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"Get busy living or get busy dying." – Andy Dufresne 'The Shawshank Redemption'
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Chapter 7
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I blinked up at the white ceiling in confusion. I searched the roof above me for any cracks of recognization.

I rubbed at my eyes. "Where am I?" I mumbled to no one in particular.

I swung my legs over the big bed, feeling all of the memories from last night flood in. My last memory was of me looking at the sides of Kade's bed.

What the fuck?

I looked around in confusion. Where was the asshole, anyway?

I stood up, then made my way down the staircase. If he wasn't upstairs, then he must be somewhere else inside of the house.  

The sweet smell of food tickled my nose. As I rounded the corner, Kade's tanked back was to me.

I needed to leave before this got even worse than what it already was.

My shoes dangled in my hand. I gripped onto them for dear life as I made an attempt at a sneaky act. My toes cramped from how quietly I attempted to get to the door.

My plan smacked me in the face once I heard the deep rumble of his voice, "Morning."

Fuck.

My face fell in shame and disappointment.

I faced him, my stomach twisting in all sorts of knots. I lowered my head as I walked back towards him.

A proud smirk upturned his lips. A frown downturned mine.

A silent dispute settled once I plopped down onto a tall stool. In a sense, this was my fault. I had gotten into the car with him, willingly, and now I was paying for it. But to be fair, he stole my property.

"Why do you do that shit?" Kade's voice broke into my thoughts.

I raised my head in confusion. "Do what?"

"That thing you do, you know when you look like you wanna say something then you just..." Kade paused before flipping over a cooked pancake. "Stop."

I laid my hands on the cold table in front of me, releasing my lip. "I never realized I was doing it."

"Well, you should pick up your head more. Never show weakness to anyone. Not even yourself."

The words slipped out before I could stop them, "It's different when you spent your entire life as the opposite." I brought my arms closer, propping my head in my hands. "Besides, who are you to comment on any of my actions?"

"I'm the guy whose privacy you invaded," he reminded me.

"I invaded your privacy?" I scoffed in disbelief "You're the one who started this."

Kade ignored my argument, the shake of his head closing it. "You want eggs?"

My face scrunched up in seconds. "Gross."

"That's a no, then." He placed two of each— pancakes, French toast, and bacon— on both plates that were in front of him.

I cleared my throat to present way to a new conversation. "As I was saying, you're quite literally the cause of all of this, Kade. We wouldn't even be here right now if it weren't for you," I continued. "You know...I do have other ways of getting it back." I was bluffing. I couldn't handle the embarrassment of telling my dad and brother how bad my first week of school was already.

"Nah, you would have done it, already," he chuckled. "You were the one who dropped the diary for anyone to take. I just so happened to be the one to pick it up."

He stepped toward me and placed one of the plates down. I huffed a sigh of annoyance. Although I hated admitting it, he was right. I should have left it at home, but it still didn't give him the right to take my things any time he pleased. None of my actions excused his.

"Apple, grape, or orange juice?" he questioned, yanking open the door of his refrigerator.

At my glare, Kade shrugged his shoulders. "Pick one, or you'll just thirst."

"Apple," I mumbled.

I watched as he poured a glass of apple juice for us both. My hand clenched around my fork a little too tight as the tattoo's along his naked arms taunted me past his tank. His muscles flexed on instinct as his body shifted to grab more items.

Strands of dark hair grazed his eyes once his head dipped. If I weren't grounded to the chair, I probably would have fallen on to my ass. But, since I had given him enough humiliation to use against me, I withheld the small puddle of admiration forming in my mind.

Stop it. That voice of reason yelled. I knew better than to fall for someone as bitchy as him. The boy obviously had issues, and I wanted no place in them, nor did I plan on finding one.

I stared down at the food, nibbling on my bottom lip. My fingers itched to dig in, but my reluctance stood along with Kade's presence.

"Are you going to eat?" he said in annoyance once he noticed my hesitation. "I didn't have to cook, you know."

I demanded my eyes to stop wondering around so carelessly. Instead, they averted to my plate. "How do I know whether or not you've poisoned it?"

He smirked at me, chuckling as he gripped my plate, then pulled it to himself. "Good point." His eyes remained on mine as he cut a piece of pancake and popped it in his mouth.

My eyes narrowed nearly shut as I watched him. "Swallow it." He rolled his eyes, but did as instructed, then pushed the plate back to me.

I might have stared a little too along at his adam's apple as it bobbed. I stared at the food a little longer before I started to cut into my pancake.

Just as I swallowed a bite, he began to gasp. My eyes widened as he grabbed at his throat.

I stood up so fast, I nearly knocked over my chair. Just as I made it to his side of the table, he paused. His brown eyes crinkled in humor as he began to laugh.

I paused in step once I realized. With an eye roll, I stomped back to my seat. "You're an asshole."

His laughter didn't cease until he took a sip of juice. With a shrug, he said, "Personally, poison wouldn't be my go to. Shit's too boring."

