A Gray Area Ch. 11

Candice was boring him. It was obvious by Jon's two watt smile. When she looked at him he would spark up, his teeth showing and glowing like a Colgate commercial, but when she looked away he would glance at Caden with a pleading look. 'Help me,' was what his eyes were saying. And Caden did nothing but sit back and laugh. To herself, of course. She had brought him home to help her 'study.' Of course Candice and Victor had approved.

Out of nowhere, Caden's mom literally jumped out of her seat, she walked over to Victor's bookshelf. She pointed to a ship that was contained in an old bottle. "This one took him a month to do. He won a trophy for it. Caden helped a little didn't you, Cay?"

Caden nodded, even less interested in her stories than Jon. She glanced back at Jon then down at her book, a sly smile on her face. This was torture for Jon, pure and simple. Yes, he loved Candice Winter like a mother but no, he didn't want to hear her talk about Victors antique anything collection. "Ma, I think that's enough, I have a major test tomorrow and Jon said he would tutor. I'll see you later." Without waiting for a reply Caden shut her book and walked towards the door at the back of the library. She glanced back at Jon, giving him a rushed look. 'Live or die' her eyes explained. Jon chose live, saying a quick thank you to Candice before following Caden out.

The corridor leading to the living room of the house was dark. Two bodies walked soundlessly through it until Caden felt hands around her waist. She let out a yelp before feeling Jon's warm hands cover her mouth. His breath was close to her ear. "I can't believe you made me sit through that whole thing. I would have given my soul to the devil if it would have made your mom stop talking."

Beneath Jon's hand, Caden's lips tugged into a smile. He released her mouth but not the rest of her body. He wanted to hold on to that. Get as much of her warmth inside of him before having to let go for the rest of the day. "Paybacks a bitch. You made me stay on the phone with your mom for a whole hour listening to her talk about, what was it? The Dewey Decimal System?"

Jon laughed, the sound a low tremor in his chest that Caden felt through her whole body. She felt his breath on her ear, her neck. Involuntarily, she shivered and she knew that Jon had felt the movement in her body. He pushed her up against a wall that she hadn't known was there. If Jon hadn't been in the corridor with her, she would have run through it like a scared child in the dark. She could see nothing, not even Jon, in front of her. The only light came from, Caden had to laugh to herself, the end of the tunnel.

"You're not afraid of the dark, are you?" Jon asked, his lips trailing down her forehead. He kissed her temple and Caden forgot what she was going to say. She forgot what she had done all day. She forgot any plans she had for her whole life. All she remembered was Jon. Amazing Jon who came to her rescue any chance he got. Awesome Jon who got her out of trouble at home and with the law. Beautiful, sexy Jon who was kissing her right now, on her cheek, her jaw line, her neck. Sexy Jon with his blonde hair always elegantly disheveled and had her hands in it. Just like now.

Awkwardly, Jon found Caden's lips in the dark and for a second, she swore her vision lit up. His lips were soft in their attack, not asking for anything but taking everything. Caden parted her lips, giving Jon access to her but when their tongues met Caden pulled away.

She looked down the other side of the hallway. The darker side, hoping to escape Jon's gaze that she couldn't see, but could very well feel. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I'm not...you know I'm not good at this. Kissing. It's...ha, I don't know." She laughed nervously. "I don't even know what I'm trying to say." She turned her vision back to what she hoped was Jon. He was still looking at her. She felt it. Felt his body shift as he leaned in to kiss her neck. Her body heated with the first touch of his lips. "I know you're weird about kissing. You gotta trust me, baby." he whispered. Caden suppressed another shudder.

"It's just me, Kitten." His lips left Caden's neck- "Only me." and found her lips once again. This time Caden was sure she saw stars. She felt his lips through every nerve in her body. When she parted her lips Jon took full control pushing his tongue in, battling with hers, his body forcing her back farther into the wall. She allowed him to take whatever he wanted from her. Her tongue moved sluggishly against his, simply enjoying how he tasted. Jon slowed himself down to match Caden's lazy drugging pace. Jon had possessed her. In every aspect of the word. He had taken her over. She couldn't function on her own. She needed him.

He released her lips and found her neck again, this time his kisses were less fervent, more delicate, as if he were tasting her. Tasting her as if she were something sweet, something that couldn't be eaten too fast. His hands that had held her steadily up against the wall had found their way up her shirt. He rubbed her waist with his hands, and Caden knew it was taking all his will power not to move to their intended destination.

