When Stars Collide (Light in the Dark #2) - Micalea Smeltzer Page 0,68
me to her dad behind me.
I shrug and pick up a plate. “He just wanted to congratulate me on making the team.”
“Ah, of course.” She rolls her eyes. “Football, the only thing he thinks about.” She then gives me a small smile. “Thank God you’re not that football obsessed. You love it, but it’s not an obsession.”
I glance back at her dad. “He’s really pissed about Cade not going pro, isn’t he?”
She snorts. “Oh, yeah. He would’ve been thrilled if Cade would’ve dropped out his junior year and gone pro. Like, I’m not kidding, I’m pretty sure the man would’ve done a dance and he doesn’t dance. Like ever.” She sighs and her eyes grow sad. “I wish he could accept Cade for the man he is, and not the man he wants him to be. But he has this idea built up in his head—” she waves her hand near her head to drive home her point “—of what Cade should be and Cade’s never going to measure up to that. I don’t think anyone can. It’s really sad.”
I finish fixing my hotdog and the two of us go over to the table Cade and Rae occupy. Cade rubs his hands on his shorts and his eyes shift around uneasily. Something tells me I wasn’t the first one to get cornered by his dad.
“We’re here,” Thea sing-songs unnecessarily since it’s pretty obvious that we are, in fact, here.
Cade chuckles and forces a smile. “Glad you could make it and no longer smell like swamp water.”
“Hey,” Thea scolds. Her anger is short-lived, however, when she takes a bite of her hotdog and moans. “Oh, that’s good. I’m starving.” She shoves some chips in her mouth.
I laugh. I love how one minute she can be girly, taking forever to pick out her outfit, and the next she’s a total mess and shoving food in her mouth like it’s going to disappear from the plate.
Nova and Jace show up a few minutes later and pull over two chairs, making the space at the table tight enough that we all bump elbows. None of us complain, though.
“Is there beer here?” Jace asks. “I need a fucking drink. There are too many happy people and I can’t deal.”
I snort. “Over there.” I point over my shoulder to the coolers.
“You want anything?” he asks Nova.
“Sure, bring me whatever you’re having.”
“You got it.” He drums his hands against the top of the table and then he’s gone.
Nova props her head up on her hand. “Is it bad that I’d rather be at home sleeping than here?”
Rae laughs. “I’m with you, girl. Socialization is not my thing. I brought my camera. Did you bring yours?”
Nova nods. “I figured I could get some cool photos of the fireworks. Maybe one of Thea shoving that hotdog in her mouth with ketchup all over her face.”
“Huh?” Thea asks, her mouth full. Sure enough, there’s a smear of ketchup on her cheek. “Isderketchuponmaface?” she slurs together.
I laugh and nod. “Yeah, right there.”
She groans and swipes furiously at her face, only making it worse.
“Stop.” I grab her flailing arm. “Let me get it.” I grab a napkin off the table and wipe her face clean. “There, all better.”
She gulps down her food and pants, “Thanks.”
Jace returns to the table and drops down into the chair with a loud groan. He holds a beer bottle out to Nova and she takes it gladly. Jace tips his back and takes a long drink.
“Ah,” he breathes out, “that’s better.”
“If you get drunk, you’re sleeping in the yard. I’m not driving you home,” Cade warns.
Jace winks. “I don’t want you to take me home anyway, sweetheart.” He then makes kissing lips and leans across the table toward Cade.
Cade mutters, “What? No.” And leans back in his chair trying to get away from Jace. Apparently, he leans too far because the chair falls back and he goes with it, dropping onto the ground. I’m pretty sure one of the plastic legs snap, but I can’t be sure because it’s hard to hear anything over the sound of Jace laughing his ass off. Okay, I’m laughing too.
Cade hops up and looks around. “No one saw, right?” he asks. I clutch my stomach, doubled over with laughter. He glares at Jace and me. “Fuck you and fuck you.” He kicks his broken chair aside and grabs one from another table. Rae sits with her hand covering her mouth, trying to hide her laughter.