Chapter 21
"How's Kaden?" Finn asked me, once the steady flow of people who were working off their Christmas treats slowed a bit, the next afternoon at JumpFit.
He was wearing his grey JumpFit shirt, with jeans that hugged his thin legs. His hair was styled like it always was, and I felt a pang of regret, really looking at him now. There was no way I could tell him what happened at Kaden's the night before.
"Oh, he was drunk, sad. He kept drinking while I was there. He thinks no girl would want to be with him because of his daughter and his work schedule."
Finn made a face. "You need to set him up with someone."
I let out a laugh, leaning onto the desk. "Like who? I don't exactly have a ton of girlfriends. Or any."
"Is Sierra single?" Finn asked, glancing to the back of the gym, where she was just waiting for a class to begin.
I shrugged. "No clue. Kaden needs a girl who's..." I let my voice trail off.
"Any girl he dates will be jealous of you," Finn told me, serious as ever.
"What?"
"You and Kaden are so close. I was jealous of him. Still am, sometimes," he said, then shrugged.
"Kaden and I are not..." I was so sick of repeating this.
"I know," Finn whispered, then placed a hand at my waist, leaning in. "We are though, right?"
I turned into him, smiling. We sort of were, but I wasn't ready to be fully in it and I had to make sure he knew that. Hell, I'd just kissed Carson, so obviously I was confused. I nodded at Finn, just as the door opened and two teenage girls strolled in and over to us, at the desk.
I took a break a while later and headed to the food court for a smoothie. On my way back to the gym, I saw that tall, muscular body; that dark wavy hair. He was coming from the opposite direction, but going towards Jumpfit, too. Carson.
A grin spread across his face, seeing me.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, right away. I figured I'd have a few days to figure out what to do about him. And why I'd kissed him.
He stopped a few feet away from me. "I was just going to say hi, if you were working."
"No, no, don't do that. Don't come to my job, please," I said, practically begging.
"Relax, Ard." The nickname sparked memories I'd long tried to forget. He was the only one I'd let call me that. "I work across the street. I came here to get lunch." He held out the take out bag from the sushi place in the food court.
"You work where?" I asked, stepping back.
"Dan's Auto Body Shop."
"Since when?"
"Since I got to Seaside, three weeks ago." He smiled, staring at me. "Aren't you nosy?"
I narrowed my eyes. "Don't come here to say hi, okay?"
"Why? Your not-boyfriend might get mad?" Carson looked amused, which annoyed me.
"Carson."
"Hmm?"
"Ugh." I shot him a look and kept walking, back towards the gym.
I'm serious. Don't just show up places without warning, I texted him a couple hours later.
I just went to the mall to get lunch, he replied, right away. And you're the one texting me now.
I just don't need any drama at work, okay? I sent back.
Okay.
I'd agreed to dinner - pizza and soda - with Kaden and Rylee that evening, so I took a shower and got changed before going back downstairs to leave. I'd worked until 5P.M. and gone right home, but I had to rush to get back to Kaden's now. My mom was in the kitchen, which threw me off. She was hardly ever home this early during the week.
"Hi, honey," she smiled. "Coffee?"
"Sure, thanks. I'm heading to Kaden's for pizza," I answered, watching her pour me a coffee into a travel mug.
She and I had always bonded over coffee. It was like a peace offering. As she handed it to me, she looked me up and down carefully.
"The calendar says you have Rylee tomorrow?"
I nodded. I always wrote my schedule and other important things to remember on her kitchen calendar. "Yeah, my day off. Rylee's coming over at one, Kaden works two to ten."
"Okay." She paused, smiling again. "And are you not going to tell me about your date?"
"What?"
"Did you have a date last night?"
"How did you...?" I let my voice trail off, realizing I had to tell her now. "I went for dinner, with Finn."
"I knew it. Dad said you were dressed up and wearing make up," she said, practically squealing with excitement.
"Oh my god, you two better stop keeping tabs on me like that," I laughed.
"So, how was the date?" she asked instead.
"It was fine. Good. It was only sort of a date." I was flustered now.
"Sort of? Did he ask you on a date, or not?"
"Yeah, dinner."
"You're so complicated, Arden." My mom shook her head.
I forced a smile, then told her, "I have to get going."
"So," Kaden began, dropping a piece of cheese pizza onto a place for Rylee. "What happened after I crashed?"
"What?" I pretended I didn't know what he was talking about, reaching for a slice for myself.
"Spill, Arden. Or is it not appropriate for little ears?" Kaden laughed, looking at his daughter.
"Nothing to tell. We talked for a minute and then I left."
Kaden looked surprised. "Really?"
I nodded. "Yes."
"Ha, you liar. He told me you kissed him."
My cheeks flushed immediately.
"Who did you kiss?" Rylee asked me, her mouth full.
"No one," I told her, but avoided looking at Kaden.
"So, you're going to see him again." It wasn't even a question, but a statement.
"I don't know," I answered, which wasn't true, either.
Kaden finished off another slice before bring up the conversation again. "Just make sure you end it with Finn, okay? It's not his fault that Carson came back."
"Kaden, there's nothing to end... and I'm not..."
But Kaden was my best friend, and he knew me. He knew that Finn would be hurt, if I didn't make sure I ended whatever it was between us now. To me, it wasn't really anything. Some sex, one date. But to him, it was much more than that.
After dinner, I played with Rylee for awhile before driving home again. It wasn't too late, but it was dark out already. I was tired and looking forward to crawling into bed.
Thankfully the house was dark when I got home. The Christmas lights were still on outside, but the inside was dark and quiet. My dad was asleep, for sure. My mom was likely around somewhere, maybe watching TV or reading a book. Either way, I was able to sneak up to my bedroom without another interrogation.
I slipped out of my clothes and into comfy pajamas, exhaling. There was so much going on in my head, and mostly I just wanted to turn off my brain. Climbing into bed, pulling the blanket up around me, my phone buzzed. I set up my iPad to watching an episode of The Bachelor before grabbing it, to check the message.
Hey.
One simple word, from Carson. I stared at it, not typing anything back. Even though a simple message from him make my heart beat twice as fast, I didn't know what to say.
Sorry if seeing me at the mall today freaked you out.
I might have overreacted, I sent back.
Carson: Maybe. I'm still glad I got to see you
Carson : Can I see you again? Maybe tomorrow?
Me: I have Rylee all day, Kaden has to work.
Carson: So, tomorrow night?
Me: I mean I have her alllll day. Kaden works til ten.
Carson : Let me know when, then?
The fact that my brain was spinning trying to think of when I could manage to see him again was more than I could handle. Why was I reacting this way? I was supposed to be mad - and I was - but I'd kissed him. At the mall that afternoon, I rushed him away from me so Finn didn't see him there. Everything was so messed up.
I didn't sent another text to Carson, but he sent one more.
Goodnight, Arden.