Page 50 of Sporty Girls Don't Fall For Loners

“Kade?” Aunt Ally gently prompts.

He reluctantly moves his gaze to them. “Yeah, what she said is true.”

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Aunt Ally asks with pained eyes. “Why keep quiet and let those guys get away with what they did?”

“Why does it matter?” Kade mutters. “You wouldn’t believe me.”

“What are you talking about?” Aunt Ally cries. “Of course we’d believe you!”

“We’re on your side, Kade,” Uncle Zack emphasizes. “We’re always on your side.”

Kade’s eyes move from Uncle Zack, to Aunt Ally, and then back to Uncle Zack. “You’re liars. Hypocrites.” He shoots out of his chair and bolts toward the stairs.

“Kade.” Uncle Zack makes a move to go after him, but Aunt Ally places her hand on his chest.

“Let him be,” she says softly. “Give him some time to cool off.”

Uncle Zack rests his elbows on the table and buries his face in his hands. “I don’t understand. What’s bothering him?”

“I don’t know, Zack. But he’s acting out and not completing his assignments. And he’s been disrupting class. I’ve gotten a few complaints from his teachers.”

Uncle Zack’s chest heaves as he sighs. “I’m failing him, Ponytail,” he says in a defeated voice.

Aunt Ally hugs him tightly, her lips grazing the top of his head.

I spin around and chase after Kade up the stairs.

Chapter Seventeen

Kade

“Hey!” Zoey calls.

I stomp up the stairs, not turning around. She’s a few feet behind me, though, her short legs unable to catch up to me.

“Kade!”

At my room, I slam the door after me and drop down on my bed. Clenching my teeth, I cross my arms over my chest. What does she want? What do any of them want?

Zack says one thing to my face and another behind my back? What’s he playing at?

My bedroom door bursts open and Zoey stands there, face contorted in frustration and confusion.

“Get out of my room,” I say.

She folds her arms over her chest, standing her ground. “Why did you call them liars and hypocrites?”

“I said get out.”

“I’m not going anywhere. Why did you say those awful things to them? Why have you been treating them like crap?”

I grit my teeth as I tear my gaze away from her. “Get out.”

She steps closer to me. “I just told you I’m not going anywhere.” She throws her hands up. “Do you have any idea how lucky you are to have Zack as a caseworker? And to be living with him and Ally? Why are you treating them this way when all they want to do is help you?”

Scoffing, I roll my eyes. “Help me? Like heck they want to help me. You have no idea what you’re talking about, so just go away.”

She folds her arms tighter on her chest. “You were decent…you were nice and now you’re a jerk again. Why? What happened?”

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