“You’re going alone?” Sloane asks, her eyebrows skyrocketing up her forehead.
I shrug. “Yeah.” I get how shocking it must be for Sloane, a girl with a plethora of friends, but I’m used to being alone. I don’t mind it.
Usually, anyway.
“You don’t have to do that,” she says, clearly rattled by the idea. “I can order takeout. You can hang out with us and do homework.”
I offer her a smile, hoping she doesn’t feel bad, and open the front door. “Thanks, but I’ll be fine. Good luck studying.”
As soon as I’m outside, I unlock my phone and begin scrolling through my contacts, suddenly wishing I had more friends in Bramble Falls. I scroll until I reachSUMMER COOPER. Even his name in my phone is a reminder of what I threw away.
I sigh. I can’t text him, especially now that I know he has pent-up resentment toward me, despite him saying we’re good. Plus, the last time I asked him to get food with me, he shot me down.
A girl can only take so much rejection.
I scroll back up to Jake’s contact. He might not cause the same heat in my stomach that a glance from Cooper does, but he’s been a great friend since I moved here.
Me:I’m hungry.
Pen Thief Jake:lol try eating?
Me:Eat with me.
Pen Thief Jake:yeah? name the time and place
Me:How’s five minutes? The diner?
Pen Thief Jake:oh shit ok might be closer to 15 but ill be there
Chapter Eleven
“Why are you so gross?” I ask, popping a waffle fry into my mouth. Jake and I are sitting in a corner booth at the diner, having arrived just before the dinner rush, both of us with smash burgers on our plates. Jake’s is half gone even though it only arrived ten seconds ago.
The jukebox is playing some country song as the booths along the walls begin to fill. The shiny black-and-white checkered floor glints from the low-hanging lights above. The walls are covered in photos of celebrities who have eaten here over the years.
“Just got done with football practice,” Jake says after swallowing. His hair is wet with sweat, and his cheeks are flushed. “Was about to shower when you texted.” I dip a fry into my ketchup, nodding. “It was a good surprise, though.”
“Wish I could say the same about your smell,” I say.
Jake laughs. “Sorry.Someonegave me an unrealistic amount of time to get here.” He picks up a fry. “So, whydidyou text me?”
“What do you mean? Am I not allowed to eat with friends?”
“Are we friends?” he asks. His expression says he’s serious.
I stop with a fry halfway to my mouth, a blush painting my cheeks. “Oh. Are we not?”
“I don’t know. You blew off my party. And you never text me back.”
“It was just a party,” I say with a shrug. “And you’ve only texted me, like, once.”
“Three times, and you haven’t responded to any of them,” he says. “I was convinced you gave me a fake number.”
“Probably should have,” I joke, trying to push away the prickle of shame that crawls up my neck at the realization that I really have been an asshole. But Jake doesn’t laugh. “Okay, I’m sorry about the party. And about not texting you back. I’ve just been busy. Usually, I’ll see a text and plan on responding once I’m done doing whatever, but then I forget about it entirely. Still, it was messed up to ignore you but then text you when I wanted something. I’ll try to do better.”
And I mean it. Jake’s the only person who’s gone out of their way from day one to befriend me in Bramble Falls. He deserves better than me using him as an ice pack for my bruised ego since Dad apparently finds me so easily replaceable.
Jake nods. “Okay.”
