Page 26 of We're All Liars

It made for some interesting Thanksgiving conversation. Unfortunately, Dad wasn’t at the table to join in on the topic of his buddy’s demise. Dad was MIA—like he is on most holidays. But Dustin showed. And even though Cade said it wasn’t a big deal either way, I know it was.

When we round the corner leading out to the field, I spot Cade sitting just behind the length of the building against the brick wall. Without thinking, I head in his direction. “I’ll be back in a minute,” I tell Ava as she goes with the rest of the team towards the field.

Placing my duffel bag on the pavement, I drop down to sit next to him, back against the wall, view forward like his. I don’t have to ask. I already know what he’s struggling with. Winning tonight helps his father, but as he’s said a million times, he won’t lose again on purpose. That would be out of spite purely, but it would scratch our plan, because that requires us to get to the championship game.That’sthe one he’ll lose for sure.

“Game day jitters? I didn’t think the star QB ever doubted himself,” I tease as he stares at his hands that are linked, his forearms resting across his knees. I don’t like the silence. And I don’t like the vibe he’s giving off. It feels a lot like the one he had in the locker room that night after the game he lost on purpose for his piece of shit father.

“Cade,” I utter, then he turns his face to me. “Can you go through with this?”

He nods. “I have to. I just can’t believe he’s going to profit off me. It makes me feel cheap.”

I know the feeling. “Fuck him. Even if he wins a fortune, he’ll snort it up his nose or bet it on the next game and lose it. He’ll always be the same miserable fuck.”

“Really? Because you seemed to adore him when you invited him to play a round of golf at Crescent Fleur.”

“You know why I did that.” It physically hurts to admit this, and I have to unclench my stiff jaw to get it out. “You know it was always about you.”

There’s disbelief on his face. He looks the same as I feel inside my core as he watches me, his hands finally unclasping to reach over to me. His thumb rubs along the top my cheekbone where there’s a painted paw print with green and gold glitter spread over it.

“This should be my number.”

Yeah. Savannah offered to paint it there before she did the wildcat print. Ava has Topher’s on her, and a few others did their boyfriends’ numbers, but I couldn’t. “Didn’t want to be branded.” I go to stand because I don’t like where this is heading. “Need to keep my options—”

Cade grasps my wrist and pulls me on top of him. His hand quickly fastening around the nape of my neck, his hold strong, controlling but not angry. “You’re already branded. And so am I. It doesn’t change anything if it’s not here.” His fingertip trails over my skin. “But I still want to see my number there next game.”

“If we have a next game,” I goad him.

“We will.” He doesn’t release me, only pulls me tighter to him. “But I can’t wait until all this is in the past. But not just the games, the entire school year. Graduation and all this shit. Out of Saint Juliet forever.”

“Until the class reunion,” I joke, knowing I won’t ever set foot on this damn campus again.

“Fuck the reunion and this place. I’m not leaving anything behind here. Everything I want I’m going to keep with me.”

“That table in the science lab?”

“Yeah. And the bench in the locker room.” His mouth drops to my neck, his tongue trailing across my skin. And I automatically rock against him, my eyes closing as I think about both times we had sex. There’re a few more places around campus where we got after it, but those stick out for sure. And I’m ready to add this spot to the list until he whispers, “Can I keep you?”

“You can try.”

I hope so.

25

CADE

The afterparty feels the same as any other. It should feel better since it was a playoff game and we won. But fuck. So did he.

I take another sip of beer from the longneck and watch Morgan make her way across the field. We’d planned to go back to Neil’s, but everyone wanted to hang out at the stadium. Unlike me, they’re actually going to miss this. When I said I wasn’t leaving anything behind, I meant it.

Savannah cackles, grabbing her stomach as Neil jogs up behind her, a guilty look on his face. Savannah and Morgan keep talking as Neil walks past them and comes to sit beside me on the tailgate.

“Do I even want to know?”

“Nope.” Neil reaches in the bed of my truck and grabs a beer out of it. “Where’s Toph? Him and Ava were supposed to meet us back here.”

I’ll probably regret asking but I do. “What did y’all do?”

A sly grin peeks at his lips. “You know how the AP was bitching that the school was out of control and wasn’t even civilized enough to use a toilet? Topher just made it true and used the desk drawer in his office for demonstration.”