Chapter Two- Cade

“I’m guessing Sadie went home?” Adam asks from the recliner.

I tip back my beer, letting the liquor scorch down my throat. Then I take a slice of pizza from the box on the living room table. “Yeah, she showed me a pretty good time, too.”

Adam laughs. “I heard she was good. I’m glad she lives up to her reputation.”

I nod and inhale my pizza. I’m starving. “Just like I like ‘em.”

Adam grabs the remote and turns the game down. “Hey,” he says, turning to rest his elbows on his knees. “What do you think about my sister?”

What a loaded question. 

She wouldn’t even look at me once she walked inside. Basically ran from the room the first shot she got. I saw her looking at me out in the hallway. Just like my eyes had taken off all of those expensive clothes Daddy bought her. She’s hot … in a fresh-out-of-high-school kind of way. Not that I would ever do anything about it. Adam is my friend and that would cause too much drama. I'm not about drama. Plus, she's cute but too innocent for my taste. Too soft around the edges. Like she would break if I touched her too rough—and I've been known to do that from time to time. It would never work out. 

“What’s up with her, anyway?" I ask, avoiding the question. "I would figure she wouldn’t want to live with you. Not with the freedom of living in a dorm room.”

“She doesn’t. My dad is making her. She doesn’t … make friends easily, and he thinks moving her in with me will help. I'm not sure how. I can't force her to go out and make friends."

An eighteen-year-old spoiled rich girl doesn’t make friends easily? Who would have thought?

I snort and wipe my greasy hands on my sweats. “You think that’s smart? Wait until Will sees her. You know how he is about fresh meat.” Dude will go after anything with a pulse. He especially loves naive freshman, which Jaden falls into that category, for sure. 

Adam groans and leans against his seat. “I’ll talk to him. He won’t touch her if I say so.”

Doubt it. Will is a conniving little prick, but I don’t push it, because frankly, it's none of my business. The front door opens, and Adam gives me a worried look. I can’t blame him. Will comes around the corner, pulling off his shirt.

“What's for dinner?” he asks, wiping his sweaty forehead with his workout jersey.

I don’t answer, but he doesn’t expect me to. Will isn’t my favorite person, and he knows it. When I realized he was the other roommate, I nearly left, but I need this place. Since the rent is divided, it’s one third cheaper because of Will—now one fourth because of Adam’s sister. Thank God. Working these double shifts at the garage is killing me.

“Nothing, man, I need to talk to you real quick,” Adam says, waving him in.

Will raises a blond eyebrow and walks over to us, one hand in his hair and the other on his hip.

He’s what I would call a pretty boy with daddy’s checkbook. And he flaunts it all the time. From his expensive clothes, to his truck and drops hundreds every time he goes out. Spoiled playboy in the flesh. “Did someone die or something? What's with the look? Get on with it.”

“It’s nothing like that. It’s just—”

“Hey, Adam, can I borrow your hair dryer? Nancy forgot—” Jaden stops mid-sentence and stares at us. Her brown hair is wet, droplets running down her white tank top. I can make out the edge of her small, pink nipple below it.

As if she knows what I’m thinking, her hands wrap around her small chest. She bites her lower lip, gnawing on it. It’s somewhat adorable. If you're into fifteen-year-olds. 

“Um, yeah, it’s on my dresser,” Adam says.

She nods and disappears down the hallway before anyone can say anything.

When I look over at Will, he is jabbing his finger at her and smiling like a weasel. “Adam? Do you have a friend over, or is that our new little sister, Jaden?”

Adam narrows his eyes and leans back against the couch. “Will,” he warns. “That’s my little sister, don’t even start, man. I told you!”

Will laughs and holds his hands up. “Calm down. I was just admiring the view. I bet she won’t even remember my name by the time I graduate. I won’t be anywhere near her. Swear.” He puts his hand over his heart in a dramatic way that irks me.

Adam grumbles but sighs heavily like he doesn't believe a words he says. Which is smart. 

“Can I at least speak to her when I see her?” Will asks, unlacing his cleats. He tosses them in the corner and begins to strip out of his clothes, clearly hoping Jaden will come back in and catch him.

This is obviously going to end up with Adam beating Will to a pulp, and I'll have the popcorn ready.

Adam ignores him and glares at me. “Want to watch the rest of the game?”

I shake my head. “I’m beat. I have class and a double tomorrow. Don’t wait up.” I stagger off down the hallway. I don’t have much in my room but a bed, clothes, TV, and my guitar in the corner. All I do in here is sleep … well entertain occasionally, but as long as you have a bed no one really cares. At least I don't. I didn't grow up in a home that decorated. Not from my own preference, but because my mother wasn't the type. 

It’s nothing like Jaden’s room. I snuck a look before she got here. It looks like a magazine. But Adam’s family is loaded. Not that you can tell by being friends with him. He’s down to earth.