Jon O'Cyrus, ever the gentleman.

"You can," Caden offered, her voice sounding like someone else's. Her whisper was loud to her ears and her breath was unsteady. Jon raised his head. "You can put your hands where you want them." She heard Jon hesitate with what he was going to say. "C.K., I'm not tr-" A sudden burst of light came streaming in to the hallway as a hidden door opened behind Jon. Both of them pushed away from each other, startled. Victor stood proudly in the door frame, blocking most of the light with his square shoulder and large arms. He was a fit man for someone pushing middle age. Pushing it very hard. Caden squinted to try and see him among the bright light.

He glanced at Caden then at Jon. They had pushed each other halfway down either side of the corridor. "I knew I heard someone out here." Caden jumped at the low timbre of his voice. He was a man to be respected, a man of authority. But he was also one of the kindest people anyone would ever meet. "Did I interrupt something?" he asked, his gaze landing heavily on Jon. From the light in the room Caden could see Jon's long sleeve cotton shirt had taken on a wrinkled look, had she had her hands on his sweater? And his hair was a mess, she had definitely had her hands there. "No, sir. We were just talking." Victor nodded but he wasn't buying it. His gaze slid over to his daughter. "Talking?" he asked. Caden could only nod. Her heart was beating out of her chest. She couldn't imagine how she looked, her hair was probably a mess and shirt was most definitely wrinkled, probably up on one side if gravity hadn't gotten to it yet.

Victor stayed in the doorway a few seconds longer before backing up in to the room. "You guys can talk in the living room or Cady's room." He began to close the door. "Just be sure to use a condom."

The door closed.

Caden's cheeks burned hot. She didn't move but Jon did. He took a few steps toward her, his hands reaching in front of him to find her. When he did, he held her face in his hands and kissed her lips then her forehead. "My dad just caught us," she said, quietly trying to reason things out to him. "I know. He didn't see anything though."

Caden laughed, the sound bordering on disbelief. "Who knows what he saw. Oh my God. And he told us to use a condom. Can you imagine what's going through his head?" Caden began walking, no, stomping towards the light the end of the corridor. It was a few seconds before she heard Jon following. His steps were slow and even and if C.K. hadn't known that it was Jon following her, she would have run.

"Let's go up to your room," John said, not yelling but the noise still loud. Caden turned around at him as soon as they stepped into the light. He wanted to go up to her room? After that little incident? God only knew that if Victor walked into the scene the next time he would get an eyeful.

When she took the time to look at him she realized that she had been right. His hair looked a mess. His shirt was tangled and wrinkled at the bottom. She didn't even want to find a mirror. Jon stepped towards her and ran his fingers through her hair. "You have beautiful hair," he murmured. He traced a few brown tendrils that ran down the side of her face, then down a longer strand that slid down her back. "Please don't ever cut it." Was he serious?

Caden looked for his eyes. When she found them, they were shining back at her with sincerity. "Seriously. I like your hair. Now let's go up to your room." He began walking towards the stairs but turned to look at her. "I wanna show you something."

~*~*~*~*~

Caden sat on the couch with a tub of frosting next to her. Half open, half empty. Her spoon dangled out the top like a white flag of surrender. One other already consumed tub of frosting also lay in the line. The inside fully cleaned of its remnants.

Thus had been the eating pattern of Caden for the past week and a half. Frosting for dinner, chocolate of course, a burger or two for lunch, and a half a tub of ice cream for breakfast. Her cholesterol would thank her one day for this.

Because she had to, Caden walked over to the full length mirror by her door. She lifted her shirt and examined. She felt full but didn't look it. In fact it looked as if she hadn't eaten anything at all. In a long time.

'Ok, so maybe I have skipped a few meals?'

'For a girl that dumped a guy that was a total dickweed you're pretty torn up about it. Get over him, Cady. He was an asshole. He was talking shit about Ma and he was flirting with some bimbo right in front of you. C'mon C.K. you're better than that,' had been Deity's only comforting words. Caden had been on the phone but she hadn't listened to a thing. What did Deity know?

C.K. sighed, letting her shirt fall back over her flat stomach. She stared at herself. Her hair looked bland, it needed a good washing. Her eyes looked tired and she had frosting remnants on the side of her mouth. She wiped it away, disgusted. What would Jason do if he saw her like this? What would Jon do?

