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Chapter 16

“No way.” Kaden shook his head. His cap slipped a bit. “That is not going in my car.”

“Come on.” I gave him a hopeful glance, to which he raised an eyebrow.

“No.”

“We had an agreement, Kaden.”

He buckled his seatbelt and squinted at me. I leaned in a bit and tried an irresistible smile. I would obviously have to employ all my charms.

“I’ve always appreciated your good taste in music,” he grumbled and held out his hand.

I whooped and handed him my stack of Taylor Swift CDs. Kaden rolled his eyes and took them from me so I could climb into the Jeep.

Soon I would meet Kaden’s mother. I wanted music that would lift my mood. No depressing alternative-rock; just tunes I could sing along with, to distract from my nervous anxiety. Taylor Swift was perfect.

The first notes of “Fearless” came on and I hummed along. As for Kaden, he made an exaggerated scowl, as if the music was pure torture.

“I don’t know why I’m putting up with that shit,” he grumbled, glancing in his side mirror before turning on to Main Street.

“I know why,” I retorted, drumming my fingers on the inside of the car door as we left our apartment building behind us.

He’d agreed to bear with my music, and in return I was sitting in his car.

When Kaden and I had returned from our hike five days ago, I was almost freaked out with excitement. It’s true that Kaden had always insisted it was no big deal and his mother would be delighted to meet me—he wasn’t able to calm me down that way. Instead, my brain switched from the “depressed” mode to the “about to panic” mode, and I started looking through my entire closet for outfits that would be presentable for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Eventually my room looked like a battlefield, and instead of helping me, Kaden—finding me buried in clothes and with rattled nerves—just laughed. Which made me burst into tears and say that under no circumstances would I go with him to visit his mother.

Kaden grumbled at my dismay, but then offered me a deal: First, I could choose the soundtrack for the ride.

Second, he would help me pack.

The latter task was as fun as it sounded. Because Kaden was much better organized than me. Within an hour we’d packed not only my bag, but his as well.

And now here we were on the highway on the way to Portland. From the corner of my eye, I noticed how Kaden was moving his fingers to the beat, too. I could hardly suppress a giggle. For an instant he looked at me, frowning, before turning his eyes back to the road.

“Why are you laughing like a fool?”

I rolled my eyes. As if the music didn’t appeal to him at all, the way it did to me. “I think you like it as much as I do.”

He sniffed. “The lyrics are bad, the sound disgusts me, and if I have to listen to a song where she complains about high school or one of her former boyfriends, I’m probably gonna puke.”

That made me laugh even more.

“All right,” I sighed after a while and opened the glove compartment. Rummaging through the CDs, I found one from Bon Iver that I loved, especially if I were in a somewhat quieter mood.

Kaden seemed to appreciate it.

“You’re looking forward to seeing your mom, aren’t you?” I ventured.

And even if he just shrugged, his smile was answer enough.

I felt a gentle touch on my shoulder. I ignored it. My dream was just too perfect. The hand disappeared. Then it came back, stroked first my thigh, then rested on my hip…

I jerked awake, my head grazing the ceiling of the car. I gasped. Vaguely, I realized that my seatbelt was no longer fastened. Turning to look next to me, I saw—Kaden’s bewildered face.

It was just Kaden. Just him.

I breathed a sigh of relief.