SUNGLASSES

Chapter Nine

I sat on a bench right outside the prison, waiting for Daniel to finish with any paperwork. Why in the name of Christ was he here? Emma was supposed to come and pick me up, using her flirting skills to get me off the hook. Now I was stuck with this idiot.

"Hi honey," he said, walking out the doors and facing me with a grin. He was wearing an old flannel and baggy jeans so he would look older, and a pair of Emma's glasses. I glared at him, trying to ignore the fact that he looked adorably hot.

"Why the fuck are you here, Daniel?" I asked him, narrowing my eyes at him. "Where's Emma?"

He put a hand to his chest, looking wounded. "That is not an appropriate word to use, Cadence. I guess I will have to wash your mouth with soap when we get home."

My glare didn't waver. "Where the fuck is Emma?"

He dropped his arm in defeat. "God, you're no fun. Get in the car and I'll explain."

***

Daniel revved the engine, the car starting. He adjusted the mirrors and backed out of the space with ease, finally getting out onto the road. "Well?" I asked impatiently, tapping my fingers on my legs and burning a hole in the side of his head with my eyes. He glanced over at me and shrugged.

"She thought it'd be best if we talked."

I scoffed, looking out the window. The clouds were starting to fill the sky with grey--a perfect color to mood my current situation. "What is there to talk about?"

The glass reflection of the window allowed me to see his small smile. "I love it when you act like nothing's wrong."

I turned to face him again. "Fine. You want to talk? Fine! You lead me on to believe that I could trust you, that I could...put my faith in you, and then you go and sleep with my best friend!"

He nodded. "Yes, I did do that. She's very good,  by the way."

I gagged, covering my mouth so nothing would come out. He chuckled, gripping the steering wheel tightly. "Just saying."

We pulled into my driveway, and I shook my head. "Yeah, this whole talking thing was a mistake." I grabbed at the handle to the door, but Daniel put a hand on my arm.

"Wait, wait, wait. Don't leave yet," he laughed, my arm being yanked out of his grasp. I rolled my eyes and slumped back into my seat, mostly staying so I didn't have to face my uncle quite yet. "Hear me out, Sunglasses...woah, wait. Where are your sunglasses, Sunglasses? I can see your eyes now!" He took hold of my face and pulled it close to his, staring into my eyes. I lost any kind of breath that I had, feeling the warmth radiate off of him.

He smiled, cocking his head to the side to get a better look. "They're very blue. Why do you want to hide them all the time?"

I pulled my head away suddenly, realizing that the sunglasses were still at the station. "I have to go."

He furrowed his eyebrows. "What, did I say something? We still need to talk--"

"I really don't give a shit." I got out of the car and slammed the door, ignoring his shouts. I walked briskly up the steps, and, surprisingly, the door was unlocked. I slipped in without making a sound.

Quickly and quietly I crept up the stairs, sneaking by the bathroom. I could hear the shower running, which meant I had at least ten minutes. I closed my door and fell onto my bare mattress, relieved that I was finally away from everything.