Page 66 of Fire Fight

“Hey.” As she steps closer, a worried frown creases her forehead. “What’re you doing here?”

He makes a gesture like he expects me to move aside. I give a low growl as I stay put, crossing my arms, popping my biceps to make the message crystal clear.

“Can I speak to Cadence alone?”

“No.” I step forward until he retreats, forcing a more comfortable distance between them. “You screamed your head off at her last night, so you can say what you want to say while I stand right here.”

“Okay, I—”

He swivels on his foot to look behind him, then sighs.

“Cadence, I’m sorry for yelling at you last night.” His gaze shifts to me. “For what it’s worth, I apologise for accusing you,too. It seemed to fit, but Mum contacted the mall to get their CCTV, and the footage shows—”

“Your mum?” I bark out a laugh. “Why is your mum hassling the mall for their security footage?”

“She’s a criminal defence lawyer,” Hudson says with the tone of someone who thinks everyone should already know this information. “But I shouldn’t have blamed you without evidence.”

“Who was on it?”

Cadence tugs my arm. “I’ll take it from here,” she says, moving past me. “If I need help, I’ll yell.”

I move to the side window to monitor them, but Cadence sees me watching, escorting him out of the driveway until they’re sheltered behind the privacy bushes.

My stomach pulls tighter with each second they talk, my hope curdling.

“What else did he want?” I ask the moment she returns, not bothering to hide my irritation.

She shrugs. “He invited me to a rugby game at school on Wednesday night. He’s playing but he’ll reserve a good seat for me in the stands.”

My head gives a painful thump. “You’re not going.”

“Of course I’m going. It sounds like fun. And he’s got a loaner car, so he can still give me lifts to and from school in case you were worried.”

“He tore strips off you last night, but you’re suddenly back to being friends?”

She has her hand on the staircase railing, tipping her nose in the air. “Why would I stop being friends with him? It’s understandable he was upset, and he explained. Heapologised.” Her gaze sharpens as she studies my face. Last night, we felt close, but now she’s a million miles away. “Have you everapologised for anything? Maybe something involving bedrooms or lighters for instance.”

I snort as my head splits open, pain running in a zigzag across my skull. “Maybe I’ll save mine until you apologise for pushing drugs onto your vulnerable friends.”

Cadence shakes her head.

“And you’re wondering why I’m still getting a lift from our neighbour?” She takes a step towards me. “If I did owe an apology, it would be to Harriet, not to you.”

Her voice cracks with emotion.

“It never hadanythingto do with you.”

Before I can respond, she turns and runs up the stairs.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

CADENCE

When Hudsonand I arrive at the game on Wednesday evening, the stands are already packed full of fans. Red and gold painted faces show support for our team—my makeup included—while we eye up the opposition in their blue and crimson.

A popcorn cart sends its irresistible toasty buttery call through the air, giving me an olfactory path to sniff along. As I cue for a favoured treat, I silence a new horror story from Hudson with a threatening wave of my fist.

“You’re in the second row,” he yells over the noise of the crowd, phones blaring out the unofficial school anthems at each other, a clutch of Alabaster students tunelessly shouting the lyrics toTubthumpingwhile our side stamps their feet and claps to,We Will Rock You.

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