Better (Too Good series) (6 page)

Cadence averted her eyes. “How did you know Gavin said that?”

“Because Dad had the phone on speaker.”

Cadence shook her head. “What happened next?”

“Dad didn’t reply. He just hung up and said to me, ‘You’re done’.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“Done dating Gavin.”

“You’re an adult!”

Avery snorted. “Yeah.”

“What does that mean? You
are
an adult, Avery. You can date whoever you want.”

Avery looked defeated. “No, Cadence.”

“What do you mean, no? I don’t understand why—”

“Stop,” Avery interrupted. “And just listen to me for a second.”

Cadence closed her mouth.

“Do you honestly think Gavin could take care of me? I mean, if I told my parents to go to hell and then ran away? You think he could take care of me?”

Cadence blinked.

“I’m not an idiot. I don’t care t
hat I’m nineteen. I know I can’t take care of myself. I didn’t even have a job until three weeks ago! I don’t make enough money to live on my own, pay for school, pay for a car, pay for—”

“Gavin would help you! You would figure it out together!” Cadence said.

“No. No, we wouldn’t. It was fun being with him because it was dishonest and sneaky, and because he didn’t have to worry about actually having to take care of me. My parents did all that. He just showed me a fun time.”

“But I thought you were head over heels for him,” Cadence said quietly.

Avery thought for a moment. “I . . . I was. But I realized I have to do what’s best for me.”

“And what’s that? Letting your parents control you when—”

“No. Using my parents until I don’t need them anymore,” Avery replied.

“What?”

“I need their money to go to school. I need them to help me pay my car insurance. That’s fine. I’ll live at home while I go to school. I’ll let them give me a curfew—”

“At nineteen?!”

“—I’ll let them dictate who I can see,” Avery continued, ignoring her friend. “And once I don’t need them anymore, I’ll leave.” She drew in her breath long and slow. “And I’ll never speak to them again.”

“Avery,” Cadence breathed.

Avery looked Cadence square in the face. “It’s not ideal, and it makes me rage inside, but I’ll do it. Because I’m not foolish.”

Cad
ence bristled. “I’m not foolish.”

“I wasn’t implying you were. Your situation is totally different from mine. Your dad hit you. You had no choice.
Plus, Mr. Connelly is older. And not a complete idiot like Gavin. He’ll take care of you and protect you. Gavin would never do that.”

Cadence nodded. “But you’ll be unhappy
at home.”

“I already am unhappy. But I don’t care. I know what I’m doing is smart. I just have to be careful with you.
We’ll have to be careful when we see each other.”

Cadence panicked. Avery saw and grabbed her hand.

“You know my parents would flip if they knew I was hanging out with you.”

It was senior year all over again. But instead of Gracie’s parents telling her she couldn’t be friends with Cadence, it was now Avery’s. She felt sick to her stomach.

“I’m not a bad person!” she screamed.

“I know.”

“This is bullshit!”

“I know.”

“You’re nineteen!”

“I know.”

“Why don’t you just live with us?” Cadence asked.

Avery laughed. “You want us to remain friends
?”

“Yes.”

“Okay then. No.”

“But I’ll never see you.”

“Not true at all. They can’t follow me to classes, to work. There will be lots of times we can see each other.”

Cadence cried all over again.

“I’ll be okay, Cadence. I swear,” Avery said. She reached in for another hug. This time Cadence squeezed hard until Avery’s bones popped.

“Did I really sin against you?” Cadence asked.

Avery pulled back. “Huh?”

“What you said to me in the hallway. All those weeks ago. Did I?”

Avery thought for a moment. “I was out of my mind.”

“No, you weren’t. And I thought a lot about what you said—the difference between a mistake and a sin. Not knowing versus knowing. And you’re right. What happened in the theatre wasn’t a mistake.”

Avery blinked.

“I don’t ever wanna treat you like that again. You trusted me, and I let you down. I was selfish, too, Avery. I knew better.”

