Bend for Me Page 10

  Chapter Twelve

  KADENCE HAD GOTTEN NOTHING but silence from Avery for the past two days. She didn’t know if she should feel relieved or worried. It wasn’t like her to ice someone out like this. Avery had overstepped, but with the number of calls and texts she had been sending, Kadence knew she was sorry. And from what she did read of a few of the texts, Avery was more than genuine about her apology. Even Emma had mentioned it once or twice. But Kadence still felt conflicted about the entire situation.

  To try to get her mind off the haunted amber eyes, Kadence agreed to attend a party with Melody and some of her friends. The problem was, Melody refused to release the iron grip she had on her bicep. Emma was cautiously present. Danny was playing the role of mediator between his best friend and his girlfriend. And Jordan had been trying to get Melody to relax enough to not cement herself to Kadence’s side, but his efforts were in vain.

  “I’m not going to drink, Mel. You can let go.”

  “That’s not why I’m holding on.” Melody eyed the room with suspicion.

  Kadence appreciated how guarded her sister could be, but right now it was beyond suffocating. “I need some air.”

  She made her way outside, declining when Melody offered to accompany her. Instead of returning to her empty apartment, she veered from her normal path, finding herself in front of Avery’s secret park. She didn’t know why her subconscious brought her here. Maybe to face her demons.

  Finding a decent patch of grass, Kadence flopped onto her back and let her eyes close. She could hear Avery’s husky voice as amber orbs glowed on the inside of her eyelids.

  Women deserve to be respected and treated fairly.

  It almost felt too real, as if Avery’s presence was nearby. When she opened her eyes, Kadence startled. A figure with blonde hair was illuminated in the moonlight. She knew immediately who it was. She just didn’t know how Avery had found her. She was about to run off when Avery spoke.

  “Please stay.” It was the crack in her voice that made Kadence’s breath catch in both a terrifying and heart-racing manner. That, and the fact that Avery looked exhausted. The normal playfulness in her eyes had dwindled to nothing. Her features, normally bright and soft were sunken in, with bags hanging under her eyes. So maybe ignoring her had done more of a number on Avery than Kadence thought. No wonder Emma had approached her. Kadence felt ashamed. She had never been this cruel to anybody before.

  “How did you know I was here?”

  “Fate?” Avery sniffed, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. She forced a smile, but Kadence gave a pointed look, not ready or willing to deal with Avery’s typical banter.

  “Honestly?” Avery sighed. “I didn’t. I’m just as surprised as you are.”

  Kadence snorted. “Surprised? You want to tell me about being surprised?”

  Avery’s head fell. “Okay. I deserved that.”

  “Yeah. You did.” Kadence ran her hands across her face, forcing down her emotions. Why do you still let this woman get to you?

  “And you didn’t.” Avery whispered the words. The more the conversation progressed, the more Avery seemed to shrivel. Before she could stop herself, Kadence shifted closer. She didn’t want to be angry anymore, but she wasn’t sure if she could trust Avery either. They remained suspended as Avery’s throat moved convulsively.

  “H…his name is Logan.”

  Kadence blinked.

  “The guy at the gallery, his name is Logan. He’s my ex.”

  Kadence waited as Avery gripped her fingers through the grass, speaking with gritted teeth.

  “I thought I was in love with him, but then I caught him cheating on me. In our bed with someone else.”

  Kadence felt sick.

  “He was back in town and asked me to hook up. When I saw him again, I just…I got so crazy and all those feelings…the anger, the pain, the disappointment, the betrayal…just bubbled up. I tried so hard to push them away. To forget about him. But I couldn’t. I took them out on you, and it was wrong.”

  Avery looked her in the eyes. “I was wrong. And when you rejected me, even when you teasingly shot me down, I just lost it. I felt unwanted. You have every right to be mad at me. But I just want you to know that I am sorry. I’m so sorry, Kadence.”

  Kadence took a moment to process the new information. When she failed to reply, Avery shook her head with a sigh. “Maybe I should go.”