Would Jason care? He had taken up a new residence with his co-worker, Malibu Barbie. Unconsciously, Caden snapped her finger, remembering Shane's analogy for how fast Captain America had found a new place to live.

'Good riddance,' Caden said, faking her independence. When she had gotten off the phone she had cried till she made herself sick.

"Jesus, Cay. What is wrong with you?" She asked into the mirror. "You didn't even like the guy." Or had she? Maybe she had always cared about him...even loved him but because Jon was back in the picture her emotions had gotten screwed up. 'Or maybe Jason was trying to make me leave him. What if he was cheating on me...What if I wasn't good in bed? What if-

"What if you shut the fuck up?" Caden yelled at herself. She was acting like a menstruating fourteen year old. He was gone. He was a loser. He didn't care about her, and she knew that for a fact because when the time had come for him to get his stuff out of her apartment, Jason had said nothing but 'You'll never do better than me' and 'Please don't come back when you've realized how royally you fucked up'

'Don't worry, Romeo,' Caden had said, fighting tears and doing a great job at it. 'I've got enough ice cream and vicodin to console myself that I've done right.' And she had closed the door.

True, she had enough ice cream but she was lacking in the vicodin area. She had needed one. Especially last week.

Her art show had been a disaster. Not for the people who attended it. For her. She couldn't focus. Every time someone asked about a certain photograph she couldn't respond. She hadn't known what to say. She had heard people make comments about how dull the photographs were.

'This is really disappointing,' she had heard someone say 'Caden Kristoff used to have beautiful, colorful pictures and now I feel like I have walked into a funeral or something.'

'Yes, well, welcome to my funeral.'

Caden's cell phone let out a low humming noise as it vibrated, then stopped. She picked it up and flipped it open.

TEXT MESSAGE RECEIVED, it read. She opened it.

FROM Eliza: Wht R U doing 2Nite?

Caden sighed, typing back a message: Y?

She waited a few minutes before receiving another message.

Jus answer the dam question.

Caden smiled, typing back: Eating ice cream and watching lifetime movies. Y?

Once again she sat and waited for another message to come but after a few minutes, instead of a vibration there was a knock at her door.

"Who is it?" C.K. yelled, not even bothering to get up. When there was no answer she called out again asking the same question. "Well if no one answers," she finally said. "I'm not going to answer it." As a reply to her statement there was another knock. This one more insistent than the last. Caden sighed. She made her way over the door and looked through the peep hole. It was black, with someone's finger covering it. "Yeah. Real Mature." She turned her lock over and swung the door open, ready to bitch someone out.

"Hey!" Eliza pushed her way past Caden, not even waiting for her to be invited in. Ann Marie and Shane stood outside. A huge smile on their faces. "You're going out tonight," Shane stated. He pushed the door open a bit farther to give himself room to walk in. Ann Marie followed, grabbing Caden's hand, despite her protests.

"Guys, you can't just walk in here and state that I'm going out. I have things to do." A lie. And Shane caught it easily. He pinned her with his heavy brown eyes. "What pray tell do you have to do tonight that is so important?" He leaned against the kitchen counter, his arms folded across his chest. The muscles in his arms strained against his sleeves. He was the complete opposite of his cousin and C.K. couldn't help but notice it. Jon was skinny, yet still managed to have some muscle unlike Shane who was built; His chest large and bulky. Jon had the looks of a pretty boy rock-star while Shane had the looks of military man.

"Well," Caden began. "I have to—"

"Clear out another Dairy Queen?" Eliza asked. She pointed to the collection of empty tubes on the coffee table.

"Jesus Christ, Caden!" Ann Marie yelped. She glanced from the table back to her friend, not believing that such a small girl had eaten all that ice cream and frosting. "No, not Jesus," Shane said. He picked up a half empty tube of frosting before setting it back down. "Not Jesus. Betty Crocker."

"You guys, I really can't go out tonight..."

"And why not?" Eliza set her hands on her large Hispanic hips. "You need another week of getting over the loser?"

Ouch. That was unnecessary and from the look Shane gave the hispanic girl, Eliza realized it too but she didn't apologize. There was no point in apologizing for something that you meant. "You're going out tonight. You're going to have fun. And you're going to get drunk." Shane opened his mouth to protest but Ann Marie quickly cut him off. "Even if she is under age." She shot him a look. "I won't tell if you won't."

