Chapter Four

All Blair could feel besides the dull ache in her head was a desperate need for water. Her mouth was so dry she couldn't feel her tongue, it opened and closed a few times before she opened her eyes weakly searching her surroundings for some liquid. Anything to take away the dryness in her mouth. To her surprise and confusion she couldn't see Hailey's familiar white antique bedside table. Instead a black sleek wooden table was in its place. Before she could start to rationalise where exactly she might be she spotted a fresh cold glass of water with condensation along the outside. She pounced on it quickly nearly downing the whole glass in one go.

'Thirsty little one aren't you.'

Blair didn't have to turn around to recognise the smug voice. Her whole body went cold as her headache increased as a slight feeling of nausea took over her body.

'Guess you did work up a sweat last night.'

Blair felt her whole face turn beet red as she faced him. Cade was leaning against his bedroom wall, wearing nothing but a small towel wrapped around his waist. His hair was dripping, still wet from an obvious shower and sporting a small knowing smile.

'I... w-we didn't...?'

She looked down at herself dressed in an unfamiliar tee shirt and vaguely wondered how she'd gotten into one of Cade's shirts.

'Relax sweetheart,' Cade chuckled. 'Nothing happened last night. Much to your annoyance, you're feisty when you're drunk.'

Blair sat up in the bed angered, 'Oh shut up! I can't really remember last night but I'm positive I wasn't acting like that.'

'If you can't remember, then you can't be positive.'

'I can actually, because I know what I'm like and some alcohol won't change that,' she bit back searching the room for her dress.

Cade bent down picking up the small black piece of material and lobbing it over to her in the bed. 'Relax Blair, you were too drunk last night to have sex.'

She blushed at his easy use of the word.

'Relax Cade, I wouldn't have sex with you if you were the last man on earth,' she growled at him after she slipped the dress on and climbed out of bed.

She stalked past the smirking Cade and peered out the door to make sure no one was around, when the coast looked clear she darted out into the hallway and across into Hailey's room. She was relieved to see Hailey wasn't inside and the bed hadn't been slept in. She thankfully climbed into the bed and sank into the blankets, wondering half heartedly if Hailey was okay wherever she was.

Then decided she was too hung over to care and fell back into a restless sleep.

...

A few hours later Blair was awoken to the sounds of scraping metal, and suddenly the window flew open and a bashful Hailey climbed through it still wearing her dress from last night, but also sporting a Woodside High Basketball jumper. Blair giggled at her best friend, there was no doubt where Hailey had spent the night.

'Did you have a good night Hails?' She asked sweetly, suddenly feeling a lot better after the long nap and glass of water.

'Oh B, I'm so sorry for bailing on you last night,' Hailey groaned as she threw off the jumper and shimmied out of her dress. 'How did you get home? Were you ok?'

'Um, yeah, fine,' Blair knew she sounded odd but hoped Hailey would put it down to being hung over. She wasn't sure exactly what happened last night, she definitely put down all the kissing to being severely drunk. But she knew she didn't want to tell Hailey about it all. Blair never kept secrets from her, but she knew it was a drunken mistake and would never happen again. No reason to worry Hailey or make her angry.

All she knew for sure was she didn't like Cade at all, and last night was another reason to add to the list. But she was so happy she hadn't slept with him. God what was I thinking? I can't believe I even considered it! She berated herself.

'Blair? Are you ok? You're zoning out on me,' Hailey laughed waving her hand in front of Blair.

'What? Yeah I'm fine!' Blair snapped her attention back to her friend. 'So, Jacob...?'

Hailey smiled sweetly, 'I'm not sure about him, but he is a really nice guy.'

'And he's been crushing on you forever, he must be stoked.'

She giggled, 'Yeah he kept telling me last night.'

'So how was it?' Blair had been dying to ask this question ever since she noticed Hailey wasn't coming home. Hailey was quite a bit more experienced when it came to guys over Blair. She was far from a slut or anything, but she'd slept with two guys – three counting Jacob – and was Blair's sole source of information when it came to these types of things.

Hailey blushed, 'Pretty good actually.'

Blair smiled at her friend in disbelief, Hailey usually had no qualms talking about gritty details when it came to sex but here she was embarrassed when she asked the question. 'Do you like him?'

Hailey cleared her throat loudly, 'I don't know, I mean I guess so.' She laughed, 'I'm too hung over to think about this right now B. Move over, I'm getting into bed again.'

