“Ellie looked a lot like you,” Cadence said to Ashley. “Jamie is one of the best people I’ve ever met, and I wasn’t trying to imply that anyone should question why you are dating him. I think the two of you are great together; you make a good couple. I was just trying to say that it isn’t really anyone’s business, that’s all. Everyone has an opinion about what two people are doing together, but it really doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks, so long as you’re happy. Same with Roar and Elliott. Not my business. No one’s business but theirs.”
“Sorry, Cadence.” She zipped her gym back and pulled her long hair out of her shirt. “I was trying to make conversation, that’s all. You’re not exactly the easiest person for me to talk to. Maybe I shouldn’t try.”
Cadence opened her mouth, thinking she should disagree, but she couldn’t, so she just said, “See you later, Ashley,” and headed out the door, wishing that conversation had gone differently, but it seemed like there was nothing she could do to try to make nice with the pretty blonde.
In the hallway, a throng of new recruits poured in from the door at the far end, and Cadence decided to hurry up and get out of there before she said something else stupid to someone. But before she could get out of the building, she heard her name and turned back. Tara and her sister were headed her way, sweaty, but laughing, and Cadence thought the least she could do was say hi. Surely, she couldn’t screw that up.
“Hey. How was your training session?” Cadence asked as the other newbies stepped around them to hit the showers.
Tara had a glint of mischief in her eyes as she answered for both of them. “It would’ve been boring if Cassidy’s favorite soldier hadn’t been there.”
“Oh, stop,” Cass replied, giving her friend a playful shove. “It was fine. Aurora took us out to the wooded area over by the fence, and we worked on approaches.”
“Approaches?” Cadence wasn’t exactly sure what that would be.
“Yeah, like when you sneak up on a structure or an unsuspecting Vampire,” Tara clarified. “It was Alex’s idea.”
Cadence thought she noted a bit of color coming into her sister’s already flushed cheeks. Valentine’s Day had passed, but there seemed to still be some love in the air. “That seems like a good skill to have,” Cadence said, hoping to be dismissive so she wouldn’t have to hear more about how her sister was infatuated with Alexander Hamilton, while Cassidy tried to deny it.
“Especially if you’re hung up on the instructor who points out to the entire group how awesome you are, like four hundred times.” Tara’s smile was so wide, Cadence thought her cheeks had to ache.
“All right, friend. Chill,” Cassidy insisted. “It wasn’t like that.”
“Whatev,” Tara insisted.
Cadence saw Aurora headed into her office and decided there was only one way to get out of this. “I need to go talk to Roar. I’ll see you two later.”
“Okay, but you said you’d arrange a hunt for me so I could get out of training, remember?” Cassidy grabbed her shoulder as she tried to sneak by so that Cadence had to turn and look at her.
“I know. I will. Soon.”
“You better.”
“But then you won’t be able to stare at Alex,” Tara teased.
“Will you stop? Brandon’s going to be pissed.” Cassidy let go of Cadence’s arm, and the two headed for the locker room, still arguing about whether or not Cassidy was interested in the ancient Guardian.
“Aurora!” Cadence shouted as her friend’s door was about to swing shut. She shot ahead and grabbed it right before it clicked closed. “Do you have a second?”
Aurora seemed surprised at first, momentarily having forgotten how fast Cadence was now, apparently. “Sure. What’s up?” The redhead made no move to invite her in, but Cadence pushed through anyway, and once she was inside the office, she realized why she hadn’t been asked. Elliott was sitting in Aurora’s rolly chair, doing something on his phone.
Cadence turned to look at Aurora, whose face was paling. “Uh….”
“It’s all right, Roar. She knows,” Elliott assured her, spinning the chair around to face them.
“She does?” Aurora asked, the color starting to return, bringing some more red with it, as if she was starting to grow angry.
“Yeah. It’s this stupid window,” Cadence said, gesturing at the offender. “Ashley knows, too.”
“What’s that now?” Elliott asked, no longer interested in his phone. It sounded like an angry bird was flying through the air with little effect as a host of pigs squealed in victory.
“She just asked me in the showers if I knew anything about you two. You guys are either going to have to come out publicly….”
“Or invest in a three dollar curtain?” Elliott asked.
Aurora ran her hand down her face. “How long have you known?”
Cadence had to think about the answer. It seemed like she’d known for weeks, but it had only been a few days. “Not long. It doesn’t matter. I haven’t told anyone. I’m sure Aaron probably knows, too, though, now that he’s himself again and can figure stuff out. I don’t understand why it has to be a secret.”
“Because… we aren’t ready to tell people. There’s nothing to tell,” Aurora explained.
“Yeah, it’s not like it’s a relationship,” Elliott added, and Cadence thought she saw a tinge of hurt around Aurora’s eyes that quickly faded away as her friend nodded.
“Okay. Well, I told Ashley to keep her mouth shut, but I don’t think that’s her strong suit. So if there are certain people you would rather heard it from you, maybe you should tell them.” She looked hard at Elliott, and he nodded, signaling he had caught her drift. “Now, we have a meeting in a little while so….”
“We know,” Aurora nodded. “We’ll be there.”
Cadence didn’t think it was her place to question speed, so she let her head bop up and down a few times before pulling the door open, looking at the window as if it should feel ashamed of itself for being so transparent.
