Suffocate

Chapter 17

Kade wakes me up with a light shake to my shoulder. It takes me a few seconds to recuperate myself. What meets my eyes surprises me, but my exhaustion doesn't show it.

Kade is holding up a plate in his other hand: a sandwich, cut into two triangles, is presented to me.

I stare up at Kade. "You made me a sandwich?" I ask, my voice hoarse from sleep. Kade shrugs.

"I told you I'd make you lunch. Now, here, take it and eat it." Kade shoves the plate towards me. I grab ahold of it quickly before the sandwich can fall into my lap.

"Relax, blondie," I mumble.

Kade pinches the skin of my exposed arm. "Call me that again, and I'll sock you." I slap his hand away.

After a moment, I clear my throat. "Thanks . . . for the sandwich." Kade nods his head at me. Kade takes his seat on the couch across from me. He pulls out his phone and begins texting.

I take my first bite of the sandwich and, well, it's not bad. Another bite in, I'm holding in a satisfied groan. Kade doesn't need to know I haven't eaten since yesterday morning. I'm fucking starving.

"Hey, uh, Kade . . ."

"Hm?" Kade hums at me. His eyes are completely glued to his phone. He doesn't even spare me a glance.

"What time is it?" I ask. Kade mumbles nonsense before responding to me.

"Huh? What? . . . Oh. It's four-oh-two," he says, still distracted.

Four-oh-two. Four-oh-two?!

I stand up abruptly from the couch, which surprises me, because I didn't think I had the energy to move so fast; and because I did so, I hit my knee against the coffee table. "Shit!"

"What the hell is up with you, man?" Kade asks. His face shows concern, but he's still away with texting someone on his phone.

"The girls—no one's picked them up yet," I say, worried. I run a hand through my hair.

Dammit! They took my fucking keys.

"Don't worry about them," Kade says nonchalantly. He sits back against the couch and puts one leg over the other. He huffs out a sigh, resuming to send a questionably long text message.

"What?" I turn to him. "What do you mean?"

"What do I mean?" he repeats, laughing lightheartedly. "Kailum picked them up. Dad said so."

Kailum? The hell? Can he even drive?

"A-Are they home yet?" I ask. Man. I can't believe I slept so long. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

Kade finally chances me his time of day, holding out his arms in frustration. "I just did!"

"Earlier!" I specify, annoyed.

"You looked like you were fuckin' exhausted. Excuse me for letting you sleep for a couple hours," Kade grumbles.

"Goddammit," I mutter under my breath.

"Is it so bad that you weren't the one to pick them up?"

Kade can't be serious. I look at him and wonder if it's even worth it, talking to him. He's not even paying me attention, like he never does. Never did.

"Kade, I'm the only one who does that. I'm the only one ever around to." Kade just shrugs at me as he goes back to staring at his phone's screen.

I ignore him after that. To think I was going to ask him to make me another sandwich. Forget that now.

I leave the living room and head towards the kitchen.