Chapter 5: Ticking Boxes

SLOAN

Clearly, Kade just doesn’t understand the benefit of a good plan. Having all of my ducks in a row is what I strive for; how am I supposed to accomplish that without a plan?

“I don’t have to be happy right now. It will work out in the end,” I explain.

“How do you know?”

“The plan, it’s all coming together.”

“Tell me about this ~plan~.”

“Graduate with honors, go to college, graduate, get a dream job, meet a dream man, get married.”

“So, what stage are you at now?” Kade asks, and I’m a little hesitant to answer because there is mischief in his tone.

“I got my promotion and I love working for LILAC; so, I guess, my dream job.”

“Tell me about the dream man, and I don’t mean Archie. I mean what you thought of when you made this plan.”

“Handsome, smart, successful—”

He smirks. “Tick, tick, tick.”

“Who are you ticking?”

“You’ll see, keep going.”

“Kind, endearing, funny, and—”

“Tick, tick, tick,” he says, smiling like he’s won the lottery.

“Above all else, he loves me,” I finish.

“Does Archie love you?”

“Of course, he does; we’ve been together for five years.”

“Sloan, that doesn’t mean anything,” he says sadly.

I can’t think of a damn thing to say and I’m sure that my face looks like something really special right now.

Maybe he’s right; the way things are with Archie is not what I’d planned for, but I just thought that maybe we were going through a rough patch.

“I’m not trying to hurt your feelings. I know you don’t know me at all and, I guess, I don’t really know you but I can see that you’re sad and I know you deserve more than what he’s giving you.”

“What about the ticks?”

He laughs. “Not trying to toot my own horn, but ~toot-toot~.”

“Kade!”

“What? I’m serious! How do you know it’s not me?”

“Why? Do you love me, Kade?” I tease.

“I could. I haven’t been able to stay away from you since the second I saw you, and it’s only been one day.”

~Whoa~. This might be getting too real. “Kade…”

“Can you say the same thing about Archie?”

I’m stunned into silence. I’m so mad at Archie right now that I’m not sure I can rely on my feelings. Kade is not going to let this go easily, and I have to admit that he’s kind of making good points.

“I’m going to have to answer that for you. No, you can’t. He’s lucky to have you but he ignores you and puts you aside,” Kade grumbles.

“It wasn’t always like this,” I explain.

“It is now,” he insists.

“He’s just busy,” I say.

Kade doesn’t have to tell me how bad that sounds; I’m already mad at myself because I can’t believe the excuses I make for Archie.

“Aren’t you busy?”

“Yes, working for LILAC is kind of a twenty-four-seven job. I’m always researching and trying to find the next new thing. It consumes me.”

“But if Archie was sad at home, by himself, you would drop everything and go there in a second,” he suggests.

“Probably.”

“Why doesn’t he do the same for you?”

“His job is different. He’s more involved, more important.”

“No!” he says with barely contained frustration. Kade stands up and sits down next to me, taking my hand. “You are important, you are beautiful, and you deserve to be adored, even if it’s not by me.

“I’m not going to sit by and watch you be taken advantage of. You need to toss this plan and do something for yourself.”

“Like, what?”

“What’s something you’ve always wanted to do but didn’t because you were afraid of what people would think?”

“Um…”

He smiles. “First thing that comes to mind.”

“Get a tattoo,” I say timidly.

“Get dressed.”

“What?” I gasp.

“Get dressed. We’re going to get a tattoo, right now, no thinking about it.”

“Kade, I can’t… What will—?”

“Don’t finish that sentence. I swear, if it’s what will Archie think, I’m going to throw you over my shoulder and take you in your pajamas!”

“Kade!”

“Don’t tempt me.” He winks. “Get dressed.”

I go into the bedroom and close the door behind me. ~What the hell am I doing right now? Archie will hate it if I get a tattoo.~

~Kade is so kind, and the way he looks at me…~

Kade bangs on the door. “Don’t think you’re going to hide from me. We’re leaving in five minutes, whether you’re dressed or not.” He laughs but sounds serious.

~Don’t think about it, do something for yourself, throw away the plan…~ For some reason, that sounds wonderful right now. I throw on some clothes and open the door.

He gives me an animated smile. “Attagirl! I knew you could do it, come on!”

Kade shows me down to where his car is and lets me in.

I laugh. “Kade, this is ~insane~.”

“It’s not. People get tattoos all the time; I’m covered in them.”

“But what will I get?”

“I don’t know. It doesn’t have to be something crazy; even something small is good. Just live in the moment.”

“Uh…”

“Start with where you want it.”

“Maybe my wrist?”

“Right there, where everyone can see it?” He chuckles.

“~Kade~! I thought you were supposed to be making me feel better?”

“I am! I’m impressed. Archie will see it.”

~“So?”~

“Whoa! Yes! I like this Sloan,” he says excitedly.

“You didn’t like me before?”

“I always shamelessly flirt, go on coffee dates, and eat Chinese food with people I don’t like, how did you know?” he says with a sarcastic grin.

I shove his shoulder. “It wasn’t a date.”

“It was,” he insists.

“Why?”

“Because you let me touch you, you laughed, I paid, you said thank you, and you gave me your number… Date!” He winks.

Heat rises to my cheeks, and I don’t know what to say, so I let the first thing that comes to mind slip out. “Don’t dates end in a kiss?”

He gasps. “Sloan! What do you take me for? I don’t kiss on the first date.”

I laugh. “Oh, my gosh.”

“What?”

“You are so funny. I don’t know, you just make me smile.”

“Tick.”

“Kade!”