God, I needed to get a grip.“Fine,” I said. “But I’m buying all the groceries this weekend.”
“I hear you.”
Rain battered the windshield in sheets. Wipers worked overtime, making it hard to see. Thunder rumbled, low and ominous. “This storm is getting crazy,” I said, pulling my knees up to my chest. “You sure we shouldn’t just turn around and go back to the city?”
“And do what? Risk getting stuck inmycar on the way back?” He glanced over at me. “Nah. Besides, it’s almost my birthday, and you know bringing it in together is tradition. This storm shit is just… annoying.”
My stomach did a weird flip that had nothing to do with the weather. “You’re right,” I said. “It’ll be fine. I brought a couple games, too.”
“Exactly. We’ll chill, sip, eat, vibe. Same shit we always do.”
Except it didn't feel the same. Not with the way my heart was racing. Not with the way I kept catching myself staring at his hands on the steering wheel, remembering how one of them had felt on my knee. I needed a distraction.
“Can I have the aux?” I reached for the cord before he could answer.
“You’re just gonna play the same five songs you always play.”
“And? They’re good songs.”
“Stormie, if I hearFoldedone more time…”
“You’ll what? Kick me out of the car in this weather? I don’t think so.”
He laughed, and the sound filled the car, warm and rich. “You’re lucky I love you.”
And there it was. Three words that hit me completely different from how they should have.I love you. Kade said it casually, like he said it all the time, but it made me clench my thighs. Why did my body betray me like that? I hated myself for it. He glanced over at me, and I looked away too fast, pretending to be focused, searching for a song. But he caught it. He always caught everything.
“What?” he asked, and there was something in his voice that made my stomach flip.
“Nothing,” I lied, scrolling through my playlist when his phone lit up on the dashboard mount. Angel’s name flashed across the screen and my stomach dropped.
Angel was the girl he’d been fucking with, though Kade didn’t do labels. I met her once when she stopped by his place. Tall, gorgeous, with model curves. Angel’s confidence either drew you in or made you feel small. I’d smiled and been polite and left as quickly as possible, then spent the rest of that nightwondering why the thought of Kade with someone else made me feel like I’d swallowed glass.
The phone rang again, and Kade glanced at it, jaw tightening, then looked back at the road. “You gonna get that?” I asked, trying to keep my voice casual.
“Nah.”
“It might be important.”
“It’s not.”
The phone stopped ringing, then started again two seconds later. I bit my lip, stared at the screen. Angel was calling back immediately. Persistent. Maybe itwasimportant. “Kade…”
“A’ight, hold on.” He sighed and hit the answer button, voice shifting into something more clipped. “Yeah?”
I couldn’t hear her side of the conversation, but I could hear the tone–high, insistent, maybe a little annoyed.
“I told you I was busy this weekend,” Kade said, his voice flat. “I’m not home.”
More talking from her end. I pretended to be very interested in my phone, scrolling through nothing, but every cell in my body was tuned into this conversation.
“Angel, we talked about this.” His voice was firm now, that edge of finality I recognized. “I’m not doing this shit right now.”
A pause. Then her voice got louder, and I could actually hear it now, sharp and demanding.
“Look, I don’t know what you want me to say. I’ve been straight with you from jump. This was never…” he cut himselfoff, glanced at me, then back at the road. “I’m not having this conversation while I’m driving in a storm. I’ll hit you next week.”
He ended the call and tossed the phone into the cup holder like it offended him. Silence pressed on us. I should’ve joked or changed the subject, but instead sat, feeling a twisted satisfaction that he brushed her off. But I didn't.