Bend for Me Page 5

  Kadence let out the tiniest chuckle. “All clean.” When she turned away, Avery glared at her roommate for interrupting.

  Emma shrugged, mouthing an insincere “sorry.”

  Avery was about to flip her off when Kadence spun on her heel.

  “Oh, Avery,” Kadence said, climbing into backseat of the red vehicle, “I almost forgot. I still have your hat. I’ll give it to you next time you come to yoga.”

  Avery willed herself to have some self-control, shaking her head. “Not happening.”

  “You said that last time, yet here you are.”

  Avery shrugged. “I guess people can change.”

  “All right, Avery.” Kadence smiled coyly as Jordan started the engine. “Well, if you want it back, you know how to reach me.” She departed with a wink and a wave, leaving Avery dumbfounded yet again.

  “Two days,” Emma declared as they headed toward her car.

  Danny shook his head. “Three, I’d say.”

  “What are you two talking about?” Avery cocked a brow as the red vehicle drove away.

  “Before you call her,” Emma informed her.

  Avery rolled her eyes, swiping the keys, but not before she heard the rest of their conversation.

  “I know Avery.”

  “But I know Kadence.”

  They shook on it.

  On Tuesday, Danny paid Emma twenty dollars.

  Chapter Five

  AVERY WAS GETTING RESTLESS. She never gave her clothes to anybody, let alone her favorite snapback. Yet Kadence had possessed it for more than a week. Preoccupied, Avery spent the majority of her time holed up her makeshift apartment studio, trying to find the proper inspiration for the big event. This mainly consisted of pacing back and forth and glaring at a large white canvas. Just as she was debating stabbing herself in the eye with a paintbrush, her phone buzzed.

  Emma Walsh: Don’t forget to eat!

  Avery ignored it. A sliver of green later, it chimed again.

  Emma Walsh: Seriously, Avery. Put down the damn brush and get some food!

  She added a streak of gold to the sad excuse of a masterpiece. Less than ten minutes later, the rumble pulled her from her work yet again.

  Emma Walsh: Avery Bennett! I swear to God, you better take a break and eat something!

  It was accompanied by a series of red faced emojis.

  With a frustrated groan, Avery picked a stopping point and set her brushes in a small glass of water. After a shower, Avery still didn’t quite feel herself and she blamed a certain pair of green eyes and a missing snapback. She stomped to her desk, riffling through the drawers. Tucked away was a small sheet of paper she had saved from a few weeks ago. Grabbing her phone, she tapped the numbers and waited.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, uh. It’s Avery.”

  “I could tell. I was wondering if I’d ever hear from you again. Are you naked?”

  Avery’s eyes widened. “Whoa! Wh…what?” Her intention was to call Kadence and ask her for her hat back, not have phone sex. Not that she would be opposed.

  “Without your snapback.” She could almost hear Kadence grinning through the phone. “You feel kinda naked.”

  Scheming little minx.

  “Kinda, yeah. So, uhh, what are you doing right now?”

  “Nothing. Just in my apartment reading.”

  “Want to grab some lunch?”

  What are you doing, Bennett? Inviting women to lunch is not what you do.

  “Sure! Where should I meet you?”

  “My apartment. I’ll take us to a place.”

  “All right.” Avery could hear the sound of shuffling on the other line. “I’ll be there around one fifteen-ish.”

  “Works for me.”

  The second the call ended, Avery sprinted, yes, actually sprinted her lazy ass to her laptop, googling the healthiest eateries she could find. She thought she had the whole thing under control, but when Kadence arrived ready to return Avery’s snapback, her mind betrayed her.

  “Keep it on. You’ve had it for this long. A few more hours won’t hurt. Besides, it looks good on you.” Something about Kadence blushing while putting on the hat was incredibly attractive. Well, Kadence in general was pretty attractive.

  “Okay. So, what were you thinking? Italian? Mexican? Thai?”

  “I’ve got a place.”

  “And that is…?”

  “I think I’ll keep it a surprise. Trust me?”

  Kadence hesitated to reply.

  “Smart.” Avery laughed. “I wouldn’t either.”

