Page 19 of Matchmaking the Rival

I respected him for that.

“I just got home. Let me take off my coat.”

“Only now? Did the car break down or something?”

That alpha tone was coming through again. My pulse sped up, and my mouth went dry. I loved this about him.

“No, I stopped by my sister’s house,” I replied, awkwardly holding the phone between my ear and my shoulder as I took off my coat, hanging it up before taking off my shoes. I tiptoed into the living room. My heart rate accelerated just from hearing his voice on the phone.

"How is Everly?" he asked.

"She's pregnant and excited for the baby.”

“Congratulations.”

“She also has gestational diabetes, so I had to find a special bakery to make sugar-free sweets." I had no idea why I told him that. It was Everly's private health matter, after all.

"You always went above and beyond for your sister. I remember that."

"Of course. She's my sister. I always look after her. You were close to your brothers too. Is that still true?"

"Yeah. Especially with Spencer."

I grinned for no reason. "The terrible duo. Jeannie always said you weren't just responsible for her gray hair but also for that of every one of your teachers, and that your mother’s was probably going to turn white before she hit fifty. How is your mom?”

I walked straight into the bedroom, sitting on the edge of my mattress.

There was a long pause, and then his voice sounded completely different when he answered. "She passed away."

"Oh my God. I'm so sorry." I stood straighter, suddenly feeling like I had a huge weight pressing on my heart. "Recently? God, she was so young."

"No. She got sick right around when I changed schools."

His words felt like a shock to me. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I was too busy breaking into the school lab. My family was too busy keeping me out of juvie. I don’t know. I guess I just didn't want anyone to know."

"I'm so sorry." I felt like utter shit. I always prided myself in saying that I'd been his friend, yet I hadn’t known his mother was sick.

"It happened a long time ago, Meredith."

“Losing a parent, is always hard.”

The abrupt change of schools made more sense now. Suddenly I wanted to know what he’d been doing these past few years too.

I yawned and quickly covered it with my palm. "Sorry," I said, smiling sheepishly even though he couldn't see me. "I had a long day."

"Then I won't keep you any longer."

"Oh." I was disappointed. "Giving up so soon?" I hoped my voice sounded teasing and not needy. I was all over the place tonight, and I wasn't used to it. I liked to think I was in control of things in all areas of my life: my work, my personal life, my parents’ financial situation—just everything. But where Cade was concerned, the opposite was true. The man rattled me.

"No. But catching up on all the years in between is going to take a long time. Unless you want to make this a sleepless night?"

The thought was exciting. I considered it for a brief second before shaking myself out of it.Meredith, you're already losing your mind.

I lay down on the bed without slipping under the covers, simply putting my duvet over me.

“Nope. Still sounds like giving up to me,” I teased.

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