Mom and Dad did come by the next morning. Or maybe just Dad did. I wouldn't know.

Not when the moment I woke up, they were gone once again. And the only two things that told me they were indeed here just hours ago was the newly installed alarm system, and a tiny note stuck on the fridge.

It was in Dad's neat handwriting. I didn't waste my time reading it. I didn't waste my time calling them on the phone either.

All I could do was lean against the kitchen counter and wonder what it would've been like if I wasn't an only child. Perhaps that way my parents wouldn't have been so fucking neglecting.

Two whole days passed by with no such contact from my parents. Mom, however, texted me once, giving me basic instructions on the new alarm system. As if that was the most important thing right now.

They both were probably just trying to prolong it even more, trying to come up with something to tell me. And I had a feeling they won't be telling me the truth. Because if they had wanted to, they would've told me everything on that phone call.

But they hadn't. I couldn't let go of it so easily. Didn't I deserve an explanation?

At school though, things went on the same. I didn't see Caden after the incident at my house. I didn't see him in the school hallways, I didn't see him in class either. And if I did see him once or twice, he didn't bother having a chat either.

Not that I was complaining. Until I started feeling guilty at the way I had acted towards him that night.

I had been rude when the least I could've done was thank him after he had practically saved my life. Maybe it had been wrong of me to accuse him like that. Just because he had almost kissed me and made me a confused mess of emotions, didn't mean he had set up that whole break-in when he was the one who helped me through it. It could've gotten a lot worse if Caden hadn't been there.

I tried pushing back that slight guilt, but it didn't work.

I needed to apologize to him.

So I decided I'd go to school a bit early the next morning. Hopefully, the classroom would be empty and Caden would be there (which, let's be honest, who was I kidding?), and I'd go to him and apologize then. That's the least I could do.

But my plan went completely down the drain when I woke up a little too late than usual the next morning.

Only five minutes remained before my first class started. Alex hadn't even bothered waking me up, all because of the party hangover from last night. He was still asleep when I called him, apparently skipping school again.

So much for partying all night.

I somehow made it to school, without a ride from Alex, running in the hallways towards my class.

I was so dead today.

And I was actually so sure of that, mainly because the first class was Physics and Mr Frank hated when I came in late--something that I'd like to say doesn't happen quite often, but it did.

He was going to kill me and send one of those complaint emails to my parents and I'll end up being grounded.

God, why did this always happen to me?

Once I neared the classroom, I stopped abruptly and inhaled a deep breath. Then I knocked on the door before entering, only to realize that Mr Frank was in between giving one of his infamous how-physics-can-make-you-a-better-person lectures. And then he noticed me.

Dead.

The glare that he passed my way told me that I was so dead.

"Ms Anderson, may I know the reason for your late coming?" He asked me while everyone else stared. It seemed like they were all trying their best not to laugh. Except for Hanna, I guess. And Mr Frank. And maybe even Caden. But then again, Caden always had this blank expression plastered on his face whenever he was in class.

"I...don't know?" I asked sheepishly. Few snickers arose which quickly died down when Mr Frank glared at them.

"Go and sit down. Meet me after class finishes." Like I said, I was so dead.

I walked at the back of the class towards the only seat left, which wasn't anywhere near Caden. And there went my plan to apologize.

Somehow, after what felt like slow painful hours, the class finally came to an end. I'd like to say I learned something in Physics today, but my head had been too clouded up with thoughts to pay any attention to Mr Frank's words.

Just as the bell rang, everyone got up and started filing out of class. I looked up at Caden, who didn't even spare me a glance before heading for the door.

I quickly started stuffing my books in my bag before going after him.

"Excuse me, Ms Anderson. I think I made it quite clear when I said you'll have a talk with me after class?" Mr Frank stopped me right as I was about to reach the door.

I looked at him and tried to hold in the impatience I felt for this old man right then. "Sir, I've really got to go. I promise I won't be late next time."

He sighed and shook his head, a small wrinkly frown forming on his forehead. "That's your excuse every single time. I won't be taking any excuses from now on. Ask your parents to meet me and then shall I let you go."

Was he kidding me? Did he want my mother to murder me?

I didn't have a choice though. I had been asking for exactly this when I refused to set more than one alarm the previous night. Nodding at Mr Frank, I left the class too and into the crowded hallways. I started looking around for Caden but couldn't find him.

Dammit.

Why couldn't this have gone a bit smoother? I had just wanted to apologise. Why did simple things like such always twist around in the most horrible ways?