  ***

  Everything was going much better than the first few times interacting, and Avery was glad to finally have the upper hand. Until she got the menu. Aside from the phrases ‘vegan’ and ‘gluten free’ she couldn’t understand a thing on the menu. And even then, she wasn’t even sure what being gluten free entailed. Healthy, probably.

  “I’m sorry about Melody, by the way.” Kadence apologized, after placing their orders. “She can be a bit intense.”

  “Ehh, she doesn’t scare me.”

  “Really?”

  “I’m fearless.”

  “The snake would say otherwise.”

  “Hey, I was just thrown off. And it was just the skin, remember?”

  “I do.” Kadence’s lips tugged into a smile. “Hard to forget.”

  “I am pretty unforgettable, aren’t I?”

  “Do you always talk like this?” Kadence asked. “With lines?”

  “Only to gorgeous girls like you.”

  Kadence simply blinked and Avery had to commend her for remaining straight-faced, despite how much it absolutely blew. “You’re not afraid of anything? I don’t believe that.”

  “Because I’m just so unbelievable…ly awesome.”

  Kadence shook her head, rolling her eyes. “That was terrible.”

  “Hey, I’m trying here.”

  Normally, Avery would find her inability to flirt frustrating, but hearing Kadence throw her head back, releasing an airy laugh made it somewhat tolerable. She didn’t mind the fumbling as much.

  When their food arrived, Avery scarfed down her salad but even when her plate was empty, she felt as though she hadn’t eaten at all.

  “How was it?” Kadence asked, finishing up her last bit of kale chips, which Avery learned were not chips at all, but roasted leaf looking things. So misleading.

  “Oh, it was amazing,” Avery lied, rubbing her belly for effect. “I’m stuffed. I don’t think I could eat…” Her stomach voiced its disagreement with a growl.

  “Stuffed, huh?” Kadence cocked a brow. “Come on, I’ve got the perfect place for a second lunch.”

  ***

  “Five Guys?”

  “The only men I need in my life,” Kadence said as she opened the door. The smell of burgers filled Avery’s nostrils and she thanked the gods for the gift of grease and meat.

  “And here I thought you were one of those typical health nuts.”

  “I warned you appearances can be deceiving.”

  “You did.”

  “So, what’ll it be? Little cheeseburger? Bacon cheeseburger?” Avery’s mouth watered as Kadence read off the menu. The narrator herself was pretty mouthwatering as well.

  “Hello.” The cashier greeted the pair. “What can I get for you?”

  Kadence stepped up to the counter. “A cheeseburger with everything on it, medium fries, and a drink.” She stepped aside.

  He leaned in, directing his attention to Avery. “And you?”

  As Avery pondered her order, she felt a hand at her waist. The scent of coconut perfume overpowered the smell of grease and fries. She stared at Kadence’s hand, cheeks burning.

  “Baby,” Kadence purred into her ear. “Just get a burger. You can share my drink and fries.” She brushed her nose against Avery’s cheek.

  Fuck me. What is going on? “Kadence, what are you doing?” Avery barely squeaked out her question.

  “I just can’t wait to eat
.” Kadence raked her nails up Avery’s arm. She turned to the cashier. “She’ll get the same. Cheeseburger, everything on it.”

  Avery couldn’t breathe.

  The cashier cleared his throat and quickly punched in the order before handing her the receipt.

  Kadence shot him a feigned smile, pulling Avery by the waist and escorting her to a table.

  “Sorry about that,” Kadence apologized once they settled. “He was eyeing you and not in a good way.”

  “Oh? Are you jealous?” To be honest, Avery hadn’t even noticed the cashier’s behavior.

  “No.”

  Ouch. That hurt.

  “I just hate when women are objectified. He should have been respectful of you, especially if he wanted it to get him somewhere,” Kadence grumbled. “I had to do something to get him to stop.”

  “My hero.” Avery batted her eyes with a grin, hoping to lighten the mood.

  “I’m not a hero,” Kadence muttered with a frown.

