I’ve never been invited to an intimate birthday party before. And this one isn’t convincing me that I want to make it a habit.
Vi and I are squished around the tiny table in Rick’s dining room. The place is decorated with balloons and banners. The table’s been set with a humble feast.
Rick is wearing a party hat. It’s pointy at the top and strapped tightly under his chin. The cheerful rainbow colors on the hat clash against his dour expression. He hasn’t said much.
I’m starting to think Hunter never asked Rick if he actually wanted us here. The moment Rick saw us at the door today, his face fell. He tried to recover, but it was clear that he hadn’t been looking forward to meeting us again.
The only sound in the apartment is the clinking of forks against dinner plates. Rick is staring into his steak, not saying much.
His girlfriend, a pretty woman with tan skin and big brown eyes, shifts in her seat. Her eyes darting back and forth, she exhales nervous laughter.
“Cadence, Viola, how’s the steak?”
“Good,” I mumble.
Vi lifts a thumb in approval.
The silence falls swiftly again, blanketing the air with a thick, heavy awkwardness.
Rick’s girlfriend makes her second attempt at conversation. “Cadence, you attend Redwood Prep, right?”
I nod.
“Wow.” She wipes her hands on a napkin and leans forward. “I’ve always wondered what it was like in there. Every time we pass by, I tell Rick ‘look at those cars’. Everything in the parking lot shines like diamonds.”
My lips arch up at the corners, but I’m internally screaming.
“I bet rich kids are the same as us,” she comments, sticking her fork into a piece of lettuce.
“Yeah, they’re the same,” I murmur.
I think about Dutch and his brothers. Terrifying in their own right. Ruthless when put together. They own the school and everyone in it.
But not me.
Never me.
“Don’t Jarod Cross’s kids go to that school?” Hunter asks, his mouth a hard, firm line.
Rick’s eyes glint with interest. “Jarod Cross’s sons?”
“Their band played at the dance where I chaperoned.” He pauses. “They also followed Cadence to the diner the day we went to find your gift.”
My smile gets tight. Any tighter and it’ll shatter.
I really don’t want to talk about this.
“Cadence and Dutch are friends,” Viola blurts out.
Hunter’s shoulders get tense.
Rick’s too.
“You’re friends with The Kings?” Rick’s girlfriend has stars in her eyes. “You’re freaking kidding me. What’s it like?”
I think of Dutch slamming me into lockers, ordering me around, and laying claim over my virginity.
My throat tightens. I wrap trembling fingers around a cup and sip. “We’re not really friends.”
Hunter’s eyes bore into my face, but I pretend not to notice and take another sip.
The conversation stalls again.
Rick’s girlfriend, poor thing, tries to pick it back up. Flashing Hunter a mischievous smile, she says, “You and Cadence went to the mall by yourselves? Was it like a date?”
“Not in that sense,” Hunter says casually, leaning back.
I hang my head and bite down hard on my bottom lip.
Hunter and I haven’t really spoken since that day at the diner. I mean, he did text a few times, but it’s been so hectic with school, work and Dutch breathing down my neck that I haven’t had the time to answer.
“How old are you, Cadence?”
“Seventeen,” I say.
“She’ll be eighteen in December,” Hunter says.
My eyes swerve to him. I’m shocked that he knows that.
Rick looks over too. His jaw is hard. “Don’t sound so eager, man.”
Hunter and Rick exchange glares.
Rick’s girlfriend pops to her feet. “I’ll get the cake so we can sing happy birthday. Hunter, can you help?”
“Yeah.” Hunter wipes his mouth and pushes away from the table.
Rick keeps staring into his plate and eating woodenly.
Viola catches my eye and cringes as if to say ‘this is so awkward’.
I motion for her to relax.
No one says a word until Hunter and Rick’s girlfriend return. We sing a lackluster happy birthday song and Rick cuts the cake.
“Oh,” his girlfriend takes a chomp of her slice, “some beer would go great with this.”
“I’ll get it.” Rick volunteers, glancing over at me. “Cadence, can you come with me?”
Stunned, I nod and follow Rick through the door.
We pass the dark and musty stairwell. The carpets are moldy, the lights are blinking out, and the walls look like they need to be torn down and rebuilt. Even our apartment looks more well maintained than this and we have a crappy building manager who still hasn’t gotten back to me about fixing our locks.
