BLEAK

Chapter Ten

10

Cayden and I caught the bus to his house after school that Wednesday. I was utterly shattered thanks to Regan last night, but there was no way I'd say that to the boy who's heart I'm meant to keep whole.

"Mum might be asleep, Dad's out," He whispered as we entered the semi-detached house at the end of the busy road. "Callie will be back in an hour or two." Callie was his older sister who was at sixth form, a year older than Kacey's boyfriend, Lewis.

I nodded in recognition as Cayden lead me into the kitchen where we took our shoes and blazers off. I untucked my shirt as he grabbed two cans of coke, setting them down on the table before sitting on it himself. He patted the space next to him.

I made my way over and hopped on the table.

"So, now you know." He started, only slightly louder than a whisper.

"I don't understand, how could I not have known?" I murmered, confusion taking a hold.

"I guess you never really noticed me be--"

"Don't ever say that," I hissed, cutting him off. "You know that's far from the truth."

Cayden shrugged and took a swig of his coke. "Now, how do you feel?"

"Stupid," I admitted.

"Look, I really like you, that's why I suggested this arrangement in the first place. True, I wanted to make Holly and the Hell-Dolls jealous. But I also wanted more to do with you." Cayden said, looking at the floor.

"So you really were using me? Just to find out your own feelings?" I countered.

"No!" He cried in defence. "I asked you out because I wanted to. I just assumed that from that incident in Year Seven, you'd never date me properly, so I came up with the plan."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, Jamie and Vince came up with it in English once and yeah, she told me." He admitted.

"I'm sorry you felt that way," I started, searching for the right wording. "What if you test your theory, like an experiment?"

He looked up and glanced at me nervously. "What?"

"Ask me out and see what happens." I said.

"Um, okay..." He muttered.

I relaxed back on the table, waiting for the question.

"Lauren, wanna go out, Sweet Thang?" He asked, winking.

I burst out laughing like a mad woman. The seriousness on his face was real but I knew he was just winding me up.

"Okay, sorry. Let me go again," He laughed. "Hey, Lauren?"

"Yes, Cayden?"

"Fancy going out sometime?" He asked, a blush seeping into his cheeks.

I didn't answer. Instead, I stood up off the table and stood opposite him for a second. He looked confused, was I going to hit him? Was I going to hug him?

Neither. I smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled his head down to meet mine. Our foreheads rested on each other as he entwined his hands round my waist.

"Yes. Yes, Cayden. I'd love that," I murmured.

Without waiting for a response, I brought my lips to his. Cayden inhaled sharply, not used to girls making the first move. I smiled against him as he kissed me back, over the initial state of shock. Cayden nipped at my bottom lip with his teeth, trying to gain entrance. I found his blonde hair and ran my hands through it while he moved one hand up and the other down.