Chapter 14: Plan (Caden's POV)
I came back home from school, dropping myself and my bag on the couch beside Axel. Normally, I pick him up. Other times, my mother does. Today, she had to because the school called in saying he was sick.
"What happened, big guy?" I asked, ruffling his hair.
"He has a fever and he threw up a little while after coming home. He shared some food with his friends, it must have upset his stomach," my mother said, walking in with a thermometer. "Problem is, he won't tell me who this friend is," she huffed, shoving the thermometer in his mouth.
He glanced at me.
"It's come down just a bit. The medicine is kicking in, good," my mother said, taking the thermometer out when she finished and going to rinse it.
"Was this friend of yours perhaps... Clarissa?" I teased.
He let out a fake cry, lying down and kicking my arm.
"It wasn't her food, don't worry," I chuckled, taking his shoes off for him. "It might have been the Chinese we ordered while mom and dad were out," I said. I grabbed the blanket and pulled it over him, pulling his legs into my lap. "You feel like watching a movie?"
"Toy Story," he said with a slightly stuffy nose. It's his comfort movie.
"Your feet are a little cold, Axel," I said, rubbing them quickly to heat them up.
Fifteen minutes into the movie, I asked him. "How do you impress a fairy, Axel?" When he didn't answer, I looked over and saw him fast asleep. I chuckled, turning the TV off and picking him up as cautiously as possible. I settled him in his room and then came back down to get something to eat.
I can't even ask Roman for help with Venus. He already denied it when I asked him earlier this week, saying he wants nothing to do with the destruction Venus and I are about to cause each other.
The only other person I could ask was Axel, who surprisingly, is so invested in the whole fairy thing, which is why I was asking him earlier how to impress a fairy. His answer had to have helped a little if not a ton.
I need a plan. I'm going off on a limb here, planning to convince her. But convince her how? I sat at my desk, spinning in the chair slowly while thinking. I don't know her likes and dislikes that well.
Who does?
Remy. Remy, Remy, Remy.
I grabbed the landline on my nightstand and the phone book on my desk. I opened it, looking for her dad's name which would have the number to their house phone. I scanned the name, finally locating Logan Cabot. I dialed the number and held it to my ear as it rang.
"Hello? This is Kat speaking, how can I help you?"
"Um, is Remy home? I'm a friend of hers, I would like to speak with her."
"One moment, sir."
Minutes later, Remy's voice came through. "Hello?" she sang. "Who is this?"
"This is Caden."
Silence.
"Goodbye."
"Wait, wait, wait! Remy, wait!"
"What?" she huffed. "Vee won't like me talking to you."
"Vee won't care," I retorted.
"Fair enough, at least I tried getting out of it. Tell me, what is it?"
"Can I ask you a few things? About Venus?"
"Are you expecting me to help you prank her?"
"No, this is for science," I replied sarcastically.
She hesitated but agreed. "Ask. But I'll only reveal so much, okay?"
"Okay. I just want to know about a few things that she likes or dislikes."
"Oh," she laughed. "That's fine. Let's see. She likes candy, mainly sour, she likes teddy bears, her favorite flowers are... sunflowers. I think. Maybe it's daisies, actually. She likes the night more than the day. She likes being outdoors more than indoors. She likes spontaneous plans to go somewhere. She can stay up the whole night if you ask her to."
While Remy was blabbering these things out, I was making a note of it. Literally. On a notepad.
"She doesn't like... let's see, you. She doesn't like you, for starters," she laughed at her own joke.
"Hilarious," I scoffed.
"She doesn't like chocolate or alcohol, she doesn't like chaotic places, she doesn't like horror movies. She always watches them with someone but freaks out at night. She doesn't like getting too much attention and just so you know, you can never beat her in an argument."
"That's ridiculous, I've beaten her in numerous arguments," I scoffed.
"Have you? Or has she let you?"
I fell into thought.
"Anyway, why are you asking me all this?"
"I told you, it's for science."
