Insomnia

CADE OLD

"So, a view of the stars and pizza, huh?" Lena questions, lying on her side. "You do understand how much a cliche you are, right?"

He makes a muffled snickering noise, dragging a pamphlet out of his pocket. "Best place in town." He tosses it near her face, grinning like an idiot.

"You lied to me?"  She asks, picking up the pamphlet.

"Ehh... It didn't specify location." He shrugs. "I technically found it, but... Hey, I told you in the end."

Liar. Great.

"Sorry." He mutters. "Thought'd you find it funny. Guess not. Maybe you could put me on the straight and narrow." He grins at her.

"You're a perv." She mutters, hitting him in the shoulder.

"I ain't no Boo Radley."

"Boo Radley was the good guy, you dolt." She narrows her eyes at him.

"Okay, so the myth of him. Y'know, the one Jem made up — or was it the other kid? Jeez, it's been years."

"You're an interesting creature, Maddox." She remarks.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

•

There's a knock on the door. Lena looks from her cereal, to her pants-less legs, to the door, and lastly to the clock. She groans, getting up and opening the door.

"Cade, Jesus fucking Christ! Leave me alone!" She exclaims.

"I'm sorry." He murmurs, scuffing his shoes.

"Go play with your fucktoy." Lena sighs. "I'm going to bed."

"She's dead." He suddenly spits out. "She's dead, and I still..." Those forever familiar gray eyes search her soul. "I still..."

"I'm tired, Cade." She informs him once more, leaning against the door frame.

"You're still so beautiful..." He murmurs. Lena can smell the alcohol on his murmur, but it couldn't have been all that much unless he did shot after shot of vodka.

"That's great to know." She replies dryly. "I'm about thirty seconds from calling 911."

"I loved you. I ended up blowing all my money and I couldn't even afford a ring that you deserved. I wasn't- I'm not a good guy. You've figured out that much. I'm a drunk, and a gambler, and a liar, and I didn't fucking deserve you-"

"You're. Too. Late. Cade, stop chasing me. I'm done being chased. I like the life I have here." She prepares to close the door in his face when he grabs her by the waist and pulls her into a kiss.

Her mind flickers back to that night, in the hotel, the waves crashing on the beach and the breeze playing with the curtains. Those few days that she could never forget, the moments that she's longed to have again for the past 4 years.

She tries to find the courage and plain decency to fight him off — she literally had a date tonight. A date with a curious redheaded man with a cute little sense of southern hospitality and charm, but is still such an idiot sometimes.

But the overwhelming familiarity and rush of emotions rips any decency out of her grasp. With him, right now, his kiss, his touch, she's Evie again. She's just that scared little college student who's had next to no experience with the world and grew up in a small, rural town. She feels safe here, protected. Warm.

She can taste the alcohol on his tongue. She remembers him drunk versus slightly tipsy. He's not drunk. He's not mean and grabby.

He's... Cade...