Blair scooted over and made room for her friend as they lay in silence pondering over the previous night. Neither of them really wanted to talk about their night which was unusual for the girls. Hailey was too deep in thought wondering had she made a huge mistake last night and Blair was lying there stressing knowing she'd made a big mistake last night.

The knock on the door jolted the girls out of their daze, and Blair's least favourite person popped his head inside the room. Just making eye contact with him reinforced her huge mistake the previous night.

'Jane said to tell you lunch is ready, and she doesn't care if you're hung over,' Cade shot them a smirk and disappeared again.

Hailey groaned loudly, 'Gosh Blair he's like our annoying brother hey!'

Blair nearly choked down the water she was sipping and knew her face was bright red, 'What? U-um yeah he's pretty annoying alright...'

'Come on you weirdo,' Hailey pulled her out of bed. 'We have to go and pretend to be not hung over.'

...

For the first time, in a very long time, Blair went to her own home for a few nights. She let herself in the dark house making sure to turn on all the lights before she entered the rooms trying to liven up the gloomy abode. She made her way to the kitchen to find it stoically empty, with some cereal in the pantry and some milk in the fridge – apart from that the house seemed unlived in.

She took out the small bag Jane had thrust into her arms when she told her she was going home that night. Inside was a container filled with her yummy lasagne she had made for dinner that night. She smiled and thought wistfully of the bright, loud and lived in home at Hailey's house she was missing out on. She always missed it as soon as she got home, but right now being lonely sounded a hell of a lot better then the awkward dance she was doing with Cade whenever she saw him.

Well it seemed she was finding it awkward, it appeared he was finding the whole situation extremely amusing. At any point in time when they'd meet each other in a room, or across the table he'd give her a knowing grin and Blair would feel her face heat up again under his gaze. It was getting ridiculously obvious and she just had to get out of there. She cursed her stupid attraction to him, because he sure knew how to play up on it.

...

The next few days at school proved Blair wouldn't really be able to avoid him even though she moved home for a while. It was as though she started to see him more now that she didn't want to, and then she had to deal with the questions from Hailey as to why she's moved back home and was she alright...

'Mum thinks something has happened to you,' Hailey told her one day at lunch. 'She's convinced you're being bullied at school again.'

Blair frowned and remembered some of the incidents involving Lacy and her friends the previous years – it had been Jane who'd come to the school and sorted it out for her when her parents were working late or not answering their phones. Jane who'd sat down and talked to her about options for bullying and help she could get.

'That's ridiculous Hailey, tell her I'm fine. Your house is a bit crowded is all, I'm giving you guys some space,' Blair had decided to go with that line earlier if asked.

Hailey scowled, 'Well alright, I'll tell her. But you know that's crap. You're more family then Cade is.'

Just then a distraction in the form of Jacob came up to their table asking very sweetly if he could join them.

'Of course,' Hailey smiled at him as he took the seat opposite her.

Blair hadn't realised she'd tuned out of their conversation until the two of them were uttering her name and staring at her like she was slightly retarded. She'd been too busy tracking Cade who had entered the cafeteria with a huge group from the basketball team. He hadn't even glanced over their way but she'd already felt the familiar blush colouring her cheeks.

'Yo Blair?'

She snapped back to the table where Jacob had been trying to get her attention.

'Yes?'

He shot Hailey an amused smile, 'I was just saying you're totally welcome to come to my party Friday night.'

'Oh? Great, thanks Jacob.'

'It'll be fun Blair, it's meant to be a basketball and cheerleader party but I guess sleeping with the host has it's benefits,' Hailey's eyes twinkled in Jacobs direction.

He however wasn't used to girls blatantly joking about sex and became extremely embarrassed, 'Right well, I better get back to the guys. I'll see you girls on Friday night.'

The two friends burst into laughter as soon as he was gone and Blair tried to back out of their newfound Friday night plans.

'I'm not really that keen Hails, sorry.'

Hailey pulled her best puppy dog face, 'No! Blair you must come, I really want to go and I cant go alone.'

'But isn't Cade on the basketball team?'

'Yeah, so?' Hailey raised an eyebrow at her friend. 'What's that have to do with anything? It's a big house, we can avoid him.'

Blair nodded, annoyed with herself for bringing him up. He was just always on the tip of her tongue and it was hard to ignore him. Especially when the flashbacks of Friday night played in her head making her blush insanely.