Rick’s eyes meet mine. There’s embarrassment in his tone when he asks, “How have you been making do with the rent?”
“It’s fine,” I say.
I don’t hold his lack of involvement against him anymore. It was enough to find out that he’d been trying to help out, even though he kept brushing me off and acting like I was a burden.
I get it. Mom left us both in a sucky situation. Rick didn’t ask for two half-sisters to barrel into his life out of nowhere. It’s not his responsibility to pay off mom’s debt.
He licks his lips and glances down.
“Is something on your mind?” I ask.
The waning sunlight causes him to squint at the horizon. He peers at me. “I wanted to ask you… have you seen anything lately? Anything you didn’t expect to see?”
What kind of question is that?
I mull it over.
The calm expression on his face begins to fade as the quiet stretches.
“Have you?” he presses.
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing.” He hurries ahead.
I take a step forward and then I stop. My eyes wide, I ask urgently. “Is someone breaking into your house too?”
Rick freezes on the sidewalk. Fingers folding into fists, he looks straight at me. “Someone broke into your house?”
“I don’t know.” I’m a little scared by the intensity of his stare. “It could be just our mistake. The other night, the door was open. A few nights before that, Vi lost her necklace.”
“Did Vi see anyone strange that night?”
I shake my head, hating to think about what could have happened if someone had broken in. My little sister was at home. Alone. Anyone could have walked in and just…
“I’ve got a lock at home,” I tell him, trying to reassure myself too. “I’m going to change the doorknob and add a new bolt.”
His jaw clenches. “I’ll ask Hunter to help you out.”
“I can do it myself.”
Rick stares at me with dark eyes and in a grave voice says, “Let Hunter help.” He rips his gaze away and runs his hands through his hair. “You need to be careful, Cadence.”
“Of what? Burglars?”
“Just…” He licks his lips in agitation. “Be careful.”
With those haunting words echoing in my ears, we get the beer and return to the party. But I’m not really in the mood to celebrate anything and Rick looks like he’s done with socializing too. I’m relieved when Hunter finally takes us home.
Vi heads inside right away. Her bedroom door slams shut and it’s loud enough to get Hunter’s attention.
“Did I say something wrong in the car?” he asks, pausing his search through the toolbox to look up at me.
“No, I think she might just be disappointed by Rick. I keep telling her not to get her hopes up with him…”
“He’s not a bad guy. He wants to be there for you both. He just doesn’t know how.”
“I get that. But I shouldn’t have dragged Vi there just to feel uncomfortable and out of place.”
Hunter straightens to his full height, his head lowered. “I guess that’s my fault.”
“No, I don’t blame you. I just think… maybe we can love Rick from afar, you know? You don’t always have to be best friends with your family. Relationships are complicated.”
“That’s true.” Hunter expertly takes down our doorknob. “But you don’t know if you don’t try—whether it’s a relationship with family or a relationship with a guy.”
My breath hitches in my throat. Is he talking about us right now?
I shift my gaze away. “A guy? Life is hard enough without throwing someone else’s feelings into it. I’m not going to date right now.” I clear my throat. “But I do appreciate having friends.”
He finishes with my lock, brushes his hands over his pants and turns to me. He’s closer than before. His chest almost grazes my arm.
“Are you trying to tell me you and I are better off as friends, Cadence?” he whispers. His breath tickles my hair.
“I…” My nostrils flare. “I really appreciate everything you’ve done for us but—”
“I get it.” He steps back.
“Get what?”
“This is because of him, right?” His eyes flash with annoyance.
I don’t have to guess which ‘him’ Hunter’s referring to.
“It’s not.”
Hunter bobs his head once, picks up his toolbox and stalks down the hallway. Then he stops. Turns back. Comes barreling toward me.
“Let me give you this one piece of advice as your friend. Stay away from guys like that. Don’t fool yourself into thinking he’ll change for you or that he’ll be good to you if he treats everyone else like crap. People like him only know how to toy with us.”
“I know.” I choke.
He has no idea how well I had to learn that lesson.
Hunter’s smile is grim. “No, you don’t. But you think you do. And that’s why it won’t end well.”
I watch Hunter take off down the stairs and feel my heart beating fast. What the hell did he mean by that?
