to just burn the whole house down and rebuild.”
A giggle bubbles out of me. “Probably a good idea.”
“Well, at least you didn't let this ruin your vacation,” Colby chimes in.
I sit up from where I was lying on the kitchen island. “Please. The only thing I'm upset about is the fact that I'm still looking at being a virgin for the rest of my life.”
“Hey, I offered to help you out with that.”
Tessa and Asher watch our banter, like they're praying I'll take him up on that. Tanner and Oakley exchange a look, but I roll my eyes and bite my lip to conceal my amusement.
“Me and every other girl in California.”
He snickers and gives me one of his seductive grins. “Nah. I make it a point to avoid taking v-cards. I'd just make an exception for you.”
The sound of glass breaking pulls all of our attention to the other side of the room. The glass Cade was holding has shattered in his hand, with the liquid now a puddle on the floor. Bryce and Jayden laugh at him while Tessa raises her brows at me. I shake my head, refusing to acknowledge him.
“Maybe I'll have to consider it then.”
It's obvious Colby is just kidding, or at least he is unless I say yes, but messing with Cade is too much fun to resist. Colby comes over and drapes an arm around my shoulder, then leans in to whisper in my ear.
“Using me to make faux-bro jealous?” he teases.
I smile sweetly up at him, but say nothing. It doesn't require an answer.
THE SUN RAYS BEAT down, warming my skin and making me perfectly bronzed. Tessa's beach chair sits next to mine as the two of us sip on fruity drinks. We're a little way down the beach, but you can see Cade, Bryce, and Jayden surfing in the distance. I've never been more thankful for my sunglasses than I am right now. They allow me to watch without Tessa being able to see where I'm looking.
I'm still so pissed at him, but there's something about him that I can't explain. It's like my eyes are drawn to him whenever he's around, and all I want is to be the center of his attention. At the same time, he infuriates me. From his bipolar mood swings to his stone-cold attitude about practically everything, sometimes I just want to smack him.
“What's got you all lost in thought?” Tessa questions. “Or rather, who?”
I snap my focus back to my drink and the sand in front of me. “Just thinking about dance. Brady told me today that the studio is closing, so we're throwing together another recital. Sort of like a farewell.”
“Wow. How does Brady feel about that?”
I shrug. “He seems okay. He's sad because he practically grew up there, but I think he's ready to move on with his life. He might even join Sav and me in New York.”
Her lips curl into a smirk. “And what about Cade? Is he going to join you in New York, too?”
My head falls back, and I groan. I should have known better than to think she can't see right through me. Still, saying that I feel something for him out loud only makes it more real, and I'm not even remotely ready for that.
“Please. The sooner I can leave him behind, the better.”
She clearly doesn't believe a word I say as she nods toward where they're surfing. “Might be sooner than you think. He just wiped out, hard.”
I look over to see the wave tossing his board around as he must be tumbling under water. A part of me panics but I do my best to keep my composure.
“Maybe you should go check on him.” She nudges me in the arm.
Sighing, I take another sip of my drink. “That would require me to care, and I don't.”
But the truth is I do, and I hate that I do.
12
CADE
I don't know what pisses me off more—when she's being an irritating little shit, or when she refuses to acknowledge me at all. No part of me should want any part of her. I should be glad she declared me dead to her or whatever the fuck it was she said, but I'm not. I crave her attention like a goddamn heroin addict, desperate for a fix.
The waves are perfect, but my eyes are glued to the blonde sitting on the beach. She's yet to say a single word to me since I let the bomb slip about