Skylar's POV

"How did you get your hand cut this deep, honey?" The nurse lady questioned me with an odd look.

I've never really been in the nurse's office except for that one time when that kid in my PE class had thrown one of those heavy basketballs right at my face. And it wasn't really a nice moment to remember.

Still, the pain of it back then seemed so much better than the way my hand hurt right now.

I looked away from her and gazed down at my legs, dangling them from the small recovery couch I was sitting on, which was situated at one corner of the nurse's office.

"Oh, well." I hesitated a little, thinking. "It was an accident."

She raised a brow at me.

"I was slicing some onions." Perhaps that was valid enough to believe in. I didn't even know the first thing when it came to cooking, which thankfully, she had no clue about.

It was a relief when she didn't press on the subject, but I was also aware of the look Caden seemed to be giving me. He wasn't buying the bullshit I was currently feeding the nurse. I ignored him for the meantime though, even when this room was way too compact to avoid his piercing stare.

"Well, be careful next time. It wasn't that deep to get stitches but you shouldn't have wrapped it so loose." She said. "Keep it bandaged this way. All right?"

I nodded.

"I'll write you a note for the classes you missed. Then you're ready to go." She got up from beside me, passing me a warm smile before leaving the room to go to her desk.

I stared down at my hand, not even realising that I was fidgeting with the bandage until Caden snapped.

"Stop doing that." He said. I stopped, but didn't really look up at him. A beat of silence passed by when he repeated the nurse's question from earlier. "How did it happen?"

He was still frowning when I glanced at him. Seeing him frown felt so usual these days; I'd be so surprised if he smiled for once.

Since we were onto a repeating session, I did the same. "I was cutting some onions. It was an..." I faltered when the green in his eyes left my thoughts astray. "An accident."

Would he even believe me if I told him the truth? I needed to tell someone. I needed to tell my parents. Because what if it happened again?

Caden's frown deepened and I swallowed. Though before he could've said something, before I could've said anything more, the nurse came back inside with a handwritten note in her hand.

I was almost out of the office when I heard the nurse lady murmuring something under her breath. I stopped and turned around and saw her saying something to Caden, who for some reason, stiffened at her words.

I tried acting like I wasn't eavesdropping.

"It's fine." He murmured back, gaze cautious as he nodded, and then headed for the door too. It was a little strange that he didn't bother sparing me a single glance as he left.

And as I ventured into the school hallways once again, the lack of bustling told me that I had missed Biology and the last of my class too. The entire school was almost empty now. Which probably meant Alex had left too. I couldn't exactly blame him when I didn't even have my phone with me. He must be wondering where I had disappeared off to.

I walked quietly towards my locker and opened it up, watching as a folded piece of paper fell down and landed near my feet.

- Alex

"Shit." I mumbled, folding back the paper and stuffing it in my pocket.

Alex was going to be mad if I tell him I was with Caden. And if I tell him about last night, he was going to fuss over it. Alex cared all the time, but sometimes he grew so protective over the littlest matters. I didn't think I could've thought of a better way to explain this to him.

I hadn't even told him about the whole letter I got in the mail. How would I explain this to him? He would ask so many questions, questions I wasn't sure I knew the answers of.

Let's try digesting it myself first, I thought. Then I'll tell him everything. Or the important bits, at least.

I started walking towards the parking lot once I had slung my bag over my shoulder, holding the late pass in one hand and my phone in the other. I was aware of the missed calls Alex had left me, and I mentally promised that texting him back would be the first thing I'll do when I reach back home.

Reaching back home was another thing I had to think about though. The moment I stepped out into the parking lot, the bright sun hit me from every direction. I groaned, not really wanting to walk all the way back home.

But I didn't have a choice. The entire parking lot was empty, save for a sleek black car which I was sure belonged to the only other person left here besides me.

Caden.

I weighed my options. Would Caden be kind enough to lend me a ride home? Probably not. It didn't necessarily made me comfortable that I was spending so much time around him these days. He was probably getting annoyed too.

I decided then that even though it'll take me time to reach my house, walking sounded a lot better. It'd give me the time to think of what I was actually going to say to Alex.

Heaving a sigh, I started walking towards the opened school gates, murmuring random excuses under my breath. I was trying to come up with a lie which wouldn't exactly be a total lie. I wanted to lie to him as less as possible.

And when I'm done with Alex, maybe then I'll give a call to Dad and tell him about last night.

Would Dad be pissed at me that I hadn't called sooner?

"Planning to walk, Anderson?" I heard Caden's voice from somewhere behind me, breaking me out of my thoughts. Stopping, I turned around and saw him standing by the black car.

"Yeah." I replied, squinting my eyes when the sun shone right where he was standing. I could only make out his black jacket.

I didn't understand how hot it felt right now when it had been freezing cold last night. This town was weird.

When I actually managed to look at Caden's face, I saw him muttering something lowly under his breath. The frown on his face told me that he wasn't happy at whatever he was about to say.

"Come on." He said. "I'll drop you to your house."

I eyed him in surprise. Was this normal--him offering to be a chauffeur to just about anyone? Couldn't be, I thought. He rarely talked with anyone at school.

"Really?"

I suppose I was trying out my luck when I asked him that. The frown vanished from his face and he shrugged. "Suit yourself, Anderson." He said. "Wouldn't happen again."

And when he turned around, leaving me be, I realised that there were nice guys (total gentlemen) and then there was Caden Miller. He wasn't going to ask me again.

