Taming Arrogance (MalexMale) 《COMPLETE》

Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Cade meets me at a sandwich shop just a few minutes past three. He waves when I walk in, grinning from behind a pair of dark, square shades. Unlike when I see Blake, there's no spark of emotion that takes ahold of my intestines and squeezes them into a tight ball. There's no real connection – romantically speaking.

Instead there's a surge of foreign lust and desire that simply hasn't been quenched. Cade stands from the table, wearing those ridiculous looking skinny jeans and a black t-shirt. He wraps his arms around me when I reach him, his arms leaner and less muscular than the ones that were around me this morning.

"Fuck, I missed you," Cade says against my ear. "I was beginning to think you were trying to wiggle out of seeing me at all while you were here."

I grimace and pat him on the back. "Sorry. I've been busy."

He chuckles and pulls away, nodding for me to take a seat next to him.

"You hungry at all?" Cade asks.

"No."

"Well, I work late nights," Cade explains. "So this is my version of lunch."

I take a seat and glance at Cade's half-eaten sandwich and unopened bag of chips. Doesn't look very good, but knowing his preference in pizza toppings, I shouldn't be surprised. My phone buzzes in my pocket, and my fingers itch to read it. I know it's from Blake; it has to be. I texted just a few minutes ago telling him where I'd be during my conversation with Cade.

"So what's going on?" Cade asks, pulling my thoughts away from the text waiting for me in my pocket. "Your text was pretty elusive."

"Right. Well, here's the thing..."

My mouth suddenly goes dry, yet the back of my throat closes up with too much saliva. My heart picks up pace, and I can tell that this isn't going to be as easy as I originally thought it would be. I wipe the palm of my hands down the leg of my pants and sigh.

"Is this a rejection meet-up? Is that what's happening right now?" Cade asks abruptly.

I glance at him. His smile vanishes and he sets his sandwich back on the plate. He raises his eyebrows, waiting for me to respond.

"I..."

My voice tapers off and I swallow hard. Then I nod. Cade's shoulders slump and he looks away from my face. An uncomfortable silence takes over the space between us, and I am at a loss of what to say. Do I apologize? Normally I apologize, claiming that it's not them, it's me.

In this case, I would actually mean the apology. And in this case it really isn't Cade, and it really is me. He did nothing wrong to cause this or to sway my feelings one way or another. In fact, up until now, he's been the epitome of a good friend – trustworthy, reliable, and understanding.

Plus, I'm attracted to him. It's not as if my feelings for Blake or my decision to be with him erases that. Cade and I shared a few intimate moments, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't feeling the dude in those moments. I'd also be lying if I claimed to not be attracted to him at this very moment.

...which is all the more reason to make a clean break.

"I'm sorry," I say, choosing to leave out the second line.

Cade sighs and shakes his head. Then the silence continues picks up again for a few more unbearably long minutes. He picks at his sandwich, pulling off a piece of bread before smashing it in between his fingers and dropping it back onto the plate.

"Well damn," he murmurs under his breath. "That sucks."

I rub at the back of my neck, hating the sudden tension between us. My brain isn't wired to deal well with this kind of shit. I'm the one in the back rolling my eyes at this kind of drama or trying to find the hottest chick to take home with me. Being the one front and center during an emotionally-triggered moment after years of avoiding it – well, feels pretty shitty.