I was about to retreat with a small groan of frustration when I saw him--Caden--at the end of the same hallway, almost about to reach the grounds. I picked up my speed then and went running towards him.

"Caden!" I shouted.

He stopped and turned around, his expression slowly morphing into a confused frown as I ran towards him. I tried stopping but someone literally knocked their elbow in my back, making me propel forwards.

Thankfully, Caden didn't fall. More importantly, he didn't let me fall. That would've been more embarrassing.

He gripped onto my arm before my face could've met the floor, and gave me a really bad look. Like it was all my fault somebody had decided to plunge their elbow in my back.

Realizing how close we were, I pulled away more than I should've. Standing close to him seemed highly off-limits to me.

"What?" He asked me in a way that might've passed as distasteful.

"I...uh." I shouldered my bag, noticing how heavy it actually felt at that moment. How did it get so heavy?

"I don't have all day, Anderson." He pointed out with the obvious impatience lacing his voice. Now that I noticed, he did seem in a rush.

Was he just about to skip school?

"Okay. Well, I just wanted to say that...I'm sorry."

His expression didn't change even a bit. "For what exactly?"

I didn't want to think about that day, or even talk about it. I didn't know why Caden did what he did, and I really didn't want him to tell me the real reason behind it.

"For acting so rudely that day." I looked down at the ground and tried not to fidget.

He didn't say anything.

"I'm just trying to be a nice person here," I added in a rush when the silence seemed to stretch on. "Of course, it was your fault that day for whatever that you were trying to do..." I trailed off, feeling my face heating up. "But just so you know, I felt bad that I didn't thank you for saving my life. And I'm sorry for that."

He looked a little surprised now.

"My fault?" He asked.

Everyone was filing out of the hallway. Almost a few minutes were left before the next class started.

"Yes."

"For what?"

I frowned a little. Was he trying to confuse me?

"Well, you did try to kiss me that day, Caden." I cleared my throat. Why couldn't he just accept my apology so that I could leave? "Without even asking for my permission."

Was there anything more embarrassing that I could've added in? Oh, yeah. Even though you didn't exactly kiss me, I wish you had because I really wanted to kiss you too.

Thinking about the near-kiss made my stomach twist. But the thing that bothered me the most was the reason behind that action of his.

And him, trying to kiss me for such matters was not welcomed.

With a slow tilt of his head, his green eyes flashed with something dark. "I kiss girls each day, Skylar." He pointed out. "I kiss whoever I want."

I tried to ignore the sudden pang in my chest.

Of course, he does, I thought.

"You were right." He shrugged. "I did want something. Everyone always does, don't they?"

I stared at him as my heart thudded in my ears.

"They do," I whispered.

"I wanted answers from you." He was staring back. "That's why I tried to kiss you."

I know, I wanted to say. Hadn't I already known that? Then why did it still hurt?

I wrapped my arms around myself and took a small step back. "You're horrible, Caden."

Everyone always was.

He came closer and tipped his head towards me, rooting me with his gaze and lowering his voice. "You should've seen that coming, Anderson. Everyone always does."

And the look in his eyes, I noticed with a hammering heart, it was cold and it was empty and it was dark. Like he'd never expected anything else from himself either.

Maybe that shouldn't have made me so sad as it did at that moment.

"Don't worry wasting your time over it. You're not my type." He stated before pulling back, his lips tugging up at one corner. "Who would even want to kiss you, Anderson."

And he didn't even care to make it sound like a question. I tried not to take those words to my heart, I really did, but it wasn't helping that he was trying his absolute best to be a jerk.

Even if it showed on my face, how much hurt I really was by his words, he just ignored it.

So did I.

I ignored the echo of his words, I ignored his beautiful green eyes, and I ignored the way my heart thumped so sadly in my chest.

"You're right." I ran my tongue over my lips and took another step back. "It doesn't matter anyway."

"It doesn't." He said.

It doesn't.

"You stay away from me and my business." He added. "And I won't make the mistake of kissing you again."

Mistake, I repeated in my head.

I wanted to tell him that he was wrong. I never wanted to interfere in his life and all the sketchy things that he did. I was almost even done with it all until that someone had broken into my house. How was that my fault?

But I didn't say anything. I tried, but I couldn't.

"Deal?"

I nodded a little too quickly. Caden's gaze darted behind me and then back at me before he nodded too.

And as he turned around and left, I wondered why I had even bothered by that stupid little apology.

Who knew Caden Miller never took apologies nicely? Instead, they ended up in deals.

Stupid deals.

Just like him.

________

Crystal 🌿