Still Jaded (Jaded #2)(54)

I asked, "What are you doing here?"

Grace looked down. "We came to see how you were. I heard you were back in town."

"Did Corrigan call you?"

She shook her head and tucked a strand of hair behind her hair. She always did that when she was nervous. "One of the fraternity guys is dating Sofia, one of our sisters. He said Corrigan was back so we figured you were back."

"No, Grace. What are you doing here?" I stepped closer. I wanted to see her eyes.

She glanced away. "You're my friend."

"No, I'm not." I grabbed her chin and turned it to me. I was forceful when I said, "We are not friends. I no longer trust you. You're one of them and they want to screw with me. So now you want to screw with me. You know what I do to people like that, right? You should remember from high school."

She paled, but she never argued. That damned her so much.

"This is your only warning. As soon as I march in there, all bets are off. Cadence doesn't know what she unleashed when she played with me. And I am pissed off right now. I am hurting, and I am furious. My perfect target just waltzed in here. I cared about you. I really did. I was the best friend that you'll ever have, but you gave it up. You threw me away because you don't know who to trust or who to turn to. You turned to the wrong people."

Grace didn't say anything. Then she turned her gaze and a tear fell from her eye. "You're probably right. I know that, and I'm still… I don't know what to do, Sheldon. I don't…"

"You're not strong enough to be my friend."

That was the truth. I should've seen it before, but I had thought she was strong. Hell, she had been. It's why we became friends, because she was strong in a different way, but now that old Grace was gone. The second the sorority sisters drew her in was the second I lost her.

When I walked into the kitchen to find Cadence and Leah, their body posture told me everything. Cadence held her shoulders back as if she was ready to attack. Leah was hunched over, but her chin was straight and lifted upwards. She was being attacked, but she'd fight back when the time came. I met her eyes for a brief second, and mine narrowed. I knew I was probably broadcasting my intent, but I didn't care. Cadence wasn't the 'somebody' she thought she was in her mind. She was just one more in a long line of nobodies. So I grinned. "What brought you to my doorstep?"

Leah straightened. She was a smart girl.

Grace followed me and coughed behind my back.

Cadence flashed a blinding smile. "Well, we heard you were home. Plus, I heard about…Bryce…you know. I thought you'd want some girlfriends around. I know you don't have that many."

Grace sucked in her breath.

Leah covered up her laughter.

I narrowed my eyes and stalked forward a step. "You wanted to be my friend? Is that it?"

Cadence beamed.

She was stupid.

"Do you know what I do to my girlfriends? Do you know the reason why I don't have any?"

Her smile faltered.

"I tell them the truth. Like you. You think you're better than everyone else. You think because you're the head of a sorority that you're going places. You think that you can spot the best guys and nail them, don't you?"

She tilted her chin up, taking a cocky stance.

"You know what they think of you? They see you, and their first thought is that you're work. You're high maintenance and you're bitchy. I don't know of a normal guy that'd want to be with you. You're pretty, but so is everyone else. They'll screw you. They'll have no problem screwing you, but getting them to love you? That's a whole other mission not possible. You're going to have to blackmail someone to love you or you're going to have to hide who you are. That's a lot of work, but hell, I think you could do it. You're fake to everyone else, even yourself. Lying so someone would love you, that wouldn't even work up a sweat for you, would it? It's like morning pilates."

"Sheldon," Grace jolted forward. Her hand trembled.

My eyes narrowed. "Want me to go on?"

Cadence lifted her jaw and squared her shoulders. "We had a deal. Are you forgetting that deal?"

I gestured towards Grace and sneered. "She's already in. You got her. You can't undo that one, but I'd love it if you did." I looked Grace in the eyes but spoke to Cadence. "That way she'd see that I'm right. Only someone using her would cast her out, not a real sister. That's what she thinks you are. We know better."

Leah gasped but coughed over it.

Grace's eyes widened. "Sheldon? Cadence?"

"Go ahead. Tell her."

Cadence's eyes were strained, but she sighed. "Nothing, Grace. She's not talking about anything. I… I was mistaken."

"Yeah. You were," I ground out. "You were mistaken thinking that you should come over here. You're not welcome. Ever."

Cadence watched me for a moment and then asked, "Do you really want to do this? I don't think you want my house as an enemy. We can be quite…unfriendly."

I snorted. "Are you kidding me? Someone tried to kill me a few years ago. You think a sorority house is going to scare me? Someone's still trying to hurt me. I like fighting, Cadence. When are you going to get that in your head? I like pissing people off. I like not having friends except the few I trust. Your idea of hell is my heaven."