Carden

No phone calls, no text messages, she didn't even answer the door when he stopped by a couple of times. What was going on with her? Did Alec do something and she couldn't come to him? Was there some setback with her mom? Did he do something?

His thoughts were running ramped as he walked down the street towards her house again.

Did she...?

No, she couldn't have caught him with Cora. He had made sure that she wouldn't and besides, she was probably at the school eating a spicy chicken sandwich and munching on cheez-it's like she normally did at lunch. Sneaking around and spying on him didn't seem like something she would do.

She couldn't have seen him. She just couldn't have.

She was okay, right? Maybe it was just that time of month and she was being very unreasonably upset? He never had to deal with things like this during Junior year. That year was mostly drama free.

The garage to the Flynn's house grumbled open, Zoë stepping out in workout leggings and a tank top. One airpod hung from her left ear and he could make out the quiet hum of "Driver's License" playing from it. She must've not noticed him yet because she was busy typing on her phone.

"Have I told you that you're really beautiful?" He leaned against a wooden fence post when she finally glanced up at him.

Her eyes were lead when their gazes met but she quickly looked away, starting to run down the driveway and onto the sidewalk.

Carden stared after her. "Hey, Zo! What's with the attitude? Did I do something wrong?"

She didn't respond.

He jogged after her from a distance. Something was seriously up with her.

She ran down Main Street, past the High School, past the Starbucks on the boardwalk, and finally coming to a stop at Barrington's park where a blonde with a high ponytail was waiting for her.

The blonde, who was Chloe which surprised him, eyes widened. "What's he doing here?"

Carden held his hands up in surrender. "Hey, I just need to talk to my girlfriend." Zoë made a deep growling noise. "Somethings going on with you. Why aren't you texting me? You're avoiding me like the plague!"

Zoë opened her mouth to say something but Chloe pushed her behind her. She stalked so close to Carden that she poked his chest with her long, golden acrylic nail. "You know exactly what happened. Now, back off and get out of our sight."

"But I don't know what I did!"

"Oh really?!" Zoë crossed her arms across her chest, a strand of hair blowing across her face. "Then what were you doing at Starbucks with Cora and she just happened to have your hoodie?!"

Crap. She did know.

"Zo, I can explain."

"I don't want to hear it."

"But-"

"I don't want to hear your lame reasons for cheating on me."

"I didn't though!"

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Don't try to dig yourself outta this one, Ash. There is no way you can fix what happened because you have two eyewitnesses. I was with Zoë and we both saw the hoodie exchange and the kiss."

At the word kiss, Zoë covered her mouth with her hands and tears began to brim in her eyes.

"But that was Cora!"

"But yet you let it happen and you just walked away. Takes two to tango." Chloe glanced back at Zoë before continuing. "And if we weren't there, you could've at least told Zo! Nobody keeps a secret like that from someone you care about. I should've realized who you were a long time ago. A player."

Those words made him step back a bit like he'd just been shot. "But I'm not! I swear-"

"Go, Carden." Zoë's voice was thick with tears and venom. "Please, just go."

"Zoë, you don't know the context!" Carden was pleading at this point, so close to his breaking point. He'd lost his brother and now he couldn't lose Zoë. He loved her. He couldn't lose the girl a piece of his heart would always belong too. "Please, just hear me out! I'm pretty sure you want answers. I know that look in your eyes."

She swiped at her eyes, mascara smearing along the sides of her face. "I want answers, I truly do but....I can't. I've got too much on my plate to have to deal with some stupid boy."

Ouch. That hurt his soul just a bit.

"I'm sorry, Carden." She reached out and tugged on Chloe's arm. "Can we go run now?"

Chloe nodded. "Yeah but one thing." Her icy gaze rested on Carden so long it made him shiver. "She doesn't need you. Stay away from her, got it?"

"Chloe-"

"Stay away."

Zoë tugged on her again and they took off jogging down one of the running paths in the park. Carden stared after them, probably looking like a idiot in the process, but he couldn't help it. It felt like the farther away Zoë got, the farther he felt from his true self.

He had screwed up. He shouldn't have given Cora that stupid hoodie when she said "she was cold." He shouldn't have met Cora in secret without telling Zoë. She would've understood if he had just told her the truth but no, he just had to go snooping around.

He sat down against the trunk of a large oak tree, a deep sigh escaping his lips. Why was he such an idiot? Why did he have to keep messing up the good things in his life? Why did he almost always lose the people he loved the most?

Was it because of him? Had he always been the common factor in everything?

There was a memory he had shoved deep down inside of him, afraid it would come to light once more. One that shook him to the core.

Jared swung the car keys around his finger with a dopey grin. "Are you sure you don't want to come with me? It's just a party."

"I'm sure. I've got a ton of AP Euro to work on."

"Oh, fine." Jared flashed his little brother a smile, who had arms full of textbooks, and patted his shoulder firmly. "You're such a nerd, you know that right?"

"Jared, don't call your brother a nerd!" Mom called from the living room, causing Dad's deep laugh to bounce off of the walls.

"Sorry, Ma but it's the truth!"

Carden kicked at Jared's shin. "You're just saying that because you didn't pass the AP test. We all know I'm going to pass it."

"As I've said, nerd."

Carden rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

Jared ruffled his hair. "Go up to your room and study. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"Alright. Love you bro."

"Love you too." He opened the front door but spun on his heel. "Last chance. You sure you don't want to come with me?"

"I'm sure."

His shoulders shook as tears streamed down his face and into his hands. If he had gone that night, Jared could still be alive. He could've told him to stop drinking so he could still drive or he could've driven. He had his license at that point.

Why did bad things always happen to him?

Why?