Broken Pieces

Chapter twenty-seven

Caden and I'd been sneaking around for more than two weeks now.

We spent the times that we could with each other. I slept at his house most of the time. We still haven't had sex though. All we did was cuddle, fondle and other things that weren't sex.

It was pretty frustrating at times but I got a feeling that Caden derived a perverse kind of pleasure from knowing that it frustrated the hell out of me.

There were times I was almost sure that it was going to happen but Caden would laugh and end things before they went too far.

I was beginning to doubt the reasons for this arrangement. It almost seemed like he knew what he wanted but I was the one that didn't and he was waiting for me to figure it all out.

But I also thought he was just trying to slowly infuse his own rules. He wanted me to be comfortable but not too comfortable. He wanted me on edge by making me confused about what were the real mechanics of our relationship.

Caden also wanted to make sure I knew that even though he'd said that the ball was in my court, it really wasn't in actuality.

My phone rang before I could think of that subject in more detail. I checked my phone to see the caller ID and to my surprise it was the person in my thoughts.

Caden must have a really good reason to be calling me because in the few weeks gone, he had only called twice before.

Once when he had to reschedule because he had somewhere to be and the second time was when he called because we were supposed to meet but Lucca was at his house. So, I had to delay before I went to his house that day.

Times like that made me think of what could possibly happen if everyone knew. Except them being shocked but I still didn't want them knowing.

And though, I was a little giddy at his call, I still wasn't fully comfortable with him calling me even though it was just the third time. I felt like he could just text whatever he had to say. But when I mentioned it to him after the second time, he gave me a look and asked me to give him a credible reason for saying that.

I had listed my very credible reasons and all he had said in reply was 'hmm'. I had known then that he didn't take it seriously because to him the rule was stupid. Which was why at times I felt like we weren't as casual as I would have preferred and I wasn't really in control.

"Erica."

I felt a small smile form as I rolled my eyes at Caden's mode of greeting. But I clamped my mouth shut as I still wondered why he was calling.

"I just saw the text message you sent to me about not being able to make it tonight."

"Yes, I can't."

Caden made a sound of irritation. "I know that, I read the text." I had to hold back a sarcastic reply at his tone.

"Then why are you still calling Caden?"

"Because you just said the same thing the text said. You changed your mind about coming tonight so I should atleast know why."

I sighed. "We both know you don't have to know anything."

Deafening silence echoed between us after those words were spoken with perfect indifference.

"Oh, yeah. That's true, I completely forgot what this was." I instantly felt bad as I heard Caden bite those words out.

The click signalling that he had hung up was the next to come. I looked down at my phone feeling the way I didn't feel with Sam, Tia's cousin or Ricky, some dude that went to the same parties with Tia and I.