Still Jaded (15 page)

"What are you doing here?" I asked and stood slightly in front of Bryce. Boyfriend or not, he was still my best friend.

"Some of the guys from Alpha Mu called and told us what happened. We decided to come over and help out. You're going to be one of us, remember?"

"We?"

"All of the sisters." Cadence gestured behind her. "They've already started cleaning."

Mathias clapped. "Alright!" He rushed to the stairs, mouth agape as he took in the scene below us. Cadence hadn't lied when she said all of the sisters. There were at least thirty of them, and they all wore yellow rubber aprons and braided buns in their hair. Some waved but most were already cleaning.

"You just found out?" I asked.

Cadence smiled. "Well, we were going to come over to clean after the party. Some of the girls were hung over so we didn't get here yesterday. Sorry about that. But we're here now and we're here to help. From the looks of things, I'm guessing a lot of this is just going to be thrown out." She surveyed the room and nodded. "I know the party was rough, but it looks like someone's angry with you."

Only one person? I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and sighed instead. "I'm starting to get use to the feel of being violated."

Bryce curved an arm around my waist and pulled me close. "We'll get it clean. These are just things, remember."

I nodded, conscious of Cadence's eagle-like scrutiny.

"Sheldon, I'm starting to
really
like your friends." Mathias came back in and picked up a box. "I'm going downstairs."

Bryce chuckled. "If I don't see you for the rest of the day, I'll call you tonight."

The normally polished agent turned and gave him a distracted wave. "Right now, I don't care when you call."

As the doors closed behind him, I noted, "He's not shallow at all."

"He means well. He does," Bryce reassured me.

Cadence shot out her arm. "I don't think we've been introduced. I'm Cadence, president of the Zeta house on campus. You might've heard about us. We're close to the Alpha Mu house, Corrigan's fraternity."

Bryce gave her a polite smile and shook her hand. He retracted his hand too quickly for her liking, but I had to give Cadence some props. She hid her disappointment well. However, I was starting to think our previous deal of Bryce being off limits had been an empty promise. And she didn't even know how messed up we really were at the moment.

"I'm guessing you've slept with Corrigan?"

She choked in surprise but quickly recovered. "Uh—no, I haven't. I'm picky about who I might have a relationship with."

Bryce smiled and hugged me tighter against him. Then two things happened at the same time. Bryce pulled me to stand in front him, and I heard a sudden explosion of noise from the living room. "What the—" My words stopped short when I heard Corrigan's voice bellow out, "Start cleaning, boys!"

Cadence flashed two perfect dimples. "We told the guys we were coming over to help. They decided to join and make a social event out of it. I'm surprised Corrigan didn't tell you this morning."

As she glided away, I turned to look at Bryce. "I don't know what to say. I didn't know you were going to be here."

His eyes glittered from emotion, but I saw that he couldn't speak.

Then I caught movement from the corner of my eye and looked up. Corrigan stood in the doorway. He watched us in return, guarded. "I didn't know this was the plan until you left."

Bryce moved away from me. "You went to see him this morning?"

I nodded.

Corrigan spoke quietly, "It's not even like that, man."

Then Bryce shook his head. "I don't know if I should be more upset that you saw him and didn't tell me or that …I don't even know anymore. I just know that you two are hiding some secret from me."

Corrigan jerked forward. "Maybe I should remind you that you ended things with her."

"Sheldon left me." Bryce moved to face him.

"Because you pushed her away! You wanted her to end things and you didn't fight for her."

"Well I am now!"

"Then act like it. You don't have a lot of ground to stand on. You weren't really cheated on."

"You were supposed to be my best friend!"

"You were supposed to be mine all those years too, Bryce. You always knew and you never cared."

I stood between them but now rounded towards Corrigan with wide eyes. "Wait—what?"

Seething, Corrigan looked away and Bryce retreated to the window. I felt the room spinning and knew I was at my limit. Things weren't making sense and nothing good ever happened when I felt overwhelmed. I snapped, "Stop it. Both of you. We will clean this mess up and deal with this crap between us later when it's just us three. Got it?" A second later, both jerked their heads in nods and I took a deep breath.
Be calm. Be calm. Be calm. This day sucks. I need better pain meds.

I left the room and stopped when I saw Cadence beyond the door, slack jawed. When she saw me, she snapped to attention. "Things don't seem so rosy in your threesome."

"We're just fine," I said. Now I was sure Cadence's deal with me had been empty words. She wanted Bryce and was going to do whatever it took to get him. When I heard Grace's voice from below, I looked over and saw that she was dressed like the rest of the sisters. She was glowing.

"She's come into the group with her arms open wide. She's happy with us, Sheldon." Cadence purred in victory. Of what she was victorious—I wasn't sure, but I made the decision to find out. I'd underestimated the bitch, and I rarely underestimated anyone.

I turned back to face her and rolled my shoulders back. "If you're the one who's done this to me, you best be scared."

"I'm trying to help you."

"You're helping yourself."

She moved back a step. "And how is that? Correct me if I'm wrong, but you don't have any friends except those two in there. They're loyal to you because they grew up with you, but you're holding them back. You know it. You know that they'd be better off if you'd just let them go. I'm trying to help you with that. I'm trying to help Grace too. You can lean on us. We're here for you."

I watched as she spoke each word and realized that a part of her believed what she was spouting. But I also knew how cunning she could be. I'd had a few conversations with that side of Cadence. And I also knew what crazy looked like so I asked, "How crazy are you?"

Her smile slipped a little, but she returned, "More than you can handle."