Avery tried for something light. “Well, I think getting punched in the eye absolves you of any wrongdoing.”

Cadence giggled and shook her head. “My freaking dad punched me in the freaking eye!”

“I know, right? Did you press charges?”

Cadence shook her head. “We made a deal.”

“A what??”

“He wouldn’t go to the police about Mark if I didn’t go to the police about him.”

Avery whistled low. “Oh my God. Cadence, that’s, like, hardcore.”

“I know. And I’m the one who struck the deal. Not Mark.”

Avery nodded. “You’re wily. You’re smart. You’re clever. You should be very impressed with yourself.”

Cadence laughed. “Totally.”

They spent the afternoon discussing their class schedules and what days and times they could meet up on campus to hang out. They realized their work schedules would make a routine meet-up impossible. Avery said she’d add Cadence’s number in her cell phone under a different name.

“Wait. They gave you back your cell phone?” Cadence asked.

“No. I had to buy a new one.”

They joked about the fake contact
and developed an entire life and backstory for her. She would be Avery’s new Christian friend on campus. Avery would attend Campus Crusade for Christ with her every Thursday night at 7 P.M. Translation: go to Cadence’s house for pizza.

Mark came home to girlish laughter.
He planned to tell Cadence that he was offered the teaching position at Cobb Technical College, but it could wait, considering the events unfolding on their couch. An important friendship was being restored. Healing was taking place. Plans for the future were in progress. And he wasn’t a part of those things. They needed their time together, so he said a quick “hello,” then disappeared into the bedroom. He stayed there all night, lying in bed with a book, smiling occasionally at the shrieks of laughter, happy for their mending hearts.

His heart dropped when he watched her walk into the room. He ignore
d the snickers and whispers and followed her with his eyes as she walked to one of two remaining seats in his class. Both up front. She had no choice. She’d have to be close to him.

Whe
n realization dawned that he was the guy from Highway 28, the fear on her face was unmistakable. He felt no such fear. He felt extreme disappointment. And hopelessness.

And then
, there was the matter of her orange jumpsuit. He didn’t know how to address it or if he even should address it. A large part of him said to leave it alone. She was clearly being bullied, and she thought she would try to turn the tables.

But she looked ridiculous. She had to know it. He wasn’t sure if she’d actually won or just thought she did. He tried for a gentle
, non-confrontational approach.

“Cadence, you might wanna go change,” he said softly.

Her eyes went wide. He wasn’t sure why. And then it hit him. He said her name! Yes, he remembered her name. How could he ever forget that name? Cadence. Rhythmic. His song. His life. He decided that afternoon on the side of the road. She was his cadence. It was an alarming moment of clarity now muddled by the realization that she was his student. He thought God was playing another cruel joke on him.

“I’m okay
, actually,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

He wasn’t expecting that. He figured she’d obey. Wasn’t that what students were supposed to do? Obey?

He tried a different approach. “Okay. Not really a suggestion.” The words may have come out a little flatter than he’d intended. He wanted her to understand that he was in charge, but he didn’t want to embarrass her either.

She stared at him. No. That’s not right. She stared through him—right through his eyes and into his brain. Could she see what was going on? Could she feel his impossible attraction to her? He didn’t like
the way she was looking at him. He leaned forward.

“Did you hear what I said?”

She blinked and refocused. “I heard you. I don’t wanna change. It’s a present, see? It was left for me in my locker this morning. I wanted to wear it to show my appreciation.”

And that’s when he knew he had to have her. He was already irritated by her resistance. But now the attitude? Well, it pissed him right off. And t
urned him on at the same time.

***

Cadence set a glass of Orange Crush in front of Mark, then took a seat beside him at the dining room table.

He grinned and shook his head.

“What?” she asked.

“You.”

“What about me?”

“You and your orange jumpsuit,” he explained.

Cadence arched her brow. “What about it?”

“You made it really difficult for me that first day, and you knew it. You were such a brat.”

