Page 24 of Caden's Situationship

The expression on Caden’s face was priceless, and the moo from LeeLee was right on point. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think LeeLee was rooting for me to go on this trip and keep an eye on her man.

Nine

CADEN

“If you keep shaking your leg under this table, we’re gonna make you sit by yourself,” Linc said, taking a bite of his turkey sandwich. Last night, we hadn’t had much time to prepare for our impromptu trip to Nashville. Nor had I been able to convince Cordelia that she didn’t need to join us on this trip.

Although the road trip had actually been pretty enjoyable under the circumstances, I was grateful when Katrina had suggested that she and Cordelia head to Opry Mills shopping center to pick up some things, giving me and the guys a chance to talk.

“Caden, I don’t even know why you trippin’ about this,” Houston said. “Based off how things went in the car, Cordelia won’t take this the way you think.”

“It’s not about her,” I lied. “Well, it’s not all about her.”

“Then why the hell are you so nervous?” Wade asked. “I’m with Linc. I’m ready to send your ass to another table.”

“It’s been a while since we’ve done this shit,” I reminded them. “Are y’all not nervous about how things could go today?”

“I am,” Hou admitted. “Like you said, it’s been a minute, but you already know sometimes in this business, you gotta step up when things go south.”

I nodded, taking a bite of my ham and cheese sandwich. “I guess you’re right. Besides, we may be older, but we’ve also learned a lot over the years.”

“Exactly,” Hou said. “So let’s not spend the rest of this lunch talking about it when we already know we’re just gonna accept the job, okay?”

We all agreed, and conversation flowed with updates about our other work, comments on the progress of Wild Valley Ranch, and things we’d heard around town. I was finally starting to relax about everything we had in store for us today when Linc had to fuck it all up.

“Not to put yo’ business out there, Caden, but did you tell Hou and Wade that I found you fucking Cordelia on your couch?”

I almost spit out my potato chips.

“Yo, y’all had sex?” Houston asked. “Wow, didn’t know you’d take my advice.”

“We didn’t have sex,” I corrected. “Linc is just being an idiot.”

Linc shrugged. “Say what you want about me, but had I not interrupted y’all, you would have been fucking last night. So, in a way, I’m not lyin’.”

Wade shook his head. “Your logic is so messed up sometimes. How do you even convince yourself to say the shit you say?”

“I’ll have you know that just the other day, Shelia told me she loved me for my quick thinking and ability to always tell the truth when others don’t.”

“That’s not what she said,” Hou stated. “I was there when you walked into Stan’s Wings. Pretty sure she was trying to be all nice and get you to admit that you lied to her the other day when you said you were busy working at Wild Valley, yet her ass heard you were a few towns over at a casino.”

Linc waved off Hou’s comment. “It doesn’t matter. We ain’t talkin’ about me. This is about Caden.”

“Why do you still mess with Sheila?” Wade asked. “Aren’t you worried one day she’ll get tired of your BS and cut you in your sleep?”

“What?” Linc jerked his head. His voice was too loud in the café as he told Wade, “Bruh, why do I always feel like you come at me at the wrong time? Don’t ask me why I’m still wit’ Shelia when yo’ ass is always traveling back and forth to Colorado for that imaginary girlfriend we all know doesn’t exist.”

“She does exist,” Wade claimed. “Just because y’all haven’t met her, don’t mean I’m lyin’. Tell ’em, bro.” He pointed to Houston, who looked like he would rather be doing anything else than get involved in a disagreement between Wade and Linc.

“Linc, Wade’s girlfriend does exist,” he deadpanned, causing me to laugh.

“Why you say it like I’m lyin’ though?” Wade asked Hou. “You sound like Mama. I thought you knew Crystal existed.”

“She’s fakeeeee,” Linc sang. “When you pretend she FaceTimes you, you probably be jacking off to some fat ass butcher pretending to be your so-called Crystal. You know folk’s catfish in videos too now, right?”

All I could do was shake my head and settle into my chair for another episode of Wade vs. Linc. Growing up, I used to think they fought so much because they both wanted Hou’s attention. Back in the day, Linc had been closer to Hou than I was because I moved to town later. With Wade being Hou’s younger brother, their closeness was understood, too.

Yet, for some reason, Wade and Linc never failed to get into an argument about something. Truth was, Hou and I had gotten closer over the years, especially when I no longer had Carter to confide in. But Wade and Linc knew better than to bring me into their bullshit. I had more important things to do. Like figuring out exactly how I could do damage control with Cordelia after she learned everything tonight.

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