The rest of the day was monotonous. Everyone cleaned. Some flirted. Most laughed, but everyone kept cleaning. When Cadence said the girls came to work, she was right. So did Corrigan's boys. The media arrived after a couple hours, but I took great delight in shutting the gates. I knew a lot of the brothers and sisters were disappointed, but it was my house. I'd do what I wanted, and they could cry about it to someone else.

Bryce's agent left in the evening, but only after he ordered pizza for everyone. Twenty large pizzas were delivered an hour later, and everyone took their first big break together. I found juice that had been spared by the stalker and set it out. It was gone quickly.

"Everyone's worked up a thirst." Grace smiled as she approached with a broom and dustpan in her hands. She glanced around and noted, "This is quite the event. I like it. It reminds me of high school. I used to do things like this with my brother."

I studied her intently. "This isn't the same. You did charity stuff because you cared about helping out. They aren't doing this to help me. You know that, right? Cadence is doing this because her house wants to be closer to Corrigan, and she wants to be closer to Bryce. Corrigan's house is here because they knew there would be hot girls, and they feel some loyalty to me but just a little."

Her tentative smile vanished. "I was just saying…this is fun…"

"Because you feel like you're a part of the 'in' crowd. You never felt that in high school."

She bristled and then swallowed hard. "Why are you saying this?"

I moved closer and pulled her away from the group. "I don't want to delude you, but I see that you're changing. I get it. I really
really
do. You're being accepted. You're wanted. People like you. People are paying attention to you. I DO get that." I took a deep breath. "I'm also telling you that there's another side. You're blind to it. People are going to eat you up, swallow what they want, and then spit you out…eventually. It might not be today, tomorrow, or next month. It'll be someday."

Grace fidgeted. Her hands trembled, but she shook her head. "You're wrong, Sheldon. I like these girls. They like me. I didn't know this would be so difficult for you to accept. Is it really that big of a stretch for people to like me?"

I smiled tightly but said, "I like you because you used to see through bullshit like this. You're getting pulled into their web."

"No, I'm not. There's no web—"

I gripped her arm and pulled her into another room. When I shut the door, I made sure to lock it too. Then I dragged her across the room and into the small bathroom. After I closed that door, I demanded, "What did you see at the party?"

"What—nothing." A look of panic blazed over her face, but she calmed immediately. "I didn't see anything. Why? You think I did and I wouldn't tell you?"

I narrowed my eyes but let go of her arm. She was good. She'd gotten good. That meant that she'd been schooled at an alarming speed. What that meant…I wasn't sure. It might've meant that I was more paranoid than I thought. I nodded slowly. "Okay. I'm sorry."

Grace touched my arm. "Are you okay? Maybe it's the pain? You've had a traumatic experience, Sheldon. More than most."

She was right, but something was off. I felt it, but I also needed to face the reality that it could be me this time. "You're right. I probably need another pain pill."

"Are you staying with Bryce somewhere? Maybe you should go there and lay down. We can finish cleaning. You can come back, and everything will be normal tomorrow. If they don't stay to finish it, I will. I promise."

She looked so innocent and well-meaning. Strands of her thin golden hair had fallen from the braided bun. They framed her face and accentuated the softness of her pale features. I used to think Grace looked like an angel, but this time something else reeled in me.

I blurted out, "I saw Denton Steele."

Something flashed in her eyes. The blue depths darkened for a split second.

"He told me that you've seen Mena. You never told me."

She nodded before she looked away. "Mena asked me not to. She was embarrassed about her situation. You were always so…larger than life in her eyes." She looked back. I felt like she was pleading with me to understand when she said, "You're a lot, Sheldon, and I don't think you know how you come off to other people. You're larger than life. It's like you're above everyone else, and Mena didn't want you to know how far she'd fallen. She was embarrassed, that's all. She asked about you a lot, though. She was always curious about Bryce, how things were going between you two."

I'm sure she had been since he was the one who pushed her out. "You know…I…Mena needed to stand up to Bryce and Corrigan. I couldn't do it for her."

"She wasn't ready to do it back then. She didn't have the strength or the self-esteem. She might now, though," Grace whispered and looked away. She clutched her arm, holding it across her waist. Her fingers pressed so hard into her skin that blood seeped out under her nails.

I watched as a droplet of blood trickled on the floor. "You're right," I said softly. "Maybe she does now. When was the last time you talked to her?"
"What?" Grace wrenched her gaze back. Her eyes were glazed over, as if she'd been thinking of something else entirely. "Oh. I talked to her three months ago. She was happy, seeing someone. I met him. He seemed really nice, the staying kind, you know."

"Did she ask about your love life?"

"Oh." She blushed and looked down. "I don't have a love life, remember."

She avoided my gaze and I knew that our friendship was done, our real friendship at least. She didn't mention Corrigan. "You never know. There might be someone hiding in the shadows."

Grace laughed and patted my arm. "You're teasing me. You're always teasing me."

I grinned. "I like to tease."

"I'm going to head back out there. I'm sure everyone's done eating by now. You want me to send Bryce in? He could help you to…wherever you're staying?" Grace reached for the door.

"Go and eat. I'll find Bryce."

Grace smiled at me before she left. I saw the look of relief on her face and wondered where it came from. Was she relieved that my interrogation was over? Relieved that she didn't need to find Bryce and pass along a message? Or…relieved because she thought I believed her? And did I? I pressed a hand to my head and groaned. A headache had started earlier, but now it throbbed.

"There you are. What are you doing in here?" Corrigan sauntered in with a fresh drink in hand.

I sniffed it. "That's not juice."

He flashed a grin. "It's not ALL juice."