Cadence snorted. “Whatever.”

He laughed.

“You enjoyed every second of that exchange. Probably got a hard-on,” she said.

He ignored her. “You ready?”

“I think so,” she replied. She was suddenly nervous and didn’t know why.

“Okay. First thing’s first.” Mark paused and looked at his girlfriend. She stared back, waiting
. “You gonna take notes?”

“Do I need to?” she asked.

Mark shrugged. “I don’t know.”

Cadence took a deep breath. “If I start to feel overwhelmed, I’ll take notes.”

Mark nodded. “Okay. First thing: You need to request a W-4 from your employer and fill it out again.”

Cadence blinked. “Huh?”

Mark took a sip of his drink. “You remember that paperwork you had to fill out when you started working at Millie’s?”

“I didn’t fill it out. Dad did. He just had me sign beside the sticky note.”

Mark smiled patiently. “All right. Well, you need to ask Millie for new paperwork. It’s called a W-4.”

“Why do I need that?”

“Because I’m pretty damn sure your dad wants to claim you as a dependent on his taxes, and he’s not going to.”

“Huh?”

“Let me put it this way: your dad intends to make some money off of you, and since he cut you off, I don’t think he should be allowed to.”

Cadence nodded. She understood nothing.

“So, I need you to get new paperwork so that we can fill it out a little differently. This time you won’t check the box labeled ‘dependent.’ You’ll just claim ‘0’ on your taxes. That way you’ll get the maximum refund, which, for you, will be everything. You don’t make enough to pay, but you don’t wanna claim any withholdings either. Let ‘em take the maximum out of your paychecks because you’ll get it all back at the end of the year anyway. Well, I mean, not Social Security—”

“
Mark! I don’t understand this!” Just that quickly and she was already overwhelmed and irritated.

She
propped her elbows on the table and buried her face in her hands.

“Cadence, just bring me the paperwork. I’ll handle it,” Mark said.

She kept her head down—her hair acting as a curtain to shield most of her face—but turned slightly to look at him through a small opening in her strands.

“You think I’m stupid,” she whispered.

“No, I don’t. No one understands a thing about taxes. I only know the basics. Enough to fill out a W-4.” He smiled at her. “I’ll help you. It’ll be fine.”

Cadence sat quietly for a time mulling over the term “dependent.” Apparently she wasn’t supposed to be one anymore, and the idea of being
in
dependent was neither freeing nor exciting. She realized she was terrified, entering into another phase of adulthood she wasn’t sure she could handle.

“Honey?” she heard to her left.

“‘Honey’?” she echoed, and then laughed. “Like what middle-aged couples call each other? ‘Honey’?” She couldn’t shake the sudden memory of Mark calling her “darling” in the Walgreens when they were shopping for pregnancy tests. She burst out laughing all over again.

“What?” Mark asked indignantly.

“Can you just call me, like, a cool pet name? Like ‘babe’ or ‘sweet cheeks’?”

Now Mark burst out laughing.

“‘Sweet cheeks’?”

She swatted his arm. “I dunno. Something better than ‘honey’.”

“Okay,” Mark replied. “Let me think on that one.”

Cadence nodded, then drank a sip of Mark’s Orange Crush.

“I’m putting you under my car insurance,” he said. “You only need basic collision which’ll run you about 30 bucks a month. Can you handle that?” he asked.

Cadence’
s heart gave a small jolt. The words escaped her lips before she could stop them. “You aren’t paying for it?”

Mark
’s grin was somewhere between condescension and playfulness. She was confused by it. Then annoyed by it. Then turned on by it. Only took three seconds to run the gamut.

“
No, Sweet Cheeks. You’re pulling your weight in this household.”

He couldn’t know how much
she delighted in that statement. She thought she could translate it to mean “I see you as an important equal in this relationship.” She realized she wouldn’t have to slip the bills in his wallet after all.

“Okay,” she said quietly.
“But I didn’t pull my weight when you bought me that car.”