"Not that you take science, but she doesn't exactly make a good microscopic subject. What are you up to? Tell me or I'll snitch to her," she threatened.
"I don't quite know what I'm up to yet. I'm still figuring it out. Thanks for the information, Remy."
"Don't mention it. Seriously, don't. She'll kill me. Bye." And then she hung up.
I looked at the notepad, my pen resting between my teeth. She likes daisies and sunflowers and sour candy. She likes the night more than the day. I think you know where this plan is headed.
After dinner, I had to be the one to basically feed poor Axel who was feeling miserable in his room. My parents ate at the table and I ate upstairs with him and he dozed back off almost right away.
Once my parents headed to bed, I snuck out with nothing but my wallet. I rushed out of our estate and to the market. The one florist I know, thankfully, closes late at night. "Sunflowers and daisies. Please make them look as pretty as you can," I smiled, sliding the money over the counter.
She smiled and arranged a bouquet, handing it to me. I then rushed to the nearest candy store and bought a packet of sour patch kids. And then I rushed to her house.
I should have driven but then my parents would definitely know that I snuck out. They would hear the car leaving and coming back. When I got to the side of her house where her window was, I looked at the pipe that I always climb up. "God's sake," I muttered.
I held the sour patch kids packet between my teeth and tucked the bouquet under my arm. I climbed up the pipe, pulling myself onto the ledge. I knocked on her window. After a few moments of silence, I knocked again. I saw a light flicker on when I tried looking in the corner of the curtains. Then the curtains were pulled open.
She was sleeping.
She rubbed her eyes, her brows sitting in a frown while she threw her hair behind her shoulders. She unlocked the window and then pushed it up, opening it. "Hi, Caden," she sighed, her voice making a shiver run down my spine. It was hoarse and throaty and very seductive. Whether she knew it or not. She squinted, looking at me. "Oh, sorry." She quickly grabbed the sour patch kids, putting them on the table. I pulled out the bouquet, holding it out.
"Here, these are for you," I sighed in relief, glad that I got them to her tonight itself. I have no time to lose for Venus Jade Princeton.
She looked at the bouquet then at the candy. She turned to me, "You asked Remy?"
"Maybe," I shrugged.
She chuckled, her voice still deeper than usual, huskier than usual. Then she hit my head with the bouquet. "You're crazy. And very desperate, might I add."
"Maybe, but you see the thing is," I sighed, leaning in through the window.
She cleared the desk and took a step back.
She's letting me in.
Maybe she doesn't think things through when she's sleepy.
"I don't have time to waste when it comes to you."
"You do realize that me being well aware that you're doing all this to sleep with me kind of makes it lose its charm a little. Right?"
I nodded, "I know. But I'm hoping over time it's enough."
"And if I say no?" she asked, raising her brows at me. I took steps forward and she took steps back, eventually landing on the bed.
"No one says no to me, Venus." I crouched down to her level, placing my hands on the bed so I was closer to her than I normally am. Or better yet, than I have been when we've been in this position.
"So arrogant, aren't you?" she smiled. "Well, I'll tell you what. My mother told me- warned, actually- to stay the hell away from you. And she said that just because your mom and my mom are friends, doesn't mean anything. I still have to stay away from you," she explained.
"Well, you can't do that if your body doesn't let you. And it won't when you want me. And for that I just have to be a little convincing," I retorted.
"This is a horrible idea. Getting involved with each other. It doesn't matter if that's sexual or emotional. It'll end badly," she warned.
"I'm aware of that," I said, my eyes falling to her lips.
She pushed me back. "Your time's up. I'm tired. Night," she laughed.
I sighed in defeat and headed back out the window.
"Thanks."
I looked up at her.
"For the flowers and the candy."
"Your favorites, huh?" I smirked.
She shook her head while rolling her eyes before closing the window and then the curtains as I slid down, back to the ground.
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Chapter 14
he's putting in so much effort and he doesn't even know it lmao
next chapter: prove