The Replacement Boyfriend

Chapter 30

Tace

I stayed in bed crying for what seemed like hours and Cassidy didn't come back. Part of me wondered whether she had gone straight to Jax to tell him and part of me wished she had so he could set her straight and explain everything so she wouldn't hate me anymore. But once my tears had dried up, my sadness had turned to annoyance. She hadn't even given me a chance to explain. She called me her best friend but she didn't have the decency to give me a second to explain. That wasn't fair.

I went to the bathroom to wash my face when I heard Cassidy's voice came from Ahana's room. I felt a pang of pain and maybe a hint of jealousy but I pushed it down. I closed the door softly so she wouldn't hear me and then had a quick shower, washed my face, brushed my teeth and changed into an oversized pullover Jax had let me steal from his cupboard before we left his house and a pair of tiny shorts which disappeared under the pullover. I headed back to the room and stopped short when I noticed Jax and Cassidy inside.

"Tace," Jax smiled all the way up to his eyes.

She had definitely not told him yet but I was going to. I had to. I looked at Cassidy and my expression softened. Any anger I had had about her not giving me a chance to explain disappeared into thin air but then she scowled at me and Jax didn't notice. I felt my anger bubble up again.

"Aww, you're wearing my-" he started but Cassidy scoffed loudly, cutting him off and I felt the urge to walk out the door but my feet stayed planted on the floor. "Wait, aren't we going out for dinner?"

"I have plans," Cassidy said simply, grabbing some clothes and her pillow and duvet. It was like she was purposely giving me a chance to tell Jax myself before she did.

"To sleep out?" Jax asked her, eyeing her stuff.

"I'm spending the night in Ahana's room," she told him, avoiding eye contact with me. "We're ordering in."

"Any reason Tace-" he started to ask but she was already walking away. He was about to call after her when I clamped his mouth shut for him.

I waited for her to leave, shutting the door behind her before I removed my hand off his mouth. He looked at me and smiled.

"Kinky but what's going on?" he joked. "Did you guys fight? I was barely gone for an hour."

I sat next to him on my own bed, pulling my knees up to my chin and buried my face in my hands.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked me. "Why is she acting like that?"

When I didn't answer him, he asked me whether I wanted to catch dinner first and I said no. He asked whether I wanted to order in and I said no again. He asked whether he should cook instant noodles for us and I told him that I wasn't hungry.

"Alright, that's it," he yanked my arms out from under me and forced me to look at him. "Spill the beans. What's going on?"

I sighed and lay down in my bed, making him crawl up beside me. He slipped an arm under my neck and cradled my head. He watched me as I built up the courage to tell him.

"I fought with Zayne," I whispered and he looked confused. "He was asking about Amelia and then I told him that I had cut myself before and he kept asking why I did it. So I snapped and then one thing led to another and I told him to stop acting like Dane. To just be himself, you know?"

He nodded without saying anything, beckoning me to go on.

"So he kissed me," I murmured, looking away. "And Cassidy walked in and like I told you, she misunderstood and she got angry and she left."