You Promised Me Forever (Forever Yours #1)(38)

I try to withhold my wince. He’s sort of right. And I feel terrible about it. “We didn’t mean for it to happen.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

Dropping my arms, I rest my hands on my hips. “Listen, you don’t need to take your aggression out on me.”

A huff of surprise escapes him. “What are you talking about?”

“I turn you down as nicely as I can, and you’re downright—hostile.” My blood is boiling. Like seriously, who does he think he is? “What gives you the right to start yelling at me?”

“I wasn’t yell—”

I cut him off. “You raised your voice at me and you know it. You’re not my boyfriend, Cade, not that the title gives you any right to talk to me like that. We’ve gone on two dates. That’s it.”

“You led me on,” he accuses, and for the tiniest moment, I feel guilty.

Cade’s not too far off the mark. I might’ve used him on Monday so I didn’t have to go to that game and face Tuttle alone. That was wrong of me.

“Two dates isn’t leading someone on.” I lift my chin, trying to ignore how my body is starting to shake. “I apologize if I made you feel that way, though.”

I am the bigger person for apologizing. That’s what I’m telling myself. He really doesn’t deserve my apology. He should say sorry to me.

Cade doesn’t bother acknowledging my saying sorry either. The jerk.

“Jordan Tuttle is rich. And famous. I can’t compete with that, when he’s showering you with attention and money and gifts. But just know this. I’m a regular guy.” He points his thumb at his chest. “I’ll always be here when Tuttle won’t be. Remember that.”

And with those last words, Cade exits the lunchroom without a backward glance.

Shock courses through me as I pick up my phone with shaky fingers. I see that Jordan has sent me two more texts.

It’ll be fun, I promise.

I want you there with me.

Cade’s words ring through my mind as I try to come up with a response for Jordan. I hate how easily it is for me to doubt him after what Cade said. That’s stupid. I barely know Cade.

And I’ve known Jordan forever.

I can’t afford the plane ticket, is my response.

He texts back immediately. Give me a break, Mandy. I got you.

I smile when the next text appears on my screen.

I got you in more ways than you’ll ever know.

Flirt, I respond.

He sends me a bunch of kissy faced emojis, which is surprising. He was never one to express himself with emojis.

I send him blushy faced ones in return.

“Whoa, what happened between you and Cade?” Lena asks as she rushes into the lunchroom, heading straight for my table.

“What do you mean?” Apprehension ripples through me. I really hope Cade didn’t complain to her about me. He only just walked out of here, so he couldn’t have griped for too long.

“I passed him in the hall and he practically snarled at me when I said hi,” Lena explains, her eyes wide. “He’s always so nice. I didn’t know what his problem could be until I saw you sitting in here.”

“Gee, thanks a lot,” I say sarcastically as I set my phone down with a sigh. I don’t like how shaky that conversation with Cade made me feel, and I’m thankful it was Lena who walked in and not someone else. I need a friend now more than ever. “I was honest with him like you told me to be.”

“Oh.” Lena sits across from me at the table. “I guess he didn’t like to hear what you had to say.”

“Not at all,” I agree.

“What did you tell him?”

“Well, first he tried to ask me out on another date.” I see the flicker of disappointment in Lena’s eyes, but I push past it. “When I turned him down and said I was seeing someone else, he figured out quick who that someone else was.”

“Was he sad?” Lena asks.

“More like angry. He accused me of leading him on.”

“Well, I guess most guys don’t like to be turned down, and when you’re turned down because the woman you’re interested in is seeing a famous football player? That’s gotta hurt a little.” Lena winces.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right, but that still doesn’t give Cade the right to be mean to me.”

“I totally agree,” Lena says.

I hate how the doubt starts creeping up on me again. “I’m not even sure if this is the right thing to do.”

Lena frowns. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know.” I shrug. “Should I keep seeing Jordan?”

“Do you want to keep seeing Jordan?” I can see the surprise etched all over my friend’s face. She probably thinks I’m insane.

I nod, startled by the sudden lump of emotion clogging my throat making me unable to speak.

“Then you should go for it.” She makes it sound so simple.

“He invited me to go watch his game this Sunday,” I tell her.

Lena’s eyes light up. “Oh, that’ll be fun. In the suite again?”

“No, in Florida.” I suck in a breath. “He wants me to go to his away game.”

“Oh. Wow.” Lena blinks rapidly, her brows shooting up. “That feels serious.”