The Not-Outcast by Tijan

41

Cheyenne

There’d been talk of a group picnic. That obviously didn’t happen.

Instead, I headed home for some Zen time. I did a hemp facial mask, saged the crap out of my apartment (because that made sense to me), and did yoga with some meditation. Melanie came over ready for some yoga, too, so why not? I did another session, but yeah; the second round of yoga was hella hard. I was more into the meditation that round, and because it seemed to fit the theme, we hit Sasha’s afterwards.

Juna was happy to see Melanie happy. There was no upside down shimmy this time.

Cassie came later in the evening, but only to pick Melanie up. They headed off after a drink.

My phone buzzed later on.

Cut: How are you?

Me: Good. Surprisingly. At Sasha’s.

Cut: Girl time tonight?

I was down for how he didn’t seem to mind how much time I spent with my girls.

Me: Yeah. You?

Cut: I’ve got some business I can do, then head back to the arena tomorrow.

Sasha asked, “That your man?”

I gave her a look. It was more of a twisted-crooked grin.

She grunted. “Still weird to think of him like that?”

“We spent the day apart. Do I offer to go there? Do I ask him to come to my place? I don’t know how to do this.”

“You guys are new. Do you want to see him tonight?”

But my phone buzzed again.

Cut: Did you drive to Sasha’s?

Me: Yes.

Cut: Let me know when you’re leaving. I can follow you back to your place? Or do you want to stay at my place?

Even with ‘the Chad thing’ last night, I liked his place. It was peaceful.

Me: Yours, but I’ll be fine. If you’re worried about safety, I can get one of the guys to walk me to my car and I’ll head home, get a bag and head to your place.

Cut: You sure?

I liked that he was caring about me. I liked it a lot.

Me: Yes.

Cut: Text me when you’re leaving the club, tho.

Me: Will do. I’ll go in an hour, I think. I want to talk to Sasha a bit.

Cut: Have you told her what happened last night?

Me: Not yet.

Cut: Text if you need anything, okay? Chad didn’t open up about him and Sasha, so I don’t know what’s going on with them. I do know it bothered him to see her liking Hendrix.

Me: Good!

Sasha picked up her glass. It was brandy tonight and swirled it around before gesturing to me. “You seem happy, though.”

I nodded. “I am, which scares me.”

A soft chuckle from her. “I hear you.”

“Okay. We need to talk about The Chad.”

An instant sneer from her, but she was trying not to laugh. “Fucking Chad.”

“Fucking Chad.”

We both laughed, but then it was serious time.

She was eyeing me, as she sipped more of her brandy. “Why don’t I have a good hunch about this conversation?”

“Because… because you’re probably not going to enjoy it.”

She raised an eyebrow, but other than that, there was no reaction from her. Just a simple eyebrow raise, and another sip of her drink, and she was so cool. Like ice.

“What’s going on with you guys?” We had talked before about him. There’d been a three-hour phone call, but I needed the most updated update.

Her face shuddered now. It was brief and slight, but I saw it. She was putting up the guards, and I ached that she even had to do that.

“Sash.”

She clipped her head to the side. “No. Not for that asshole.” She drained her drink and shoved the empty glass to the end of the table. A beat later, it was swept up by one of her bouncers. Another one would be coming to replace it. It was the system she had down pat. A hard look came over her eyes, but she blinked, focused on me, and she softened. “Great sex. I thought I might’ve loved him, but he’s not the guy, Shy.”

I was aching again.

She was my girl. She deserved the best fucking guy there was for her.

“There’s not much more to it. He’d reach out. We’d have sex. He’d say that it was a mistake—” Oh, that dickwipe! “—then he’d reach out again, said he made a mistake, and it was just a repeat. The longest we lasted was two days, but same thing.” She closed her eyes, and when they opened, there was a haunted look that she masked quickly. Same Sash. “It is what it is. I’m done with him.”

I waited a beat.

Her gaze lifted to mine. “You can say whatever you’d like. If you two made up and he realized he’s the biggest douche in the world and now wants to be your brother, then you’ve got my blessings. But him and me, we’re six feet under, Babe. I’m sorry. There’s no going back for either of us.”

Some of the tension I’d been holding lifted.

That was going to make this a bit easier. And there was no easy way to smooth into this, so I just ripped off the Band-Aid.

“I found out that he slept with my mother all those years ago and I attacked him, but now I’m thinking about it, and that would’ve made my mom a sex offender.”

Oh. Crap.

There was so much there to grimace about.

Sasha’s eyebrows pulled together. “What?”

“Yeah.” My gaze fell to the table. That really was making my stomach do figure-eights, and not in the happy way.

“Chad and your mom?”

“The Chad.”

She grunted. “Fucking Chad.”

I snickered because I couldn’t help myself. “That just took on a whole different meaning.”

A third grunt from her. “Am I supposed to feel bad for him?”

“I don’t think so? I mean, he gave her money afterwards so she could get a fix.”

“Gross. Fucking Chad.”

Yeah. “Fucking Chad.”

“I feel bad for all other Chads out there in the world now.”

“Me too.”

Her new brandy came over and she reached for it. Settling back in, she cocked her head to the side. “Wait. When did this happen?”

“Last night.”

“At your guy’s house?”

“I got up for a snack. Chad came in drunk. You know the side where usually people are lovey-dovey when they’re drunk and they’re just assholes when they’re sober?”

She cocked up an eyebrow, her arm resting on the back of the booth and she was turned toward me.

“Not for Chad. Turns out he’s nicer when he’s sober.”

“Damn.”

“Yep.”

“Did Cut hear any of it?”

“Well…” This was the part where I told her what really went down, on the whole me going for his jugular. And then I waited because it was complete silence at the table afterwards.

She took a breath, blinked a few times, and then drained her second brandy. “Damn again.”

“Yep. Again.”

“He’s gone?”

I nodded.

Her eyes slid sideways to me. “And you have his phone?”

I met her gaze, also sideways. “I mean, it’s at Cut’s house.”

“You’re saying that we can get to it?”

“Why?”

“Because I might know his passcode.”

My mouth dropped.

I had no words. I didn’t know if I should be excited or wary.

Forget that.

Excitement. All day every day.

“What do you want to do?”

“What do you think?” Sasha just gave me a knowing grin.

Oh yeah. We were about to get into some trouble.

“Are we too old to do stuff like this?” I said this as I was sliding out of the booth.

Sasha was right behind me. She snorted. “Two words: toilet paper. Let’s fuck this guy’s life up a bit.”

* * *

Me: You at your place right now?

Cut: I headed to Hendrix’s. You done already?

Me: Nope. I think it might be a late night.

Cut: Okay. Have fun.

* * *

We were in Matilda,and I put my phone back in my purse just as the light turned green.

I was driving this time, and I glanced at Sasha. “I feel like I should tell Cut what we’re going to do.”

“Plausible deniability.”

Right. That was a good way to think of it.

I added, “I’ll tell him later.”

Sasha’s head bobbed up and down. “Later.”

Like next year later, maybe.

“You know the code to get in?”

My stomach dipped. “Yes. And I know where they keep the extra key.”

A smile from her. “Excellent.” A beat later, “Plausible deniability.”

“Plausible deniability.”

* * *

Koala Sister: Um.

Koala Brother: Um what?

Koala Sister: Um um.

Koala Brother: OMG, Cheyenne. Just say it.

Koala Sister: Nothing. Love you. Miss you. How are you?

Koala Brother: Dude.

Koala Sister: DUDE!

Koala Brother: Same, by the way.

Koala Sister: Dude.