Page 90 of Unofficial

"What're you guys talking about here?" Noelle asks, her arm wrapping around Jess's waist and giving Kade a warning look. She's accepted Kade and Jess are together, but she hasn't quite forgiven him for everything that's happened.

"How my father killed my mom when I was eight," Kade says.

Noelle drops her arm and looks at Kade with anger on her face. "That's not funny."

"He's not kidding," Jess says, suddenly defensive against Noelle.

"What?"

"Ask my cousin, Drew. His family raised me after it happened," Kade says and points to his cousin.

Her eyes look to Jess. "You never told me that."

"It wasn't my story to tell."

"Who's the other man you punched?" Joe asks, wanting to shift the conversation.

Jess almost groans. He's trying to help, but this is another story Kade doesn't share. "Does anyone need another drink?"

"My ex-best friend," Kade says. "I'm good, baby."

"What'd he do?" Noelle asks.

Jess shoots her a glare, but she ignores it. Lena and Joe stare at Kade with rapt attention, both waiting for his answer.

"He'd been sleeping with my ex-fiancée for years, and I found out five months before we were supposed to get married."

Lena's jaw drops, and Joe's eyes widen. "What?"

"That's why I had such an issue committing," Kade says and turns to Lena. "It was why I did what I did to Jess. I had a lot of shit to work through, and I'm sorry you were pulled into it. I don't know that I've ever apologized to you."

"You know, I think I can forgive you," she says. "Wow... that's... that sucks."

Noelle looks to Jess, and she nods. It killed Jess not to share this information with her best friend, especially when she knew it would help smooth things over between her and Kade, but she didn't even want to ask Kade. She wanted to respect him.

"Did you put him in the hospital?" Joe asks.

Kade smirks. "An ambulance was called, and I got hauled to jail. Everything got dropped, but he's lucky I didn't want to join my father in prison."

"Okay, okay, I understand now," Noelle says to Jess.

"Can you stop being such a bitch to him then?" she asks.

"No, she keeps me in line. I kind of like it. Besides, it's not often someone the size of a child can scare me," Kade says.

Noelle smiles. "I scare you?"

"A whole lot, yes," he says and nods his head.

"You kind of scare me, too," Lena says, and Joe nods his head in agreement.

"Aww, you guys are the nicest!"

Jess laughs and hugs her. "I guess I'll be the only one not scared of my little pixie."

"You're the only one ever allowed to call me that," she says and laughs back.

Kade moves into the room and whistles to get everyone's attention. He waits for everyone to quiet down before speaking.

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