Hailey's face softened a bit, 'I know he's not exactly the best house guest, but he is my cousin B and I have to try and get along with him. I know he won't be so mean and cold once he gets to know us better.' She paused mid bite of her sandwich, 'Hey wait a second, Cade's not the whole reason you've stopped staying over is it?'

Blair froze and didn't look up at Hailey, 'No, why would you say that?' Please, please don't let her know what happened!

'Well he hasn't exactly been warm to you, in fact he's been really rude to you B. Is his hostility the reason you don't feel comfortable at home with us?'

Suddenly Blair felt terrible, she'd been avoiding Hailey's house like the plague all because she was a little embarrassed to be around Cade. She didn't really think how it might affect Hailey or her parents. She needed to man up and get over her little thing with Cade.

'You're right, I did feel a little uncomfortable. But I'm fine now, I'll come with you after school.' She beamed at her friend, 'Only if we can stop and get some diet coke. I swear I'm having withdrawals from it. I haven't had any in two days now!'

Hailey rolled her eyes, 'Oh my God Blair you're so addicted!'

She grinned, 'Shut up I know. It's getting ridiculous but whatever I'm not quitting!'

'Mum will be so happy, I'll text her now,' Hailey pulled out her phone as the girls left the cafeteria to head off to their afternoon classes.

Blair left Hailey in the hallway and entered her most dreaded class of the week, the one with Cade in it. She'd successfully avoided any conversation or face to face interaction since the weekend, but that was about to change.

'Oh great if it isn't little miss Mary,' Lacy greeted her sneering as she entered the classroom from her seat on top of Cade's desk. 'That's one thing I didn't miss on my five star holiday – your ugly face,' she giggled and a few people around her joined in.

Blair rolled her eyes, she'd heard everything from Lacy before and it was getting old. Although it did sting a little to find Cade laughing along with everyone else.

She walked purposefully passed the group surrounding Cade and Lacy and took her seat at the back. She had the perfect position to glare at the back of Cade's head, once again wondering just what the fuck she was thinking hooking up with that douche.

...

'Oh Blair, it's great to see you,' Jane greeted the girls as they arrived home later that evening. 'It's funny how much we missed you around here,' Jane laughed out loud, 'You were only gone three days.'

Blair smiled at Jane already feeling more relaxed being back in their household.

'Will you go and set the table for dinner girls?' Jane asked them turning back to the kitchen where she'd started preparing a huge welcome home dinner in Blair's honour. It really hurt her to see Blair go off home by herself when she knows her parents are never there and barely stock the house.

They finished the table pretty quickly and Blair looped back to the kitchen to grab her diet coke before heading up to Hailey's room.

Only it wasn't where she left it.

It wasn't in the kitchen at all and Blair had this horrible sinking feeling Jane might have thrown it out on her.

She groaned and headed toward the stairs resigning herself to the idea of losing her beloved drink, after only managing a few sips.

'Hailey! She called out dramatically. 'I think I'm going to have the shakes tonight I...' She trailed off as she passed the living room and spotted Cade.

Sitting on one of the chairs watching TV.

With a can of diet coke in his hand.

'I...' She stalked into the room and stood between him and the TV. 'What the fuck do you think you're doing? That's mine!'

He blinked up at her slightly confused, then his eyes travelled down to the drink he'd found opened in the kitchen. He was hoping it'd been hers.

'Woah, overreaction a little bit Blair?' He smiled at her smugly and took another sip, teasing her. 'It's not like I knew it was yours.'

She just glared at him, not sure what to even say.

'Plus, it's a drink. It's not the end of the world.'

Her eyes flashed angrily, 'You're so bloody annoying you know that? Always so smug and self satisfied! It wouldn't kill you to be nice once in a while!'

'You want me to be nice to you?' He was up out of his chair and stood directly in front of the seething Blair. 'I thought I was on Friday night.'

Her eyes widened and she looked around the room to make sure no one was around, 'Ssh! Just shut up. That was a huge mistake and won't happen again.' She was acutely aware of his presence in front of her, and he wasn't backing off.

He chuckled, 'Yeah okay whatever you say princess.'

She glared at him and snatched the can out of his hand, stalking out of the room leaving a stunned and amused Cade in her wake.

Blair was slightly horrified at her behaviour as she took the stairs two at a time thankful Hailey wasn't around to hear their exchange.

She hated that cocky asshole.

Hated him.

...