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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."
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
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."
I shrugged. "Well, cleaning will be a lot more fun now, if any gets done."
"Relax." Corrigan laughed and grabbed my shoulder. He started to massage it and remarked, "Holy hell, you're tight, Sheldon. Maybe you should rest."
Everyone kept telling me that. It was starting to piss me off. I removed his hand. "I'll rest if I want to."
Corrigan still chuckled but contented himself with his drink. He watched me over the brim of his cup. "What are you thinking about me and Bryce? Or about me, you and Bryce? Or about...the same stuff? You really want a knock-down-drag-out fight? It might get brutal, Sheld
on."
"I can handle brutal. If it's honest, that's all I care about." I couldn't handle the lies and the shady games that went on under the surface.
Corrigan shrugged and glanced over his shoulder. "The groups are going to finish cleaning. It looks like an all-nighter for us, but that's okay. I'm going to run to the liquor store later, so I'm not promising how much will stay clean by tomorrow. Grace just told me that you might leave. Are you headed out?"
She did, huh? "I don't know. I haven't decided yet."