  Avery studied her, unsure how the conversation had taken such a drastic turn. Maybe a different topic. “Call me crazy,” Avery said, taking a fry from their shared stash.

  “Crazy,” Kadence said, bouncing back with sass.

  “Okay, you. Anyway, like I was saying, call me crazy, but you’re pretty chill. Not what I expected, but it’s good.”

  Kadence shared a small smile. “I enjoy your company as well.”

  “Hey.” Avery pointed a fry at the woman. “I never said anything about that.”

  “Maybe. But your eyes did.”

  “Oh, so you’ve been looking into my eyes.” Avery lifted her eyebrows.

  “Better than you, looking at my chest.” Kadence called her out. Avery realized she had just been berated, especially after Kadence’s reaction to their cashier.

  “I…sorry. It’s just…I’m an artist. Sometimes I forget that staring at anatomy is considered creepy.”

  “Are you? What do you usually paint?”

  Heat pooled to her cheeks as she answered sheepishly. “Nudes.”

  “Oh.”

  “Does that make you uncomfortable?” Avery wrung her hands. She could be confident, and even cocky about her body, but when it came to her art, she was the complete opposite. It was her safe space to be herself. In the rawest, truest, and most honest shades.

  “Not at all.” Kadence offered an easy smile. “I think it’s awesome.”

  Avery grinned. The rest of the meal was spent in easy conversation until Kadence had to leave to teach. Avery watched her retreating figure, longing to be able to prolong their time together. It wasn’t until she returned to her apartment that she realized she was so enraptured by Kadence she had forgotten all about her snapback. Again.

  Chapter Six

  “YOU WORK TOO HARD,” her girlfriend lectured, hands on her hips. “You’re going to tire yourself out.”

  “I have to get this done, Iris,” Kadence responded from her hunched position.

  “The document will still be there when we get back. Come on, Kae. It’s just for a few hours. You need to take a break. You should at least eat something.”

  Kadence shook her head with a frown, turning her attention to the computer, fingers banging the keys. “I have to get this report to the director of marketing before the end of the day. And then there’s the contractor for the room. And the paints. Oh, shit! I forgot to pick up the paint.”

  “Hey, hey! Kadence, love, calm down.” Iris’s fingertips soothed down her spine. “It’s fine. We can get them tomorrow. What do you say we take a trip to the studio for a little? They just put in the flooring.”

  “No, I have to get our lives together. How are we going to get by if—” She stopped when her girlfriend interrupted her with a chuckle.

  “We deserve better than just trying to get by, Kae.” Iris circled her arms around Kadence, tugging her out of the chair. Kadence stiffened her body, weighing herself down as her girlfriend wriggled around her.

  “Babyyy,” Iris whined, jutting her lower lip out in the biggest pout she could muster. It only took a tremble of her lip for Kadence to crack.

  “Okay. Let me change.”

  Avery was nothing like Iris. She was brash and cocky, yet everything about her seemed to intrigue Kadence. She was strangely deflective and forcibly happy at all times. But there was something about those doe eyes that made Kadence wonder if the flirty behavior Avery projected was just a defense mechanism, similar to the one Kadence used when things got too serious. Maybe Avery was just trying to get through each day, the same as Kadence.

  ***

  “What’s that still doing here?” Melody jut her chin toward the snapback that had reappeared at its initial spot on the kitchen table. “I thought you said you were going to return it.”

  “I did.”

  “And yet, it’s still here.”

  “You don’t like her, do you?” Kadence had an inkling that Melody wasn’t Avery’s biggest fan after the way she had sized her up during their hiking trip. It was almost comical how intensely Melody had stared daggers into the back of Avery’s head. If it were possible, she probably would have killed her.

  “She’s a pig.” Melody folded her arms. “In every sense of the word.”

  “Always so quick to judge.”

  Melody glowered, frowning so deep Kadence thought she’d break her jaw.

  “She’s not that bad. I think there’s more to her than she let on.”

  “You’re defending her. You’re so innocent sometimes,” Melody said with a mix of endearment and annoyance. “Always so trusting. Seeing the good in people. While I, well, let’s be real here. I’m a cynical cunt.”