  “I lost someone, too.” The words she blurted caused Avery to pause. She couldn’t figure out why she was confiding this information to Avery of all people. Maybe it was because Avery was willing to be vulnerable and honest with her.

  “Her name was Iris.” More painful words escaped from her lips. “You know they say everything happens for a reason and I just…” She shook her head, eyes darting to the swing rocking in the soft, spring breeze. Avery remained silent, allowing Kadence a moment. She didn’t ask her to elaborate, which Kadence appreciated. Instead, she reached out to grasp Kadence’s wrist, rubbing her thumb on the joint. She didn’t know how Avery knew the exact spot to calm her, but she did.

  “We don’t have to talk about it.”

  Kadence nodded, an unspoken blanket of understanding falling over them. “I’m sorry I slapped you.”

  Avery scoffed. “I’m not. You had every right to.”

  Kadence nodded.

  Another pause.

  “I wish you would have told me about Logan.”

  “It wasn’t something I wanted to share.”

  “Understandable.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “I know. Me, too.”

  Avery tilted her head. “You have nothing to be sorry for. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “I gave you the wrong impression. I hadn’t meant to lead you on or be a ‘tease’ as you called it.” Kadence made air quotes.

  Avery’s expression fell. “I’m sorry about calling you that, too. I just, I don’t know what I’m doing. You just…I like…I act like a complete dumbass around you and I don’t know why. Especially since…” she trailed off, capturing her lips between her teeth.

  “Avery?”

  “Since, uhh…” Avery rubbed the back of her neck. “Since I did want to sleep with you. But not like that.” Avery scrunched her nose, shaking her head. “I mean, I think you’re so attractive. And you’re smart. And, well, I kinda like you. Shit. Not kinda, I do. Like you, that is. Goddamnit. This is not how I wanted to…” Avery groaned, hands flying up to cover her face in frustration and embarrassment.

  Kadence watched Avery struggle out loud with herself, finding the moments of clumsy-Avery much more pleasant than the one who always tried to play it cool. Deciding Avery had tortured herself enough, Kadence cut her off. “Let’s just take this slow, okay? Friends first.”

  “Really? You’d still want to be friends with me?” Bold brows shot up.

  “Are you going to give me another reason not to?”

  Avery shook her head frantically from side to side.

  “If we’re going to start again, no pretending, okay? I want to know the real you this time.”

  “Deal.” Avery extended her hand. “Hello, Kadence. I’m Avery Bennett, part time artist, full time idiot. I’m working on being better though.”

  “Kadence.” She chuckled, accepting the handshake. “Part time idiot, full time yoga instructor. I’m working on being better though.”

  Avery shook her head in objection, a small smile playing on her face. Kadence returned her own smile, feeling lighter than she had all week.

  ***

  Kadence woke to incessant buzzing. She buried her face in her pillow, wrapping herself even tighter in the sheets. The sound finally stopped, only to chime a moment later. Peeping one eye open, she snatched her phone.

  Reminder: Meet Wedding Planner at 10:00 am with Mel.

  The notification had her sprinting to the bathroom to get ready.

  “What’s got you so giddy?” Melody raised a brow at the smile that had snuck
onto Kadence’s features.

  “I don’t know. I just feel good.”

  “Yeah? Where did you go last night, anyway?”

  “The park.”

  “Yeah, you said as much. But what were you doing there?”

  “Sitting.”

  Melody rolled her eyes. “Sitting?”

  Kadence avoided her gaze.

  “You wanna tell me the real answer?”

  Kadence bit her lip. “I ran into Avery.”

  Melody stopped in her tracks.

  “It’s not what you think. She apologized. Like a lot.”

  “She damn well should have. But that doesn’t mean you have to forgive her. You should’ve continued ignoring her.”

  “Mel,” Kadence said with a sigh. “It’s not my place to tell, but we didn’t know the whole story. We all have issues.”

  “Yeah, and mine is gonna be surviving this planning session.”

  For once, Kadence was thankful for the change of subject, rather than constant babying from her older sibling.

