He hides so much that I get used to thinking he’s not complicated, or that he never feels pain.

“Are you sure no one saw you?” he questions. She just laughs under her breath. “Most people don’t.”

And the funny thing is, I’m not really mad at him. It hurts, but what Kade can do, he will do. There’s almost an art to it.

I would laugh because she’s a Pirate Girl. We’re tough. But she’s not tough because she was raised to be. She’s tough because she’s bitter, and it’s the direct result of how she has to come here to feel any acceptance when she doesn’t back home.

Whoever falls in love with Kade will either need to be a saint or have a temper that rivals his.

I look at him, his blond hair always styled like a vintage Ralph Lauren ad, and the blush across his cheeks making his skin look more golden than it actually is. He looks like that all the time now, with the weather being crisp and him outside as much as possible.

“Things will get better,” I tell her. Although, I doubt A.J. or James would take issue with her the way Kade has. He’s her burden, more so than I think he lets us know, because he knows we don’t like his behavior toward her.

"You're a fucking liar," I say to Kade's back, and I don't give a shit who hears me. He pours a drink. "Among other things…”

She’s a planner. Accounts for all challenges. She knows which roads to take in order to avoid cops. She doesn’t need help. Doesn’t need pity.

tommykade.