Cadence shoved a chip in her mouth, leaving guacamole at the corners of her lips.
“That’s rubbish,” she said with her mouth full.
“Is it?” He eyed her curiously. “I’ll bring you the literature tomorrow. You can read for yourself.”
“I don’t wanna read it,” she said. “I wanna sit here and eat.”
Mark nodded. “I get it,” he said gently.
“Get what?”
“The lashing out. I get it. You’re angry with me.”
Cadence snorted. “I’m not angry with you at all. I wanted to hang with my bro and smoke some dope. That’s all that was.”
“You have guacamole all over your lips,” Mark pointed out.
“I don’t care.”
He sighed. “All right. Want something to wash that down?”
“Got any beer?”
He smirked. “Nope, but I can make you a tall glass of ice water.”
He brought it to the table and watched her drink greedily before diving into the dip. It was nearly gone.
“You know I love you and care about you,” Mark said, watching her.
She blinked and kept eating.
“I’m not gonna give you a lecture about drugs because I know I don’t need to. You’re smarter than that.”
“Don’t pull that reverse psychology bullshit on me,” Cadence said. And then she laughed.
Mark rolled his eyes. “Well, it’s not reverse psychology, but whatever.”
“You’re appealing to my need to feel smart,” Cadence said. “You’re using it to convince me drugs are bad.” She looked at Mark through bug eyes. Where the hell did that come from? She was still high as a kite but managed to say something pretty damn intelligent. She clapped for herself.
Mark ignored her. “I smoked weed for a long time, and it got me nowhere. I’m surprised I’m still functioning at any kind of intellectual level.”
“Then it must not be that bad,” Cadence said.
Mark stared at her. So this is what resentment looks like. Hard. Unyielding. Defiant. Distant.
“Okay, Cadence,” he said softly. “You want anything else to eat?”
“A pizza,” she replied.
“I’ll order a pizza.”
There was no more conversation after that.
***
Avery stared at Cadence from across the table.
“What?” Cadence snapped.
“Smoking weed with your brother and his lame ass friends?” she asked, arching her eyebrow.
“You’re gonna lecture me on ethics and morality?” Cadence replied.
Avery shot her a warning glance. “Yes.”
“You’re the one who turned me bad,” Cadence muttered.
“Seriously? How old are you?” Avery said. She bit into her turkey sandwich.
“Whatever.”
Avery swallowed and continued. “I know I put you in a compromising position last year. I didn’t realize things would blow up the way they did. I just thought you’d have a regular secret boyfriend to sneak around with. How the fuck was I supposed to know you’d date your teacher?!”
Cadence propped her elbow on the table and rested her cheek in her hand while she half-listened to Avery.
“Furthermore, I didn’t realize you’d end up living with your teacher boyfriend because your dad’s a complete jerkface asshole. To top it off, I’d no idea that Mark was previously married, and that you’d be dealing with all these feelings of betrayal and resentment.”
Cadence rubbed her forehead.
“I know you’re hurting, but this is so unlike you,” Avery said gently.
“Is it?” Cadence asked. The Valentine’s Day random sex night flashed in her brain.
“Cadence, I’m not your mother—”
“Thank God.”
“—but God knows you need one right now.”
Cadence snorted. “And I suppose you wanna take on that role?”
“Well, who else is gonna do it?”
“Are we done here?”
Avery tried a different approach. “Do you even have a clue why I sought you out last year?”
Cadence shook her head.
“I . . . I was lonely, yes. I knew what had happened with you, and I knew you were lonely, too.” Avery bit her lip and thought a moment. “I needed to be around a good person.”
Cadence furrowed her eyebrows.
“I know what I’m like,” Avery whispered. “I’m not saying I didn’t want to be sneaky and have an alibi for going to visit my boyfriend. I’m not saying that. I wanted to do all those things we did last year.”
Cadence listened intently.
“I’m just saying that I hoped maybe you’d rub off on me. Because you’re a good person with a sweet heart,” Avery explained. She paused and smiled. “You’re a sweetheart.”
Cadence grinned.
“It makes me nervous when you act like this,” Avery went on. “It’s a reflection of me, and I’m not sure I like it.”
Cadence was shocked. She watched Avery take another bite of her sandwich, like her most recent words weren’t a mind-blowing revelation.
“You’re the coolest person I know,” Cadence said. And then she giggled at how silly it sounded. Avery giggled, too.
“I know. I know it. It’s just, me doing those things is normal. You doing those things is scary. And anyway, I don’t do drugs because I’m not completely self-destructive.”
Cadence nodded.
“My vices are alcohol and sex.”
“I don’t think I really have any vices.”