“We’re back to that?” he asked.

“Just saying,” Cadence replied. It almost sounded like a challenge, and he took it.

“I can think of ways you can pay me back,” he said
thoughtfully.

Cadence blushed and grinned.

“Wanna come sit on my lap?” he asked.

“You’ll get distracted, and you’re supposed to be helping me,” Cadence argued.

“Eh, you’re right.”

He
flipped through a stack of papers in front of him.

“You can use the university health center. Take advantage of it as a full-time student,” he advised. “You’re paying for the damn thing.” He paused and read. “Looks like you’
ll have to pay a little extra out of pocket for your annual, but 75 bucks is a hell of a lot better than paying five hundred out of pocket at a doctor’s office.”

Cadence flushed.

“Your birth control is covered, too,” he explained. “If you’re interested.”

“What?”

Mark continued reading. “Oh, wait. Nope. Looks like it’s five bucks a pack.” He scratched his five o’clock shadow. “I read wrong.”

“What?” Cadence repeated.

Mark looked up. “I’m not saying you have to go on birth control. I’m just saying that it’s an option. And it’s pretty inexpensive comparatively speaking. It’s like 45 bucks a pack without insurance.”

“How do you even know that?”

Mark tensed ever so slightly. It was getting worse—the slip-ups. Too easy when she lived with him, had become so intimately connected to his life, his world. He was becoming too relaxed, and he simply wasn’t ready to go there yet. To talk about Andy and how the hell he even knew anything about the cost of birth control packs.

“Girlfriends in college,” he mumbled.

Cadence thought for a moment. “I don’t know that I’ll be a full-time student—”

“
Looks like you’re paying for the gym, too,” Mark interrupted, skimming the page. “What the hell? What happened to the days where you just paid for your classes and that’s it?”

“Mark. I said I don’t know that I’ll be going to school full time,” Cadence said.

“Why?”

“Because I don’t know what I qualify for yet,” she explained.

“What do you mean?”

Cadence
flipped open her laptop. It was the one possession her father bought her that he didn’t require her to give back after their parting.

“Will you check these for me?” she asked, pushing the laptop over to Mark.

“What’s this?” he asked, scanning the screen.

“My FAFSA stuff. Did I fill it out right?”

How could he be such an idiot?! In all his preparation to help her sort out these financial responsibilities, he completely forgot about her means of paying for college. He assumed her father would. He didn’t know why. Maybe he’d subconsciously hoped that Mr. Miller wasn’t a complete jerk.

“You told me your parents set up a college fund,” Mark said.

“They did.”

Mark blinked. “Well, as far as I understand it, college funds are specific to college. The interest that accrues on them . . . you can
’t just take that out to use however you want.”

“It wasn’t a college fund like that. Just a separate account Dad set up. Something with stocks or something. I don’t know. He wanted to make a better return on the money.
Whatever that means. I don’t freaking know. I just know that I don’t have any money to pay for college.” She pointed to the screen. “Now help me out here.”

Mark
bit his tongue. There was a string of words he wanted to let loose about her father, but she managed to sum it all up in one. He leaned into the screen.

“I didn’t know your dad’s first name was ‘Asshole’.”

She cracked a smile. “Isn’t it awful how his parents did that to him?”

Mark chuckled.

“I would have legally changed it by now,” Cadence went on.

Mark smirked.
“You know you’ll have to fix that before you send it in.”

Cadence giggled. “I know.”

“But you can leave it for now. ‘Asshole Miller’. Has a nice ring to it.”

“I thought so.”

Mark eyed Cadence thoughtfully. She was staring at the screen, absent-mindedly twirling a golden strand around her finger.

“Come here, Sweet Cheeks,” he said, tugging on her arm.

He pushed his chair out and pulled her onto his lap. She nestled against him, eyes still glued to the screen.

“Did I fill it out right
?” she asked.

He read over the pages, changing things here and there. He asked her a few questions—some she couldn’t answer—and saw her frustration grow.