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My heart sank as I watched her kiss him back and then pull away, her eyes still closed. She smiled as she looked up at him and nodded her head. That was when she slipped her hand in his.
“What the hell is she doing?” I muttered under my breath.
My brother turned around and looked at me. “What did you say?” he questioned, looking back over at Connor and Ella before turning back to me.
“Is something wrong?” I could feel his eyes on me, and when I said nothing, he chuckled. “I know. An unlikely match, right. Connor is the only one of all my friends who is single. He said he was tired of being the third wheel, so…I suggested Ella. It’s great, isn’t it!”
Great! How on earth could it be great? It was horrific. My best friend had just kissed the guy I’d been crushing on for years, and it was all thanks to my brother.
“I’ll be right bac., I…I forgot something,” I mumbled, ripping my eyes from what I’d just seen, turning back toward the truck. If I didn’t, I’d break down on the spot.
“All right, you know where to find us,” Gabe said, as if nothing had happened. I’d taken a couple of steps away from where they all stood, and that was when I heard Connor yell out, “She said yes, man!”
In the distance, I heard Gabe and Connor exchange a high five, while Gabe congratulated them. This had been their plan all along. This entire night was for Connor and Ella to get together.
I took off toward Connor’s truck, and once I got there, I stood outside the passenger-side door, fighting back tears. All I wanted to do was go home. I swallowed hard to chase away the tightness in my throat as my eyes watered. When I heard footsteps on the gravel, I pulled the door open and reached into the back seat, pretending to be getting something.
“Cady…I…” Ella whispered as she placed her hand on my shoulder.
I couldn’t turn around. I couldn’t face the person who I’d thought was my friend. I’d felt so betrayed. She knew how much I liked him, yet she just stood there and accepted the kiss like it had come from some stranger.
“There it is,” I said, my throat tight, pulling out my brother’s hooded sweatshirt. “I was cold, and I forgot to grab it.” My voice was thick, and I quickly wiped my eyes to make sure that tears hadn’t fallen.
“It’s not what you think, Cady. Please let me explain,” she said, grabbing my arm.
I thought for a moment. There was no way I could cause a scene here. I needed to pretend to be happy for my best friend. So, I turned and looked my best friend in the eyes, a smile on my face.
“I’m thrilled for you,” I lied.
“Cady…”
I held up my hand and began making my way back toward where the guys had built a small fire. “Really, Ella, I’m happy for you both,” I said once again, over my shoulder, as we made our way over to the guys.
We sat there that night, around the fire, with me beside my brother while my best friend sat in the arms of the guy I’d had a crush on for years. It was a shitty thing to do on her part and something I doubted I’d ever be able to forgive. I also knew that just from watching them together, that perhaps I’d missed that she, too, felt the same way I did about him. That was the night our friendship changed forever.
I heard the door slam downstairs, pulling me from my memory. I hadn’t thought about that night for years, and really there was no point in thinking of it now. Ella was gone. I sat up, taking a minute before I got up.
“Cadence, can you come down here?”
I frowned. That was Connor’s voice. I got up from the bed and made my way down into the kitchen to see him standing against the counter.
“What’s up?” I asked, acting as if I hadn’t just been thinking of the night Ella betrayed me. I walked over to the sink and looked out the window to see my brother closing the barn door.
“Listen, I think maybe the two of us should send Gabe off with a good-bye dinner. Do you think you can throw something together for tomorrow night?” he asked.
I looked at Connor and then out the window at Gabe. He was still struggling with the latch on the door. “Yeah, I’ll figure something out,” I muttered, turning the water on to wash my hands.
That was when Connor stepped up beside me and slid his large, dirty hands under the running water. He looked me directly in the eyes as he rubbed his hands together. “Look, Cadence, I want to apologize.”
“What for?” I questioned.
“For earlier. For what I said, how I acted.” He cleared his throat.
Was he apologizing because my brother had told him to? Had they had it out while they were working outside, after I was out of earshot? I frowned. I’d need to drop this tough exterior shell I’d allowed to build around me as protection, if this working arrangement was going to have any chance of working.
I bumped his shoulder with mine and smiled. “No worries, big guy,” I said, almost not believing my voice. It had a flirty, playful tone to it, something I certainly wasn’t feeling in the slightest.
“You sure, because the whiskey comment was pretty…”
