Still Jaded (Jaded 2)

Grace didn't say anything. Then she turned her gaze and a tear fell from her eye. "You're probably right. I know that, and I'm still… I don't know what to do, Sheldon. I don't…"

"You're not strong enough to be my friend."

That was the truth. I should've seen it before, but I had thought she was strong. Hell, she had been. It's why we became friends, because she was strong in a different way, but now that old Grace was gone. The second the sorority sisters drew her in was the second I lost her.

When I walked into the kitchen to find Cadence and Leah, their body posture told me everything. Cadence held her shoulders back as if she was ready to attack. Leah was hunched over, but her chin was straight and lifted upwards. She was being attacked, but she'd fight back when the time came. I met her eyes for a brief second, and mine narrowed. I knew I was probably broadcasting my intent, but I didn't care. Cadence wasn't the 'somebody' she thought she was in her mind. She was just one more in a long line of nobodies. So I grinned. "What brought you to my doorstep?"

Leah straightened. She was a smart girl.

Grace followed me and coughed behind my back.

Cadence flashed a blinding smile. "Well, we heard you were home. Plus, I heard about…Bryce…you know. I thought you'd want some girlfriends around. I know you don't have that many."

Grace sucked in her breath.

Leah covered up her laughter.

I narrowed my eyes and stalked forward a step. "You wanted to be my friend? Is that it?"

Cadence beamed.

She was stupid.

"Do you know what I do to my girlfriends? Do you know the reason why I don't have any?"

Her smile faltered.

"I tell them the truth. Like you. You think you're better than everyone else. You think because you're the head of a sorority that you're going places. You think that you can spot the best guys and nail them, don't you?"

She tilted her chin up, taking a cocky stance.

"You know what they think of you? They see you, and their first thought is that you're work. You're high maintenance and you're bitchy. I don't know of a normal guy that'd want to be with you. You're pretty, but so is everyone else. They'll screw you. They'll have no problem screwing you, but getting them to love you? That's a whole other mission not possible. You're going to have to blackmail someone to love you or you're going to have to hide who you are. That's a lot of work, but hell, I think you could do it. You're fake to everyone else, even yourself. Lying so someone would love you, that wouldn't even work up a sweat for you, would it? It's like morning pilates."

"Sheldon," Grace jolted forward. Her hand trembled.

My eyes narrowed. "Want me to go on?"

Cadence lifted her jaw and squared her shoulders. "We had a deal. Are you forgetting that deal?"

I gestured towards Grace and sneered. "She's already in. You got her. You can't undo that one, but I'd love it if you did." I looked Grace in the eyes but spoke to Cadence. "That way she'd see that I'm right. Only someone using her would cast her out, not a real sister. That's what she thinks you are. We know better."

Leah gasped but coughed over it.

Grace's eyes widened. "Sheldon? Cadence?"

"Go ahead. Tell her."

Cadence's eyes were strained, but she sighed. "Nothing, Grace. She's not talking about anything. I… I was mistaken."

"Yeah. You were," I ground out. "You were mistaken thinking that you should come over here. You're not welcome. Ever."

Cadence watched me for a moment and then asked, "Do you really want to do this? I don't think you want my house as an enemy. We can be quite…unfriendly."

I snorted. "Are you kidding me? Someone tried to kill me a few years ago. You think a sorority house is going to scare me? Someone's still trying to hurt me. I like fighting, Cadence. When are you going to get that in your head? I like pissing people off. I like not having friends except the few I trust. Your idea of hell is my heaven."

"She's right. I've known her a month, and I know that much about her," Leah interjected.

"You shouldn't throw stones, Sheldon. None of my breakups have made the nightly news," Cadence taunted. "I'm sure the paparazzi would love an in-depth piece on Bryce Scout's girlfriend of how many years? How many years were you actually together or did you just screw each other? That's the rumor I heard."

I felt a knife in my chest, but I jerked forward again. My eyes were strained, but I knew they were deadly. The bitch was going down. "You might seem perfect on the outside, but I've seen your closet. There's something wrong with you. I know it. I might not be able to figure it out right now, but I know there's something wrong with you."

She went white around the mouth and her whole body quaked.

My smile broadened. "Have I touched a button? Are you not proud of what you hide with your dirty laundry?"

"Shut up," she hissed.

I could've kept going. I thought about gutting her but restrained myself. It could wait for the next time. There was going to be a next time. Cadence was a snake. She'd keep striking back until I cut off her head.

"I loved Bryce. I still love Bryce. He loves me. You aren't privy to the details about why and how we broke up, but you need to know one thing. Bryce will always be a part of my family. Always. There is no way you will get your claws in him."

Her eyes were wild, so I knew I'd hit where I wanted to. I stepped back and watched as Cadence looked around as if to gain some sense of control. When she couldn't, I knew she'd slither away. When she saw Leah's face, full of contempt, she stalked out of the room.

Grace ran after her. Both of them darted out of the house and left the front door hanging open. As I went to shut it, I hit the gate button and closed it behind their car.

Good riddance.

One more friend gone from my life.

When I returned to the kitchen, Leah had poured two glasses of scotch. She turned and lifted one in the air. "To you. You just opened a shit storm."

I took mine and raised it to her. "Wanna help?"

Leah's eyes sparked. I saw something start to unfold in her, maybe strength. I wasn't sure. I wondered if she'd hold next to me or if she'd turn at the first bribe she got. I was getting tired of weak friends.

"Sheldon!" Corrigan yelled.

Hell. I was yanked from my thoughts. Hadn't I closed the gate? But he turned the corner and came into the kitchen. He looked happy, which made me pause for a moment. I realized that he hadn't been happy for a long time, maybe too long. Why now?

"Hey, Leah." He nodded in greeting and then picked me up the air. He twirled me around as he hugged me tight and then set me back down.

"What was that for?"

"Nothing. I'm hungry. I'm going to order a pizza." His eyes sparkled, and he winked before he left.

Leah frowned and jerked a thumb in Corrigan's direction. "What's with him? I've never seen him like that."

I watched where he had disappeared for a moment before I answered, "I have, a couple times."

They hadn't had much significance for me, but I remembered wrestling with him when we went to the mall one day in high school. That was a day that I'd forgotten how childlike Corrigan's sense of humor could be and how potent it was at times. The second time I remembered was at the end of our senior year in high school. I'd returned from my last session with Miss Connors, and Corrigan was at his locker with Logan, his girlfriend at the time.

Everything had been perfect that day. I was with Bryce. We were going to Spain. Corrigan was coming too, and even Grace had been included in our circle of friends.

I had thought everything was perfect.

When he came back in, Corrigan waved his cell phone in the air. "Left the number in my car. I ordered pepperoni. Sorry ladies, it's the buyer's choice."

Leah laughed.

I didn't say anything, and then my eyes met Corrigan's. I was starting to realize that a lot had changed, but how much more was going to change? Was he going to change too?