Bitter Heart √

Nineteen

And even if it wasn't technically lying, it still felt like lying.

I reached my house with the same heavy feeling inside my chest. I wished I could've said something reassuring to Alex. Maybe told him something not so lie-like.

On the other hand, I didn't know what I was going to go through once I faced Mom and Dad. Mom especially, since she had told me not to go anywhere after school. And since it was already night by now, I'm sure I'd have a lot of explaining to do.

I was almost up to my front door when I heard a soft rustle from right behind me. I turned around hastily and ended up slamming into someone.

"Ow."

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Adrian spoke up. "Didn't mean to sneak up."

For a moment there, I thought it was Caden. But then again, Caden never really apologized. Adrian grinned at me as if he had indeed meant to sneak up.

After all, wasn't that his speciality?

"What are you doing here?" I asked him, glancing back at my house cautiously. If my mother sees this--I didn't even want to think what would happen if my mother saw this.

"I came here to give you Caden's message." He said that with a warm smile--a smile that I knew Caden could pull off nicely. Way too nicely. Not that I'd ever get to see that. Not when he was so much into those frowns and scowls. And why was I even thinking of that when Adrian was here, waiting for my response, and had a supposedly important message?

"Yeah?"

"About Blake. He asked you to keep up your act with him. Like a friend, I suppose." He replied, tilting his head to the side.

It took me a while to wrap my head around what he was saying. Safe to say, I was left dumbfounded. Caden was asking me to do what? He knew what Blake was capable of and he was literally asking me to be his friend?

Was he fucking kidding me?

"I can't do that." I said, my voice lowering to a hushed whisper. I remembered how creepy his smirk had been and how I couldn't have slept all night after that. Something about Blake screamed at me to not trust him at any cost.

"I know it's dangerous, Skylar. I even told that to--never mind. Just keep this up for a little while. Anything happens, you're supposed to tell Caden. We'll make sure to get some backup." He looked apologetic at this point.

I wished I could knock some sense into Caden. What was I, a fucking toy?

"Yeah, sure." I grumbled. I wasn't that much of a fool to not know what Caden was doing here. He was making me the bait. Now that I knew his secret, he expected me to agree and go along with anything that he said?

What kind of jerk did that?

"Hey, I'm really sorry for this. Maybe he has some plan?" Adrian encouraged.

I smiled in response even when I didn't feel like smiling. "Don't worry about it. I'll be fine." I said. I didn't need Caden's help for that matter.

"Okay then. I'll...get going." He passed me one last smile before walking away.

I watched his retreating back as he turned around the corner and left. Sighing, I turned around myself and opened the front door. Things were starting to fuck up even more now. The least Caden could've done was shown up himself.

But no, he sends one of his freaking gang members.

I wouldn't even know what to do first when I'd see him next. Bonk some sense into his stupid head or strangle him.

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Xoxo,
Crystal 🌿