  “Aww, come on, Mel. It’ll be fun.”

  “Stressful.”

  “Fine, stressful, but fun.”

  When they arrived at the planner’s office, Melody looked like a deer in headlights. The hallway was framed with an overwhelming amount of lace décor, soft pastels, and cursive quotes scrawled on the walls that highlighted the beauty of life-long marriage and commitment. Melody’s face twisted into a mix of bafflement and scorn.

  “Hello, ladies. I’m April.” A woman extended a hand toward Kadence. “You must be the bride-to-be. You have that glow about you!”

  Kadence giggled before correcting her. “Actually, I’m Kadence, maid of honor. My sister, Mel.” She gestured toward Melody. “She’s the one getting married.”

  The woman tilted her head, shifting her weight to her hip as she laced her hands in front of her. “My apologies. Nice to meet you, Mel.”

  Melody simply pursed her lips with a nod.

  We’re clearly off to a great start.

  They started with a list— catering, flowers, a small venue, and an officiant and moved through the morning to compile a short, intimate guest list. The Cooper side was rather tiny, not having much family to invite. Jordan’s parents, a group of small friends, and a few plus ones like Emma and Danny, made up the majority of the list. The total was less than fifty people.

  “Do you want me to count a plus one for you, too?” April asked, pointing a finger to the page in front of her. The seat next to Kadence on the table arrangement was currently empty.

  Kadence chewed the inside of her lip. “I…”

  Sensing her sister’s hesitance, Melody stepped in. “TBD. We can figure it out later.” Kadence shot her a grateful look before returning her attention to the wedding planner.

  April nodded, setting the layout aside before pulling out another set of papers. “Now, colors and themes.” She crossed her legs with poise, hooking one ankle around the other. “Do you have anything in mind?”

  Melody shrugged. “Whatever’s easiest. And doesn’t cost an arm or a leg.”

  Kadence knew Melody was starting to grow frustrated, overwhelmed, and incredibly restless. Things like this were never her forte. Emotions and feelings, it seemed, were never Cooper women’s strengths.

  “Seafoam green is quite popular amongst the young couples these days,” the planner suggested with a teasing smile.

  “Seafoam…” Melody grunted. “A fancy way to say whale piss.”

  Kadence gave the woman an apologetic look. Melody tended to shut down during stressful or high-pressure situations. Additionally, Melody never liked drawing attention to herself, so to have to plan an entire wedding, centered around herself and her fiancé wasn’t exactly bringing out her most redeeming qualities.

  April seemed unfazed. In fact, she seemed almost amused as she studied the eldest sister. After a suspended silence, Melody’s shoulders shrunk back. It was almost comical to see her sister being beat at her own game. The planner broke into a patient smile.

  “You know, something tells me you don’t care too much for pastels…or color in general.”

  Kadence couldn’t help but grin, stifling a giggle when Melody kicked her in the shin under the table.

  “What do you think of a classic black and white wedding with a simple gold accent?” April pushed her chair back, shuffling to the bookshelf to dig through the collection.

  With April’s back turned, Melody shot her sister a glare. Kadence did her best to remain impassive as April cleared her throat, returning with a new book. Unlike the worn catalogues around them, this book was clean, the pages crisp and corners sharp.

  “What’s your opinion on doing something like this?” April’s manicured finger pointed to a spread of very formal, yet elegant table arrangements.

  Melody’s jaw twitched, lips pressed together in a thin line. She clamped down the suppressed smile but Kadence, having years of practice of reading her stealthy ticks could detect her excitement.

  “She loves it.”

  “You sure?” April lowered her glasses, locking her gaze with Melody. The room fell silent as a sort of blissful air swirled around them.

  Melody’s eyes softened and her lips tilted a few millimeters. “I do.”

  ***

  It was late afternoon by the time the two siblings left April’s office, a stack of papers and color pallet samples in hand. Their next stop was to the flower shop, the same flower shop Kadence had been avoiding. The last time she’d made a purchase there, she plummeted into a panic attack, still in disbelief that the petals would be laid across a grave, rather than a bed.