"Wait!" I shouted at his retreating form, hitching up my bag as I ran after him. "I meant, sure! I'd love a ride back home!"

Why was my life like this?

•••••

When Caden stopped his car in front of my house, I'd like to say I wasn't surprised that he knew where it was. He'd come here before, hadn't he? Still, that didn't mean it wasn't creepy. How had he found out where my house was in the first place?

"Can I ask you a question?" I asked him, turning my head away from the window and directing my gaze at him. Before he could've rejected my polite request, I asked him anyway, "How did you find out where my house is?"

Caden turned his gaze towards me and once again, my breath hitched a little. I didn't understand why that happened every single time he looked at me.

"Let's get this straight, Anderson." He spoke up. I cringed inwardly at that name. It was as if he was gaining some sort of inner satisfaction by calling me that. "If you answer my question first, I'll answer yours."

I forced myself to look away from the beautiful green hue of his eyes, narrowing mine at my lap.

"Sure." I replied.

He wasted no time in asking me the question I already knew he was going to ask. "How did that happen?" He questioned, jerking his chin ever so slightly towards my injured hand.

I pulled my hand against my chest as if that could somehow make him take back that question.

"I told you already."

He let out a weary sigh and tipped his head back against the headrest. "Can you stop lying?"

"How can you say that I'm lying?" I narrowed my eyes at him. Was he implying that I wasn't a good liar?

Caden regarded me sideways and raised both of his brows. "It's awfully painful hearing you make your way around a lie."

"Doesn't answer my question, Caden."

"You hesitate every time you lie." He scowled.

I opened my mouth in surprise. Was he observing me that much? "That still doesn't mean that I'm--"

"Look, I don't have time for this." He cut me off, scrunching his nose a little--something that made it harder for me to not stare. "Cut out the lying part and tell me the truth."

I shook my head in disbelief before looking out of the rolled-up window. My house was right there and I was still sitting in his car. Why?

"Someone broke into my house last night." I gave in, but I didn't really look at him. When he didn't respond though, I eyed him nervously.

"What?"

Leaning my head back against the seat, just like him, I repeated, "Someone broke into my house last night." Even saying it out loud creeped me out. I was still scared. There hadn't been a single break-in for all that time I'd practically been living alone in my house. Why now?

"What do you mean someone broke in?" He seemed almost a bit angry.

I cleared my throat awkwardly. "Well, I think I...forgot to lock the back door."

Caden's eyes widened a little, just for a brief second, before he was eyeing me with incredulity. I couldn't name a single time we'd seen each other in these past few days and he hadn't given me that look.

"Where were your parents?" He was angry. Definitely angry. I didn't think I wanted to stay here in the car when he looked like that.

Didn't he like, punch people when he got angry?

"They were out. A...um work thing," I spoke that a little uncertainly, cautiously eyeing him at the same time. Speaking it out loud made it hurt a bit. Only if my parents had been there last night, none of this would've happened.

But then again, it wasn't exactly their fault. They both trusted me to be safe. Maybe if I had locked the doors properly, none of that would've happened. I should've made sure to lock the back door.

"Why the hell would they leave you all alone?" He asked, running a hand through his hair.

Because they think I'm responsible enough.

"It's not much of a big deal." I waved it off, because it wasn't.

His eyes drifted away from me, almost looking confused and maybe even a little taken aback. "You're telling me that somebody broke into your house and you were all alone?"

I stared at him, confused. "Yes, Caden," I stated slowly. "I was alone like I am every other night." Though after I said that, I realised that maybe I should've kept the last bits of that information all to myself. Who even goes around telling random strangers that they live alone, totally unguarded in their house most of the time?

That's when it hit me. I could ask Mom and Dad to add in some sort of an alarm system.

"Who was it?" Caden asked me, and even though it was kind of usual, I was starting to get bothered by his frown. Couldn't he just smile? Or like, not frown?

"He was wearing a ski mask." I was staring, and strangely enough, I was starting to realize that this car smelled like him. Like Caden. Not that I knew what he smelled like. "I'm sure it was a guy."

He seemed to ponder over it for a while, and I couldn't help but wonder why he was acting so strange, before he cursed softly under his breath--some words my mother would've had a heart attack listening to if I were to ever say them out loud.

"Why did it take you so long to tell me about this?" He asked out loud.

"I...because..." I trailed off, confused. "I didn't know if I should've told you?"

He shook his head slightly at my answer. "If something like this happens, you are supposed to tell me, all right?"

That may have been the most genuine response out of all the responses he had ever given me. It made me want to laugh, but it terrified me at the same time. If Caden, out of all the people, was saying such stuff to me, then this was much more serious than what I had been going along with. Something terrifying. Something he knew about.

Something related to that East gang of his.

I couldn't have found any right words to respond to him with, so I stuck with nodding.

"Do you know who it could've been?" I asked him after a few painfully silent seconds.

"I don't know." He looked unsure, his gaze darting across my face. And I don't know why it made my heart race.

I should go now.

"Well, I'm fine," I announced, trying to lighten up the mood. "It's not like he killed me or something."

That guy did say he'd kill me next time, though.

I was hoping there would be no next time.

Caden looked at me like he couldn't believe I just said that. "Just do me a favour, will you?"

I actually felt honoured.

"Yeah?"

"Don't forget to lock that fucking back door of yours."

I breathed out a small, nervous laugh. I was truly sure of myself that I would never forget to do that.

Not after last night.

_______

Xoxo,

Crystal 🌿