Her jaw unhinged as she narrowed her eyes at me, as if I were the most idiotic individual she’d ever seen before in her life. She must not get out much. “You know that I had a thing with Ryan, right?”
“You mean, back in first-year?” I asked. Oh, I knew, and I wasn’t going to back down. Not from Lauren, the awful emailer of all people. “Are you still holding on to that? It’s been a few years now, you know. I actually have a new spell I’m going to be making for moving on, if you need it.”
“Natalie said you were weird.”
“We love to exchange those sorts of love notes. Thank you.”
“Cut the shit. I’m telling you to back off,” Lauren said, finality in her tone. She crossed her arms.
At least she knew how to get to the point.
“Ryan might not know that we are getting back together, but he hasn’t been with anyone else. That’s because everyone knows he’s going to end up mine. Get it?”
Hers? Was this like she was peeing on her property or something? Because, for one, gross.
“No.”
“No?”
“No, I don’t understand. My tiny brain just can’t understand why someone as stunning and powerful as you think you are is coming up to me to let me know that I can’t have something. As well as the fact that Ryan isn’t something. He’s a person. So, maybe next time, before you look at me like I’m the desperate one, you look at yourself first. Also, for future reference”—I took a step forward—“don’t threaten people who have rumors going around that they worship the devil. It really won’t end well. At least, not for you.”
She took a step back.
Thought so.
“Honestly, I’m just trying to warn you,” Lauren said, her voice taking a softer tone.
I stared at her.
“You may think you know Ryan, but he’s just like all the rest of the guys. A boy’s boy. He might be having a little crisis right now since he lost football—ifhe decides not to come back and play with the team again.”
“He won’t.”
What was it with everyone acting like that simple fact was the end of the world? It wasn’t like Barnett had a renowned team. They sucked. The entirety of Barnett sports sucked as a whole, and it had become nearly a fun joke at this point.
At least to most, apparently.
“Even so,” Lauren continued, “you’re a passing fancy. I just want you to be prepared for after he has whatever college experience you are to him as he heals mentally”—her eyes trailed over my frame pointedly—“and physically.”
I gritted my teeth, tearing my face away from her.
“The rest of the guys thought it was a little funny, making jokes, not thinking it would last this long. They didn’t even think you’d give him the time of day. But we were all wrong there.”
But I wasn’t. I knew Ryan—or I had been getting to.I do know him.
“Eventually, Ryan’s going to miss his friends and his life, and then you’ll be wherever it is you normally are. I just don’t want you to be unprepared.”
“How considerate of you.”
Noting whatever expression was on my face, Lauren took another step back, as if she was done here. Her mission was complete.
Well, that just wouldn’t do.
“Like I said,” I called out, stopping Lauren in her tracks, “if you need help with the whole self-confidence and desperation thing going on that makes you unable to get over a boy you made a joke out of, because you couldn’t help but act like a child, let me know.”
I knew my words were harsh. I didn’t care as they flowed. I knew I would probably think of something better to say later—I always did—so I let my words fly as they formed. They were meant to be off the tip of my tongue for her to hear.
“Oh, sure,” she muttered. “But then again, didn’t he make a joke out of you once?”