  Melody grasped Kadence’s hand, stopping her. They stood in the parking lot of the shopping complex. Kadence half-willed God to just send a car around the corner to knock her out of her misery. “You sure about this?”

  “Positive.” The lie felt like shards of glass in her throat. “It…it’s the best shop in the area.”

  “Kae.” Melody’s voice was patient. “I can come back another time. I understand if you don’t want to be here.”

  Kadence took a moment to calm her nerves, eyes fluttering shut as she inhaled, exhaling with a hiss through her teeth. Melody waited.

  “Okay.” Kadence squared her shoulders as she took a step forward. “Let’s go.”

  When the bell above the door rang, Kadence’s stomach curled. She clenched her jaw. As Melody and the shopkeeper discussed the need for a simple white flower, Kadence felt the walls of the shop caving around her. Just before her breathing started to grow ragged, she darted through the door. The faint sound of Melody apologizing to the elderly woman whisked through her ears as she braced her weight against the car.

  “Hey.” Melody was already at her side. “Talk to me.”

  Kadence shook her head. “I thought I could handle it.”

  “One day, you’ll be able to walk in there again. Regardless, I’m proud of you.” Melody placed a kiss on her forehead.

  ***

  After spending the appointment hiding in the car doing breathing exercises, Kadence and Melody’s final destination was the bridal parlor. Kadence sat on the plush white leather sofa, sipping on a sample of champagne while Melody grumbled from behind the curtain.

  “You okay in there?” Kadence chuckled.

  Melody grunted. “Zipper’s stuck.”

  “I’m coming in.”

  “No, no! I’ve got it.”

  “Too late.” Kadence set down her glass before stepping inside the dressing room. Melody’s fingers were trembling as she fidgeted with the zipper along her back. Their eyes met in the mirror and Kadence saw her sister’s eyes brimming with tears.

  “This is really happening.” Melody’s voice was shaky as she averted her gaze. Melody had been steeling herself the entire day, but even the strongest of people had to break sometime. “Stupid zipper.”

  “Mel.” Kadence placed her hand on her sister’s. “It’s okay. Nothing’s going to
change. You’re still my big sister. You’ll always have me, and I’ll always need you.”

  Melody threw her arms around her sister, burying her face into the crook of her neck as her resolve fell away.

  “I love you, Mel.”

  “I love you, too, Kae.”

  Kadence rubbed her sister’s back, scratching at the base of her spine the way she remembered their mother doing.

  “This dress,” Kadence said when her tears subsided. “It’s beautiful.”

  “I think…” Melody paused, straightening in the mirror. Her fingers floated along the embroidered fabric, tracing the hemline of the delicate lace accents. “I think this is the one.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  AVERY WOKE THE NEXT morning to find an aluminum can of her favorite canned spaghetti sitting on the kitchen table. A sticky note with a bold A written in her roommate’s handwriting sat next to it. Even through her anger, Emma still cared enough to lay out something for her to eat, probably knowing Avery wasn’t doing a very good job of feeding herself. For the past few days, Avery had been spending more time consuming guilt than real nourishment.

  She pulled her phone from her back pocket, typing a text of gratitude. She and Emma were both fiery in nature, but Emma had always been her rock, steadfast and never fleeting. No matter how many arguments they had gotten into while growing up, Emma always had her back.

  With a sigh, Avery busted the seal and swallowed a spoonful of the pasta and tomato sauce. The microwave clock read eleven eleven. Something, maybe childish belief, flipped a switch in her. She dashed to the bedroom, tripping herself on a pile of old magazines. With a mumbled curse, her gaze narrowed at the offending literature. Her stomach rolled. She used to view them as inspiration for her nude portraits, but now they just made her feel dirty. She tore off the cover, crumpling the page before pitching the wad and the entire stack of nudie magazines into the wastebasket. She grimaced at the appearance of the desk as well, covered in paint-stained cloths, papers, pencils, and old candy wrappers. It was disastrous.