“Told you I stood out like a sore thumb.” He stood and pulled out a chair for her. “These are my friends.”
As Jada extended her hand, Cade saw the burn scars that ran up her arm. Hope caught his gaze as she saw them, too. In that moment, Cade knew everything was going to be just fine with Silas.
And just maybe for him, too.
Chapter 14
When Spencer pulled into the school parking lot, he noticed Callie lingering outside, sheltered from the rain by the overhang. With dreary weather, most everyone had headed inside the building. Callie stood with her arms wrapped around her books, holding them tightly against her front. She appeared to be waiting for someone.
He hoped it wasn’t Scott. She seemed pretty adamant that she wanted nothing to do with the football player at the dance. Things change, though. Scott wanted Callie. His ego wouldn’t let her walk away, especially after the way she’d publicly rejected him.
Another thing. Spencer didn’t think Scott would let him walk away unscathed. The way the football star glared at Spencer at the dance had let him know Scott wasn’t done with him.
Climbing out of his car, Spencer made a beeline for the school, his feet splashing through the rain puddles as he rushed toward the door. Callie opened the door for him, and to his surprise followed him inside.
He didn’t have a clue what this was about. While he’d agreed to help her with Ben, he’d been having second thoughts. She’d ignored his best advice about going to her parents. Bottom line, Spencer couldn’t do anything more than what he’d already done. He planned to tell her that as much as he wanted to help, he couldn’t.
“Spencer, wait up,” Callie called, trotting behind him.
He stopped at his locker.
Callie looked unsure of herself, which wasn’t like her. While it’d been nice to hold her in his arms, he was all too aware that had all been a fa?ade.
“Listen, I know what you want.”
Her face immediately relaxed.
“The thing is, I already did everything I could for you.”
“You could talk to Ben. He might listen to you.”
“Callie, you don’t understand. No way will Ben listen to me. He’d resent me even trying. If I thought it would do any good, I’d try.” It didn’t help that Ben and Scott were constantly together. Besides being best friends, they were teammates.
“I don’t know what to do,” Callie said, her shoulders sagging in defeat.
“Involve your parents.” Spencer didn’t understand her reluctance. They would find out soon enough, and when they did, they’d be upset that Callie had known and said nothing.
“I can’t do that, Spence, not until I’ve done everything I can on my own.”
“Then there’s nothing more to say.” They may have been friends at one time, but that was long ago. The only reason she’d paid him attention now was because she wanted something.
“I had a good time Saturday night,” she said, all sweetness, as if that would be enough to sway him to do what she wanted.
He took what he needed out of his locker, intent on getting to his class.
“Didn’t you?” she demanded.
“It was nice,” he said, as he closed his locker and started down the hall. “I’ll admit you did an admirable job of pretending to like me.”
“I do like you.”
Evidence said otherwise. Before homecoming, she’d barely spoken to him, and then only when she wanted something. Like now. He didn’t know what she expected him to do. It wasn’t like he had a magic wand that would make Ben realize he was putting everything at risk. Nor could he speak to Ben one on one. Not when her twin was part of the crowd that had tormented him.
“But you said…？” She followed behind him.
“I didn’t make any promises,” he reminded her.
Just then the bell rang, indicating the first class of the morning was about to begin. This was Spencer’s means of escape. He knew Callie’s English class was on the other side of the building, and if she didn’t hurry, she’d get a tardy slip. Earlier in the year he’d made a point of learning where each of her classes were so he could be nearby with the hope she might notice him. It embarrassed him to think of what a fool he’d been to think things would ever go back to the way they had once been.
“We’ll talk later,” she told him, as she raced down the crowded hallway, weaving her way among students also rushing to class.
No need, he wanted to shout after her, but resisted.