Rae of Sunshine (Light in the Dark 1)

Jace snorted. “I like you.” He took off his beanie and laid it on the table. His blond hair stuck up in every direction but he didn’t seem to care.

“Don’t let Cade hear you say that,” Xander chided. “I think he just might punch you.”

Jace grunted in response. “She’s a cool chick. Just voicing my opinion.” He raised his hands.

I turned my attention to Xander. “What did you mean by your first comment? The whole, ‘can you believe it?’ thing.”

Xander sighed and set his hotdog on the paper plate. “It’s just that Cade would never normally do that for anyone. I’m not saying he’s rude to everyone else…he just…”

“He distances himself from people he doesn’t really know,” Thea inserted. “But with you he doesn’t. He’s just Cade…there’s no façade around you. He lets you see the real him.”

“I’m still kinda lost.” I frowned, looking between the three of them.

Thea tried to explain. “Cade is used to people wanting something from him because of who he is. He has to keep a shield up or he’d lose his mind. Do you have any idea how many girls have thrown themselves at him in the hopes of getting pregnant because they think he’s going to go pro and they want to trap him?”

I absorbed her words. That had to be hard. “I’m just not interested in your brother that way.” Lie. My body definitely was, but my mind was firmly against it.

“Then maybe you could at least try to be his friend,” she spoke softly. “He needs more of those.”

Friends? Cade’s friend? Could I do that?

I wasn’t so sure.

I wasn’t sure I could be anyone’s friend anymore, but…I felt like maybe Thea and I were friends now. So maybe I could try to make the effort with Cade. After all, my plans to lay low and keep to myself had failed miserably.

“I’ll try,” I sighed and Thea brightened at my words.

“Try what?” Cade asked, putting a plate down in front of me

“It’s not important.” I smiled at him in the hopes of distracting him. “Thanks for this.”

“No problem.” He waved a hand dismissively.

We all ate and made idle chat. When we were finished everyone was ready to leave. We headed back to the parking lot and started to go our separate ways.

“Rae?” Cade called when Thea and I parted from the group.

“Yeah?” I turned around, my brows raised in question.

“Thank you.”

I opened my mouth to ask him what he was thanking me for, but before I could respond he turned his back to me and disappeared into the darkness.

six

The alarm on Thea’s nightstand pierced the room.

She sat straight up, her hair puffed around her head like a fluffy cotton ball, and groaned. “I swear that alarm is the spawn of Satan.” She smacked her hand roughly against the top. “Die motherfucker. Die.”

I snorted, pulling my damp hair back into a bun. I was already back from my run and freshly showered.

“You know what else should die?” She turned sleepy eyes my way and then answered before I could respond. “Monday. Monday should die a fiery and painful death.” She flopped down on the bed and covered her eyes with the crook of her elbow. “I fucking hate mornings.”

I laughed. “I think we’ve established that.”

“And you don’t help,” she continued. “You’re always so chipper in the mornings.”

“Chipper?” I questioned. That wasn’t a word I’d ever use to describe myself.