Not like his uptight dad. He barely said two words to either of his kids. And left before Jaden could get settled. Douchebag. He dripped entitlement. 

Slipping on a fresh undershirt and sweats, I make my way to the kitchen. Will is sitting on the counter beside Jaden. He’s eating something and staring her down like a creep. I regret not leaving him any pizza now.

She swings around and puts the milk back into the refrigerator. His eyes travel down to her body, and he lifts an eyebrow. Don't get me wrong, it's nice. It’s plump, rounded, and comes up to the tiniest waist I’ve seen in a while but Adam asked him to stay away, not even ten minutes before. I knew he hadn't forgotten that quickly.  “What you eating?” Will asks over his spoon.

She looks down at her bowl and back up at him. “Cereal,” she says lightly, but I can see the look she holds back. It screams, 'cereal, you idiot.'

He nods. “You ready for your first day tomorrow?”

She leans against the counter and pushes her spoon around in her bowl. She isn’t wearing the white shirt like before, and I smile knowing she had noticed me looking. When she looks up, her cheeks are stained a dark red.

Shaking my head, I walk in and grab a bottle of water from the fridge.

“I’m actually really nervous,” she says.

“You’ll be fine, sweetheart. I can show you around if you want. I wouldn’t mind.” He gives her the biggest smile I’ve ever seen. Part of me wants to believe that she's smart enough to notice he is a grade A douchebag, but then I remember she is only eighteen.

Swallowing, she glances up at him. “I would love a guide. All I have are some maps that they gave us at registration. They’re kind of confusing.”

Will isn’t listening. I watch as I twist the top of my water and take a swig. He’s like a lion, zeroing in on prey that he was specifically asked to stay away from. Adam might as well have given him condoms when he asked him to stay away.

“Want to try some of this?” Will asks, offering her his spoon. It looks like peanut butter and something mixed. Jaden’s grip tightens on her bowl but she politely nods.

“Sure.”

Will jumps down from the counter, leans close to her, and places the spoon at her lips. Her full, pink lips. They part as the spoon touches the outside of her mouth.

Is he crazy? Quietly groaning, I make a grand show of turning and bumping into Will. His bowl falls to the floor with a runny plop and splatters against his shirt on the way down.

“What the hell, man?” he yells, looking down at his stained shirt.

My eyes find hers. I’m giving her a chance to run for the hills, but she stares blankly at me.

“My bad.” I point toward the floor and his shirt. “Better go get cleaned up though.”

He narrows his eyes at me, and then disappears around the corner, cussing under his breath.

“Sorry,” I tell her, taking another large swig of my water. “I’m clumsy.”

She narrows her green eyes and leans against the counter. “Sure. You look like you’d be clumsy,” she says over her spoon.

What’s that supposed to mean? I lift an eyebrow and obviously look her up and down. She squirms and looks at her bowl.

“You do that a lot,” I say.

“Do what?”

“Look down when you’re embarrassed.”

Her head jerks up, and she presses her lips into a tight line. It’s the only emotion, besides discomfort, that I’ve seen from her. “I’m not embarrassed.”

“Really?” I ask, lifting a brow. “Your cheeks are red.”

Her hand automatically reaches for her reddened cheek.

Dumping her bowl into the sink, she turns to stare at me. Her mouth is partly open, as if she wants to say something, but she doesn’t.

I give her a quick wink and wrap my lips around the top of my water. She watches the movement, her mouth parting and her eyes round. It makes me smile. I like how easily she's worked up over things.

“See something you like?” I ask.

She crosses her arms over her chest. Her dark hair falls in front of her face in an attempt to cover her blushing cheeks. “Goodnight.”

I watch her hips sway as she walks to her room. It’s not as if I’d actually date her. She isn’t my type, and she’s my best friend’s little sister. It’s just fun to get her worked up. To see those cheeks turn pink.

I’m laughing when Will walks back into the kitchen. “Where did she go?”

I roll my eyes and toss my water bottle into the trash. “To bed, to get away from you.”

He grumbles beneath his breath, and I walk toward my room. Light spills through the crack in Jaden’s doorway and into the hallway. It’s right next to my room and across from the bathroom that we’ll be sharing. I never had a girl roommate, and never wanted one. There is too much temptation living with the opposite sex, because they’re always there. Now not only do I have a roommate but she’s my best friend’s little sister. Temptation Island has nothing on this.

I glance over my shoulder to see if Will is near before leaning closer to her door to peek inside. Her TV is on but too low to tell what she’s watching. She’s turned toward her nightstand and when she tosses something into her mouth, I see a few prescription bottles beside her.

What medication is she on? Not that it’s any of my business. Actually, why am I even pulling a peeping Tom and spying on her? I take a step back, and rub my palm down my face.

I walk toward my room and shut my door behind me. I have too many things to worry about and I’m not adding Adam’s little sister to the list.

Not going to happen.