"I can't." C.K. argued, futilely.

Eliza jumped up, ecstatic. "Great. Let's get you dressed."

Caden's bathroom was small but she hadn't realized it until she was in there with two other girls. Eliza and Ann Marie weren't large girls. They were actually almost as petite as Caden but there was a difference. They had hips. Not just hips; an ass. Sure, Caden had a butt. It wasn't anything special. It was just...a butt. Not even nice enough to be called an ass and she was definitely lacking in the hips department.

Caden sat quietly as the two girls went to work, quickly yet thoroughly on her hair. Every so often they would murmur something to her that would require a yes or no answer.

"Say adios, chica." Eliza began cutting the un-even layers on her hair. Earlier she had heard one of the girls mention her hairstyle as being too grungy and it wasn't till a good bunch of the ends were gone that Caden actually saw the difference.

"Thank you, guys, a lot for this." Caden felt implored to say. "De nada," Eliza replied. "We were worried about you staying all cooped up in this place. Especially after what happened with Jason. You need to go out. You're single. Go have a life."

"Have you talked to him?" Ann Marie questioned. She asked the question slowly so that if someone wanted to cut her off they could do so. No one did. Eliza must have been wondering the same thing.

"No. I, um...no I haven't. I talked to Collin though. You know how Collin is. He always knows somebody. Supposedly Jason found a new place to live. And he is happily moved on."

The strand of hair that Eliza had been cutting dropped. 'Are you serious?" She was incredulous. Caden smiled even though she knew it wasn't funny, then nodded. Eliza picked the strand back up, cutting sharply, barely missing Caden's scalp. "I never liked that boy. I swear to God, I never did." Eliza's accent had become sharp with her frustration and Caden felt as if she had walked in to a Zorro movie.

"Yeah..." Caden said. " I'm not sure if I did either."

Caden was getting dressed and she couldn't figure out why. For the twenty minutes that it took Eliza to pick out an outfit for C.K. to put on, Caden had protested. She had named everything she could think of to try and convince her that she wasn't going.

'I'm not feeling good from all the ice cream I had. I'm really trying to get over my mom being in the hospital. I'm depressed because Jason is a dick. I have a lot of prints to go through because I have an auction coming up.' All of these excuses were true to some extent but they didn't pass. Eliza had tossed some clothes on the bed for Caden to sift through and choose what she wanted to wear.

'None," she had said. 'I don't want to wear any.'

Eliza and Ann Marie had glanced at each other, smiles in their eyes. 'That's fine. You can go naked then, as long as you're ready in ten minutes.'

She didn't even know where they were taking her. For all she knew she could be going to her death. Shane and Eliza could have spent the last week plotting her kidnapping and were executing it right now.

And she was going with it willingly. Well, semi-willingly.

"This better be worth it," Caden yelled at the door, knowing that the condos' four occupants stood outside it. Someone's foot was tapping a beat of obvious impatience. "It is. Now hurry up. Ay dios mió, you take forever just to put on some clothes," Ann Marie called back.

"Well, I don't exactly know where I am going so I'm not that eager to hop in the car and go with you." C.K. heard Shane laugh as the doorknob turned giving way to the tall brown-haired man. "I could be naked," Caden warned as he let himself in, closing the door behind him. "But your not." He sat on the bed, near her lamp, not looking up at her, as precautionary measure if she decided to strip and change her clothes. Caden walked into the bathroom, grabbed a towel off her sink and dabbed her face. She was sweating, and it was then that he noticed it was very humid in the room. The fog from her earlier shower had dissipated but the heat remained.

"Just to let you know, your not gonna die tonight." Caden looked up at him, smiling at his conversational tone, despite the words he spoke. "Saving me for another night?" she asked. Shane could see her as she sat down on the toilet seat, pants up, and slid on shiny red stilettos. Her hair hung down wildly as she draped over her knees, fitting the heels onto her feet. When she sat back up she was looking at him.

Shane smiled, not being able to help it. She was gorgeous. Everything a woman could and should be. Her hair had been cut drastically and although still had its choppy short layered style that was Caden, she looked elegant. Her light chocolate skin looked smooth and her make-up was non existent. She wore black pin-stripe shorts that buttoned on the side and barely covered anything. Her shirt was plain white with a small collar but clung to her and topped it with an even tighter vest that matched her shorts.