A Second Chance [COMPLETED]

Chapter 36 - "Why are you shutting me out?"

It was late by the time the party ended and  Lennon was down in the basement. The buzz from the champagne had worn off, and she was left with heavy limbs and a throbbing head. She cradled her head, trying to combat the throbbing with pressure. She heard footsteps and looked up to see Kade coming down the stairs.

"I thought you could use these," he said flatly.

He placed a bag of rolls, a bottle of water, a spoon and a bottle of olive oil on the coffee table; before sitting down on the couch.

"What's the olive oil for?" she asked.

She wished he hadn't come looking for her. They had managed to get through the rest of the party in peace. She had excused herself from the room once they had said goodnight to Julie and her dad. She had planned on spending another night down in the basement. Alone.

"It helps prevent a hangover," he said.

She gave him a questioning frown.

"A trick I learned in my party days."

"I'm not drunk," she said. "I'm not even tipsy anymore."

"It will help regardless. I don't think you want to spend Christmas morning nursing a hangover."

He unscrewed the lid and grabbed the spoon. Lennon took the spoon and bottle, quickly pouring the sickly green liquid and swallowing. The taste was awful as slimy texture went down her throat. She reached for the bottle of water to find Kade offering it to her. She drank half of it.

"Thanks," she said quietly.

She sat back on the couch and looked anywhere but at him. A heavy silence fell between them.

"So, wanna tell me what's going on?" he asked.

"It's just been a long week," she said.

He didn't say anything. His expression was impassive but his eyes were angry.

"What do you want, Kade?" she burst out.

His quiet stare grated on her nerves.

"I want the truth," he said, matching her tone. "Why are you shutting me out?"

"I'm not -"

"Don't," he said. "We both know that's a lie."

She looked at him, exasperated.

"You can't shut me out. Not now," he said.

"You shut me out!" she argued.

She sounded childish but she didn't want to talk Kade. Not now.

"And look where that got us," he said. "I screwed up and we're still trying to get back to where we were. We set up guidelines. You initiated them so something like this didn't have to happen again. Partners, remember?"

His words came out fast and frustrated. Lennon felt a weight land in her chest and a feeling of defeat washed over her. She looked down at her clasped hands.

"Lennon, I don't have a clue what is going on," he said softer. "From the moment we arrived, I've felt lost. You're acting weird and won't talk to me. I spent the whole party surrounded by a million girls while I watched you flirt with another guy. I think it's clear I've missed something."

Lennon could hear the exasperation in his voice. Hearing his point of view, made all her excuses fall to pieces.

"I told you I would follow your lead, but you've been a crappy leader. Here's the thing," he said, his eyes determinedly holding hers. "We figure this out now or we pack up and go home. This isn't going to work when we get to my house."