Page 27 of Lost Boy

“Don’t drink shit that random people give you, Haley baby,” he growls, tilting his head forward. “Ever.”

His eyes are bloodshot, and his voice sounds different. He’s drunk—there’s no mistaking that—and he’s really, really pissing me off.

“My name isHaley!” I hiss, jabbing a finger into his hard abdomen. “Not Haley baby. Just Haley to you. Asshole!”

“You’ll always be Haley baby to me,” he says, his gaze flicking to my lips. “And you can’t go walking around these parties,trusting everyone.” His gaze hardens. “Something could happen to you.”

Maybe it should make me soften that he cares, but it only fuels my irritation further. Standing taller, I continue to jab my fingertip into his body. “What I do is none of your business, Cade! I’m not your problem!”

His face dips lower, moving closer to mine as he glares into my eyes. “Maybe not. But maybe I wish you were,” he mutters, low enough for only me to hear. “Maybe you wish you could be too.”

“No,” I growl. “I don’t.”

“I think you’re lying, angel. I think you want to be my problem,” he says matter-of-factly. “And I’m really,reallyclose to making you my fucking problem.”

“Huff, what the fuck?!” Nash calls from behind him.

Growing angry again, Cade swings around to face Nash. Keeping me securely tucked behind his body. Reaching behind himself with one hand, he grazes my hip, sending a lightning bolt shooting through my entire body. Jolting me like I’m being electrocuted from his touch.

“I’m not a random person, Huff. Hales and I are friends.”

“She’s just Haley to you, no cute fucking nicknames, Nash,” Cade growls.

“I’ll call her whatever I want, Huff,” Nash drawls just as I peek around Cade’s side. He steps closer, his eyes glaring into Cade’s. “Besides, from what I can see, you’re too fucked up most of the time to know what she needs. I wouldn’t trust whatever you fucking give her—that’s for sure.”

“Shut the fuck up, pretty boy, before I break those extra-soft hands of yours and let the hockey team use them for shit paper,” Cade taunts him, leaning in closer. “And she doesn’t want you anyway. That’s probably why she had to get hammered. To tolerate your ass.”

“Cade!” I hiss, stepping to the side of him. “You are so out of line.”

“I ought to put you in your place right now, puck boy,” Nash says with a cocky tone. “Haley doesn’t need you here.”

“You can try, but then I’ll have to embarrass you in front of Haley. Who you are fucking obsessed with even though she doesn’t want you,” Cade chimes in, and I don’t have to look at his face to know he’s smirking. “Besides, you might rip that Abercrombie & Fitch shirt your mama bought you. That’d be a shame, huh? Did she buy that for you when your balls finally dropped last week?”

“Haley, let’s get out of here,” Nash says, his eyes remaining on Cade’s. “This clown is ruining the night.”

I glance nervously up at Cade, only able to see the side of his face. But even from his profile, I can tell he’s fuming, fueled with red-hot anger. I continue to stare at him. Maybe I’m hoping he’ll tell me not to go. In some way, that would prove that what I’m feeling between us isn’t all in my head. That when his hand touched me, maybe, just maybe … he felt the electricity the way I did.

Turning toward me, he leans down closer to my ear. “Don’t take drinks from just anyone,Haley. Watson’s here. If you need him, he’ll be around. Be careful.”

As he takes a step away, I involuntarily, stupidly, pathetically grab his arm. “Where are you going?”

“Home,” he mutters, never looking at me. “Nash is right. You don’t need me here.” His shoulders sag slightly, and he sighs. “Just remember what I said. Do not take drinks from random people.” He cranes his neck and jerks his head toward Nash. “This guy? He’s not good enough for you, Haley. None of the assholes in here are.”

When he struts off, I glare up at Nash, who looks smug, like he’s won something. Like I’m a prize and it’s all a stupid game.

Stepping around him, I grab the unopened bottle of vodka and twist the cap. Putting some in a plastic cup, I tip it back, letting it burn the whole way down.

Tilting my chin up at Nash, I narrow my eyes. “I amnotyour property. And how you just acted? Well, I find it excruciatingly unattractive. So, I’m going to go now. And you aren’t going to follow me.”

As I turn, he catches my hand softly. “Hales, wait.”

“No,” is all I offer him, but he forces me to look at him.

“What is the deal with you and Huff?” He’s frustrated now. “You said nothing. But what I just saw? That sure as shit was something.”

“There’s nothing going on between us. But if there were, it’s really none of your business!” I hiss because I’m too drunk to not act like a raging idiot. “You and I are friends. You don’t get to know every detail of my life!”

Walking out of the kitchen, I spot Cade heading outside, and I chase him down just as he makes it out onto the front lawn.

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