Between Us

Chapter 48

"Did I do something to you?" he demanded. "Have I done anything to hurt you?"

"I—"

"Why the hell did Caden lay one on me? Like I'm the bad guy in this?" He looked between me and Leilani. "I'm always the villain, aren't I? To you," he said to her, and then to me, "and you."

Now what Caden said about not being able to stand around and do nothing made sense to me. He was talking about dealing with Leo because he thought it was Leo that drugged me.

Before I could process what the heck was going on in the middle of a store, where a couple of people stopped to stare at the commotion, Leilani walked around the counter. She grabbed my hand and gave me a look. "Let's go," she said, dragging me behind her.

"Did you know?" I asked after walking out of the store.

"What?"

"That Caden beat Leo up because of what happened?"

"I had no clue any of this was happening until a few minutes ago." She shrugged. "Just another excuse for Leo to hang on to things."

"Why is he mad at you?" I asked. "I heard you guys yelling just now."

"He thinks I came here to get with Caden after breaking up with him."

"...Did you?" I couldn't help but ask.

Her head jerked back, chin disappearing. "No, what? Caden's made it pretty clear that we're just friends. He's been helping me out with my parent's divorce. I broke up with Leo because he was a dick to people. I mean, okay, you know that we all were, but he went further than that. He was remorseless."

"Leo's not capable of that, is he?" I said. I knew I was trying to convince myself, but it didn't seem fair. "He gave a drink to Paris, as well, and there was nothing wrong with her."

"I'm not saying he did it. I'm just saying that it doesn't seem far fetched for Caden to think he did it."

I blew out a breath. There was no proof. Could you really judge someone for their past actions? Leo sounded like he was an asshole in high school, but he was so kind, now.

Couldn't someone change? I did. Caden did, too, didn't he? If I were to go off on what Leilani had told me at the beach and how other people reacted to him, what that girl at the mall said, she and Caden were just as bad, just as cruel.

They'd changed, hadn't they?

And now Leo was mad at me because Caden punched him without any rhyme or reason. He probably thought I told Caden it might be him. That everyone was conspiring against him. A part of me felt bad because, well, what if he had changed and people could only see him for the bad in his past?

Another part of me felt the burning hot rage in my own belly, thinking about the crap Leo used to do and the crap Caden used to be a part of. Was it his bias that made him think Leo was the bad guy in this?

"Thanks, Leilani," I said, absentmindedly, "but do you know where Caden might be? I need to speak to him."

"He mentioned practicing for a show coming up. Probably at that girl's house. Trixie, I think."

Hearing her name reminded me of that kiss they shared. "Can you please drop me off there? It's important."

"Sure...is it something I can help with?"

"I have to do this alone."

As grateful as I was, I really did need to do this alone. She didn't ask me any questions as she gave me a ride, turning the familiar corner, the small curved hill Trixie's house was situated on looming closer in the distance. The small cut on my foot had now healed significantly so I didn't waste any time running up the sloping driveway.

I barged into the middle of their practice. The music came to an abrupt stop as Caden stopped strumming. This was followed by Harry who put a hand out to stop the cymbals from chiming. Trixie's voice was left without any backup instruments.

"Shyla?" she asked. "What are you doing here?"

I kept my gaze on Caden who took the strap of his guitar over his head and leaned it against the wall. As if he was prepared for this. I caught a glimpse of the knuckles on his right hand. Small, bloody cuts were sprinkled across them.

"I need to talk to you."

"Would you be here, otherwise?" he responded nonchalantly. I led him outside to where I had come running from, not wanting the others to overhear.

"Why did you beat Leo up?" I asked as soon as we stopped near the fence caged around the house.

He shrugged. "It was him."

"Do you have proof?"

He mockingly tilted his head, lips drawn in a tight line. "I know him. I don't need proof."

"Just because he's done some questionable things in the past doesn't mean he should be judged for it, now. You were the exact same, weren't you? A complete player, leaving a string of broken hearts behind as a badge of honour?"

His face darkened as those words left my lips. He ignored it and gritted out, "Trust me, sweetheart, he should be judged hard." He was about to continue, possibly to explain even, when Harry and Trixie stepped out from the shade of the garage and into the sun.

"Are you coming back or what?" called Harry. My whole brain shut down when I reminded myself of the treehouse and how I was nothing but another one of those badges.

"I'm leaving," I said stiffly, not bothering to look him in the eye as I turned and strode back down to where Leilani was waiting.

I didn't turn around to see if he was watching me, but the tingle that ran down my whole being told me he was.