Page 42 of Rewrite Our Story

I spentyearstrying to get over him. Trying to mend the heart he broke when he pretended that what we shared was nothing to him. I gave in to him once again. Except this time, I only have myself to blame. I know what it’s like to try and get over Cade. I’m well aware of how impossible it is to forget his taste, touch, and kiss. Yet all it took was a few sentences from him to get me right back to where I started.

Naively in love with a man who won’t fight to keep me.

Although I can’t tell what’s written on Cade’s face, I’m confident he can sure as hell see what’s written on mine.

His eyebrows pull together as fear and fury flashes through his eyes. “Goldie, no,” he whispers, reaching his hand out toward mine. “Don’t do this.”

“We can’t do this,” I correct, already walking to go back inside. “I can’t handle it, Cade. Not again.”

He tries to get me to stop, but his efforts are useless. I’m racing toward the door, needing to get away from him, desperate for space and desperate for a moment to get my head on straight.

I just kissed Cade again.

What’s worse, I believed him when he told me he’d never fallen for anyone else.

At least for a moment.

Now as I shoulder my way through the crowd, looking for the booth where I’m sure Pippa and the rest of the group are waiting for us, I’m wondering if he was actually lying to my face.

There’s no way he hasn’t loved someone else in five years. That’s unrealistic. He can’t really expect me to believe that. He never even toldmethat he loved me. I try to think back on his words, to think if I misheard him. It shouldn’t matter anyway. He told me back then he didn’t love me. That’s what I have to believe.

I let out a sigh of relief when I see Pippa sitting at the table. She laughs at something Brendan says, her shoulders perking up when she spots me.

“Mare!” she shouts, her words slurring. “Where have you been?” She holds up a glass of beer. Apparently we’ve now switched from bottles to a pitcher of beer.

I feel him behind me, forcing my spine to go straight.

“We’re not done,” he hisses under his breath, his fingers running down my arm. I yank it from his reach, holding it close to my chest.

Pippa narrows her eyebrows, accusingly looking from Cade to me. Her head cocks to the side. “Why do I sense something is going on?”

“It’s nothing,” I hurriedly say, looking at Brendan apologetically. He also looks between Cade and I. Except where Pippa looks confused, he looks between us knowingly.

Cade’s shoulder bumps against mine as he comes out from behind me and stops next to me. I feel his gaze hot on my cheek. “I don’t know about that, Goldie,” he says through gritted teeth. “I definitely feel like something is going on.”

My head whips to look at him in disbelief. He was adamant we stayed a secret the summer before I left for college. Now he wants to hash out all the bad blood between us in front of a group of innocent bystanders that includes his sister and one of his ex-girlfriends.

I roll my eyes, appalled by his childish behavior. I train my eyes on Pippa. “I’m just not feeling that well. I think I drank too much or something.”

Cade lets out a sarcastic laugh, not even bothering trying to hide how much of an ass he’s being. “Or something,” he clips.

Pippa frowns, her focus leaving Cade and staying on me. “You sure?” she asks slowly.

I nod. “Yeah.” My eyes flick toward the front exit. “I think I’m going to get some air for a bit. Don’t worry about me, though. Keep enjoying the night.”

Pippa tries to scoot out of the booth, but I hold my hands up to stop her. “Really, Pip. I don’t want to leave quite yet,” I lie. I don’t want to just leave Slopes, I want to leave Sutten. It was a stupid idea to think I could handle staying here long-term. “I just need air for a few minutes. When I come back, I want to see you back on that floor.”

I don’t give her time to argue. I don’t meet anyone’s eyes as I turn on my heel and race toward the doors. Pulling my phone from the back pocket of my shorts, I look to see if I can find a ride back to the ranch.

I lied in there. The last thing I want to do is stay here for a second longer. I especially don’t want to be locked in a car with Cade and Pippa on the way home. Between the lingering tension with Cade and the questions Pippa is bound to ask, I’d like to wait until at least tomorrow to deal with either.

I’m not drunk enough to have that conversation but have had just enough to drink to know it’s not the wisest idea to broach the topic of what just happened with either of them.

Plus, I need to work out my own feelings about what the hell has transpired in the last hour before having to spend time with either of them.

I’m ordering an Uber ride when rough fingers wrap around my bicep and begin to pull me deeper into the parking lot.

“Get off me,” I screech, trying to yank my arm from the tight grip.

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