I said nothing as I rolled my eyes. As soon as I finished eating, I would never step foot into this house, again.

I felt the heavy weight of his eyes before he placed himself on the stool in front of me. The only thing that could be heard in the room was the sound of glass clinking. I could care less how I presented myself as I ate, hurriedly. The sooner I was out of here, and away from this lunatic, the better.

After my plate was empty, I stood so quickly I grew light headed. Before I could leave, I asked the question dawning on me, "Did you put me in your bed last night?"

Kade blinked at me as if he weren't expecting me to ask. There was a moment or two until his response.

"What were you sleeping on the couch for?" he sent my way in return.

My eyebrow perked up. "Because, I didn't want to sleep in your bed." My tone came off as wasn't it obvious?

Wrong choice of words.

He took it just as expected, his smirk loud and clear. "That's the first time I've actually heard that shit." He gloated as if that were something to be proud of. "But, there's usually not a lot of sleeping going on up there. Just some—"

I cut him off, immediately. "Well, you're gonna hear it, again and again, so get used to it."

I wasn't entirely naive. I read and watched all types of romance since I was in love with the idea of love. Guys like Kade never allowed women to stay the night, let alone cook breakfast for them. If they did, then it meant the girl was something very special to them.

But, that was when I thought back to Kade, and his mistreatment ever since I had arrived to Winster High School, I knew that this wasn't a romance book. This was reality, and reality clearly showed that Kade didn't give a rat's ass about anyone, but hisself, and his delusions.

"Trust me, sweetheart," he said to me, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "My ego is still the same."

I had to bite my lip to stop from cursing at him, so instead I asked, "Where did you sleep?"

He stood, walking to my side of the table. "Guest bedroom."

My head tilted. "Why'd you sleep there?"

He sighed as his hands went for my empty plate. "Now, I find it funny that if I would have slept in the same bed as you, this would be an entirely different discussion."

I crossed my arms. "No, I meant..." I trailed off as I realized I didn't want to argue with him any longer. I just wanted to go home.

As I handed the plate to him, our hands grazed with one another's. Although the contact had been so small that even an ant would struggle between the space, I still felt something.

But, that had to mean nothing.

A single pin drop could be heard through the tense space. By his sharp intake, I knew he felt it, too.

Screw that. I was still half-asleep.

I tore my hand away from the plate as quickly as I could once he began to study me over.

I screamed at my brain to think of something to say to him. By the time I did, he was already staring at me, but I continued on, anyway, "Where were you last night?"

With a crooked smirk, he answered my question with a question, "Why are you asking so many questions?"

I had to swallow my frustrations. It was like the man was unknowledgeable when it came to questions. But, I wasn't here to find out his life story, so I didn't care enough to press it. I was here for my diary.

My diary.

The thought came to mind quicker than humanly possible. I needed something, anything that could get me as far away from him, but as close as possible to my diary.

My mind led me to the thought of showering. I knew that there was a bathroom in his bedroom, and I was sure that my diary might be in close proximity of the area.

"Can I go take a shower?"

Kade's eyes were on the sink, his hands clenching the sink for dear life. As if he were distracted by something. He stayed silent.

My brows tightened with confusion. I walked closer to his backside. "Kade?"

My finger landed on his shoulder. I was caught in a storm as he jerked around, then grabbed my wrist in a tight lock. My eyes widened to the size of saucers at the sudden attack. His eyes flickered between my wrist, myself, then my wrist again, before he blinked.

"What?" he snapped.

I tilted my head in utter confusion. "Can I go and take a shower?"

He released my shaky wrist. "I don't care."

I nodded, still stuck on his shift of emotions. It looked like he had been in a trance. But it wasn't my concern. I wasn't his therapist, nor would I ever act like it if he hadn't taken the chance to visit an actual one first. His problems were his own.

Instead, I needed to concentrate on what was important. My diary.

As I climbed the stairs, I cursed myself at how idiotic I'd been in the last twenty four hours. I was in the man's house, with a great opportunity of getting back the thing he took from me. Yet, I had wasted most of my chance already. I needed to get my shit together.

Just as I scolded myself, I remembered something. Well, two somethings.

Ryland and dad.

I hadn't taken a break to realize what Ryland, or my dad must have been thinking by now. I never came home late. I never went anywhere else besides to school and back.

I felt a small pit at the bottom of my stomach form at the thought of them. I never wanted to worry them, and I already knew that by now, they were probably going nuts.

I cursed at myself, as well as my bladder. I knew that this would place another obstacle on my plan, but perhaps, this would relieve my nerves since I figured I would be here for a stretch of time.

Once I washed my hands, I stepped out of the bedroom to see Kade. Shit. I frowned as I stared at his back.

As if he had sensed me, he jerked around. I felt my entire being freeze as I noticed the familiar angry expression he wore so often.

"What the fuck is this?"