  “There’s good in everybody. Iris taught me that,” Kadence mumbled. The name of her ex-girlfriend still tasted bittersweet on her tongue. Iris had taught her a lot of things. She was incredibly kind and patient, wise and intelligent. Honestly, she was more than Kadence deserved. Maybe that’s why the universe took her away from her.

  Her sister softened, placing a hand upon her knee. “Yet, you don’t see it in yourself.”

  Kadence tensed.

  Melody sighed. “I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

  “I won’t get hurt. We’re just friends.”

  “For now. But I know you. You said the same thing about Iris, too, and then, bam, one day you realized you were in love with her. Next thing you know, you’re moving in together.”

  “Yeah, but you liked Iris.”

  “Because she was nothing like Avery.”

  “No.” Kadence sighed. “She wasn’t.” The mood grew somber.

  Melody cleared her throat. “Look, let’s not talk about the past. Whatever makes you happy, okay? Just promise me you’ll be careful?”

  Kadence nodded. She wanted to argue that there was nothing going on between her and Avery but now, she wasn’t so sure.

  “So, are you gonna see her again?”

  Kadence shrugged, trying to divert her attention elsewhere, rather than look her sister in the eye. “I’m not sure. Would it be that bad if I did?”

  Her sister remained silent, a small smile on her lips. “Disastrous.”

  “Of course. Totally reckless.” Kadence laughed in agreement, ignoring the strange tug at her heart. “I told her to come to yoga and I’d give it to her then.” She gestured at the beaten accessory, worn from many adventures that Kadence wished Avery would tell her about. Kadence wondered if she should be this curious about just a friend. “But I’ll probably end up giving it to Emma to pass along. Avery doesn’t seem like the yoga type.”

  “Neither did you.”

  “I guess that’s true.”

  Iris had initially gotten her into the activity, insisting it could be a nice couple’s activity. Kadence went every once in a while, mostly when her girlfriend had an empty spot in class. But the majority of the time, yoga was Iris’s thing. After her passing, Kadence found that going to the studio made her feel a little closer to her lost lover, and much less
angry with her situation. She had worked so hard, saved up so much money, and for what? None of it mattered when Iris died. She quit her job, finished opening the studio, and named it in honor of the woman. And she buried every scrap that was left of her heart and soul in it.

  Melody cleared her throat. No doubt aware of what her sister was thinking of, or more so, who. “Come to my house tonight. I’m hosting a movie night with Jordan, Danny, and Emma. Sometimes I regret introducing my best friend to my boyfriend.”

  Kadence gave a knowing look. “You want me to mediate between you and Emma?”

  “I just don’t trust her,” Melody said for the second time that day.

  “You don’t trust anybody.”

  “I trust you,” Melody said with a wave of her hand.

  ***

  “So.” Emma leaned forward with rapt interest as they waited for the rest of the group to arrive. “I heard you hung out with my roommate today.”

  “I did,” Kadence confirmed with a nonchalant nod. “I was trying to return her hat.”

  “And then you ended up leaving with it.” Emma hooted with laughter.

  “I should have thought to bring it tonight. You could have given it to her.”

  “Oh, no.” Emma held up a hand. “I’m glad you didn’t. I love it.”

  A knock on the door cut the conversation short.

  “I’ll get it,” Emma said, hopping up from her seat. She returned with a bouquet of flowers in her arms, thrusting them in Melody’s direction.

  “They’re for you.”

  Kadence grinned. Jordan had texted her after her yoga class to clue her in on the evening’s events.

  “There’s something else at the door, but I can’t lift it by myself. Melody will you help me?” Emma asked as sweetly as she could, batting her eyes.

  Melody clenched her jaw as she rose. Kadence took that as her cue to take out her phone to start recording. Through the doorway, a mountain of flowers emerged, overflowing in Danny’s arms. Finally, a smiling Jordan stepped across the threshold wearing the half grin, half smirk he always had on his face when Melody was around.

  “Jordan.” Melody’s tone was guarded. “What the fuck is this?” She glared at the bouquets, placing her hands on her hips.