Pretend I'm Yours (Pretend 1)
Page 71
“Home?” he asks.
“Drop me off at the yoga studio. I said I would help with any classes after I finished my race.”
His eyes widen, and he rubs his head. But it looks more like he’s doing something with his hands to keep from strangling me.
“No.”
He doesn’t say anything else. Just a no.
“No? You don’t get to tell me what to do.”
“When you are acting crazy and may have just had a concussion, then I do.”
I frown, but don’t argue. Honestly, I want to spend the rest of the day with Kade.
“You’re lucky I’m not taking you straight to the doctor.”
“It’s just a sprain. I’m fine.”
He rolls his eyes as more steam leaves his nostrils.
My car makes a weird noise as Kade speeds up, ending the silence that has spread between us.
“You need to buy a new car. This one is about to break down any minute.”
I frown. “I happen to like my car.”
“Buy a new one.”
“No.”
He sighs and rubs his neck again.
“Why did you punch Sebastian? I want the truth.”
He keeps driving, ignoring me, and I give up pushing. It seems that we aren’t on the same page anymore. We can’t even carry on a simple conversation.
Kade pulls the car into the driveway of his house, and he shuts off the engine, but doesn’t get out to help me. I sit too and wait. I could hop in the house on my good leg, but I don’t want to. I want Kade’s arms around me again.
“Our father died when I was fifteen. Sebastian was only twelve. Lung cancer.”
I suck in a breath as Kade finally speaks.
“I’m so sorry,” I say.
He stares into my eyes and touches my cheek like he needs my touch to be strong enough to continue speaking.
“Our father was abusive. He wasn’t a nice man. Sebastian and I were happy to see him gone.”
I place my hand on his, trying to bring him comfort.
“My mother though…” He takes a deep breath. “From what I remember about her, she was amazing. She divorced my father when I was six. She didn’t have anything. No money. No job. No skills. But she loved Sebastian and I. Fought for custody of us. But she didn’t have the means to fight our father’s numerous lawyers.”
I tighten my grip on his hand.
“She died of a broken heart.”
A tear trickles down my cheek. He hurts. So much. And I can’t do anything to make it better.