Mistakes We Made (Wattys2016)

Chapter Seventeen

Kade's POV

It had been two weeks since I had last spoken to Emma. She called every day, but I ignored them and after the first few days I shut my phone off altogether. I didn't want to hear from her, I didn't care what she had to say, none of it would make a difference now. The bottom line was she lied. She lied to my family and everyone else in her life and she betrayed her best friend. How do you do that to someone you love? How do you have a relationship with the guy that your best friend was in love with, what kind of person does that?

I hadn't told my parents yet, I wasn't sure what to say. So I avoided them too. They'd been through so much in the past few months, I didn't want to be the one to flip their world upside down, yet again. I let out a defeated sigh, leave it to Jace to do something like this and then die. I was still cleaning up my brother's messes even though he was no longer here.

"I bet you're up there laughing right now, aren't you?... Asshole." I spoke to the tomb stone sitting in front of me. I'd ended up at the cemetery a lot over the course of those two weeks. Each time I would stand there and stare at that piece of rock and fuss at my brother. I know that you aren't supposed to speak ill of the dead, but it made me feel better. Besides after everything he put me through, he deserved it.

"I can't believe you did this. I mean I know you enjoyed doing things you shouldn't have, but this was a little over the top, Jace."

"Oh you know him, it was probably all apart of his master plan. Have a kid, die dramatically, and make you clean up after him." A voice spoke from behind me. I turned my head and found Rae standing a few feet back, holding a bouquet of white roses.

"I honestly wouldn't have put it past him." I shoved my hands into my pockets as I glanced back down at his plot.

"I didn't mean to interrupt you, I just wanted to bring these by... but I'm glad you're here, I was on my way to your place." Rae shifted her feet, I could tell she was slightly uncomfortable.

"If you wanna talk about Emma then I don't want to hear it."

"Actually, I'd rather talk to you about Jace." She stated as she moved forward and gently placed the flowers on his grave. I shook my head in disbelief.

"You have to know... you have to know and yet, here you are bringing him flowers and you're still her friend, even though they betrayed you. How are you okay with that?" I could not understand her, she was all fine and dandy, but I was struggling with something that probably hurt her way worse than it did me.

"I thought you didn't want to talk about Emma?" She raised an eyebrow at me.

"I don't." I said unconvincingly. She rolled her eyes.

"Look Kade, you're right, I do know... but unlike you, I know the whole story and the only person who deserved my anger was Jace. None of this is Emma's fault."

"What do you mean the whole story? I've got the whole story, Jace knocked Emma up. It's a pretty simple story, actually. And not Emma's fault? She didn't have to sleep with him, it's not like he took advantage of her... Oh God," A look of horror flashed across my face and I felt sick to my stomach as I asked, "he didn't take advantage of her, right?"

"Please Kade, your brother didn't have to take advantage of girls. They practically threw themselves at him." Rae folded her arms across her chest, a "really?" Look on her face, like she couldn't believe I actually asked that.

"Then what do you mean by "it wasn't Emma's fault"? And why are you defending her?" I demanded.

Rae let out an exasperated sigh, "If I'm going to tell you this, then you're going to stand there and keep your mouth shut until I'm done, am I clear?"