all make sacrifices.
Cade makes this amused sound in his throat like he knows something I don’t. He strides over, reaching behind me into the fridge and drops a small container with a note attached to my waiting hands. I stare down at it, confused, before I raise my gaze to his vicious smile. Something like fear squeezes my insides. Suddenly, I’m not so hungry anymore. Taking my sweet time, I unfold the note.
Theo- Clear solids for today. I better not catch you on your feet!
XOXO
A.
I scoff so Cade doesn’t sense fear in the air. “She’s ridiculous. Where’s the food?”
His eyebrows are tented high as an arrogant smile pulls at his lips. “I told you, you had orders.”
I’m clenching the snack-sized Jello in my hand, debating if I should throw a fastball or a change-up at Cade’s stupid face, when I hear keys jingle in the front door.
“She’s due back any second from the store,” he says smugly, taking another small sip of his coffee.
Let’s get one thing straight, the reason I launch clear across the room and hurl myself over the back of the sofa is not because I’m scared. No. I merely decide to take all the advice handed down and stay off my feet. You know, before the door opens. Before Anniston walks in with her arms full of groceries. Before Cade doubles over laughing.
“Theo…” she trails off, suspicious. Her eyes dart between Cade and me, attempting to figure out what the hell was just going on as she blows a wayward strand of hair out of her eyes.
Snorts and heaving, broken cackles echo from across the room. Someone found his humor this morning. Fucker.
My stitches pull in a burning flame of oh-my-that-was-not-a-good-idea as I try and fail to find a comfortable position. I remain stoic, plastering a fake smile on my face to lead one Anniston McCallister on a journey full of deceit.
“Dr. McCallister.” I push out a cocky lip tip, trying my best to ignore the snorting pig, aka Cade, in the kitchen. It wasn’tthatfunny. Doesn’t he have a toilet to go clean?
Anniston, not the idiot I would like her to be right now, cocks a hip, eyeing me warily.
I will not show fear. I will not show fear.
Cade, who seems to have gotten himself under control, approaches, taking the bags from her straining arms. His eyes are red and glassy as he sniffles back a laugh, cutting his eyes at me before smothering another.
“Thanks, Gorgeous.” Her smile is genuine as she smoothes her palm down his arm in a thoughtful gesture. “What have you boys been up to?”
Trailing behind Cade, she turns back, her eyes narrowing to slits as she tries to extract the truth with her voodoo.
I blink. Lies are just not coming as fast as they usually do. What the fuck did they give me in the hospital?
Never the loser, though, I dig deep into my vast vault of sarcasm, popping off with the first thing that comes to mind. “Just shooting the shit. Cade keeps trying to convince me to watchThe Bachelorettewith him, but I don’t know…I mean, how good can it be with a bunch of dudes sitting around, holding each other’s dicks, crying into their wine while singing Disney show tunes? I’m sure some snooty, aristocrat wannabe will break each of their little hearts, one by one.”
Something crashes in the kitchen. Now, I can’t be sure what it was exactly, but the thought that I might have gotten under Cade’s skin makes me immensely happy.
Anniston starts to cough, turning away from Cade so he doesn’t see the moisture bead up in her eyes. Her shoulders are shaking as she holds in silent laughter. When she finally reigns it in and faces me, I give her a little wink. And she loses it. Tears fall freely as she doubles over, burying her face in her shirt, unladylike snorts wracking her tiny frame.
“I…I’m…” Laugh. “S-S-Sorry.” Another laugh. “Cade.” She sucks in a breath, seriously trying to get her act together and not offend Mr. Broody in the kitchen.
“Theo!” she scolds, but her chastising has no effect on me since her face is still screwed up in a smile that says she very much enjoyed the joke at Cade’s expense. “Cade does not watchThe Bachelorette.”
I shrug like I don’t care either way. “That’s not what he says.” Total lie, but the cabinets slamming in the next room just egg me on.
“Anyway. What’s this bullshit about clear food? Have I not suffered enough?”
Anniston comes over and sits beside me, pulling my legs on top of hers. “I wanted to be sure you still weren’t nauseated.”
