Page 75 of Sweet Girl
Joy.
Surprise.
Betrayal.
Kylah squeaks out a loud gasp, as she covers her mouth with her hand, her eyes wide with hurt. The way she stares at me – the pain evident across her face – shatters me. I know exactly what she sees, even though it’s conveying a completely different message. My eyes – my heart – my everything – beseeches her to know the truth. To realize this isn’t what it seems.
Cade protectively throws an arm out in front of Kylah, blocking her entrance. He turns his head behind him and speaks low in her ear. I can’t hear what he says, but I see Kylah nod her head and backs up and out of the room.
“Cade...it’s not...we’re not...” I ping-pong between Cade and Lyndsay, whose tears have dried up and she looks confused. She doesn’t know I’ve been dating Kylah, and to my knowledge, has never met her. But she knows Cade. And I’m sure she sees the severity of the situation.
“You fucking asshole,” he yells, charging me from the door. In three long strides, he’s pulled me up by my tie and collar, his fist ready to make contact with my jaw with the slightest provocation. “Give me one reason why I shouldn’t fucking kill you right now.”
Lyndsay jumps to her feet, lodging herself between the two of us.
“Because it’s not his fault. He did nothing wrong. You should know better than that, Cade.”
Cade grumbles, his hand tightening and then loosening as he decides whether or not to trust what Lyndsay is saying is true.
After a few moments, he gives me a quick shove and drops his hand, stepping back to assess the situation. He takes in the hoodie Lyndsay’s wearing, covering only to her mid-thigh, otherwise naked underneath. He sees I’m still fully clothed and maybe he even notices the genuine concern in my eyes. All I want to do right now is fly out that door and track down Kylah.
She gave me no indication that she was going to visit this weekend. We both talked about how busy we were with classes and my basketball schedule. There seemed no way that we’d get a chance to see each other. A kernel of dread now pops through my veins, a heavy mixture of anxiety skirting around my brain. I need to find her.
Cade seems to read my thoughts and shakes his head.
“No...I’ll go talk to her. But you need to fix this. You just pissed on her parade in a really big way, man. It’s not going to be easy to come back from this.”
“Yeah, thanks.” Is all I can think to say. I’m at a loss for words.
I’ve lost big games before. I’ve lost my temper on several occasions. I’ve even lost my way a few times.
But losing Kylah. That I can’t live with.
