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“Just drive until I tell you to stop driving,” Lucia told Jenna.
“Okaaaaay.” Jenna hit the accelerator again, and they wound their way up a steep dirt road until Lucia leaned forward into the space over the console and pointed to a big, dark, shadowy figure in the woods. “Park there.”
Cadence leaned forward and squinted to engage her night vision. It was a house. More specifically, it was a cabin.
Jenna parked, and a motion-sensor light nearly blinded them.
While Cadence struggled to see past the stars that were dotting her vision, Lucia escaped the truck and walked right in the front door of the cabin.
“What is happening right now?” Jenna whisper-screamed.
Completely baffled, Cadence shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Jenna slid out of the truck just as Cadence’s phone vibrated in her purse. She pulled out her phone and stared at the screen. She had a message from Kru.
Her heartbeat kicked up with hurt and confusion, but also with curiosity. She wished she could just ignore him.
She waited three seconds, and then opened the text message.
Where did you go? I went to find you but you’d already taken off.
None of your business. Focus on your mate. Send.
A flash of heat consumed her cheeks and she set the phone on her thigh, watched Jenna talk to Lucia on the front porch of the cabin.
Her phone vibrated with a message. Are you okay?
Cadence rolled her head back against the headrest of the truck and stared blankly out the front window.
Her phone rang, and she stared at Kru’s name on the screen. She refused to answer. She wasn’t ready.
A video came through, and curiosity got the best of this kitty. She pushed the play button. The camera was facing Kru’s face. He looked exhausted, and his hair was mussed as if he’d run his hands through it over and over. He didn’t say anything, just panned the camera around him. Gunner was in the passenger’s seat of the truck, doubled over and snarling like a monster, and Lucas was driving, telling him to, “Hold on. Just hold on a few more minutes.”
Kru panned back to his face and ran his hand down his jaw, then mouthed, I’m sorry.
And he truly looked sorry. He looked gutted.
The video ended.
Okay. Okay. He’d clearly jumped in the truck before the boys had taken off. What did that mean?
Another text came through. I left my truck at the bar. I’m going to help Lucas with Gunner. Just didn’t want you thinking I was with Sasha. Lucas said you’re hanging with the girls. Good. You deserve a good night.
Confused. She was so confused. She liked him so much, but tonight had hurt. When did you give her that ring? Before she could send it, Cadence deleted it.
When you feel up to it, I would like to talk. Kru’s text came through and surprised her with his maturity, but she knew what the talk would be about. It would be a talk about the let-down. It would be the friend-zone talk.
She would have to make sure she could have a perfect poker face before they had that talk. Boys like him didn’t deserve to see how much they hurt girls like her.
They were friends.
Friends, friends, friends. Another woman wore his wedding band. Another woman had claimed his heart. Another woman could get under his skin so easily.
Friends.
They were just friends.
Be safe tonight. Send.
