Nero stopped chewing for a second as he kept his eyes on the table before raising his head to look at Cosette, whose head was resting on my shoulder.
I felt her tense up beside me, just as Nero broke their eye contact and continued to chew what was in his mouth, only lifting his head again to level with my gaze once he could talk.
“For the past three years, Andy did it without question,” he said. “But obviously that’s not the case now, so…”
Dex had the worst timing ever, as he got back from the vending machine, handing Cosette a can of diet soda.
“What are you guys talking about?” He immediately asked, both palms on the table, as Cosette straightened up from cozily leaning on me.
“I was just going to ask Cosette if I could put my jersey number on her cheek.”
Dex made a face of confusion for a quick second before it registered to him about the odd number of girls he’s seen today with writings on their cheeks.
“Homecoming game tradition,” I caught him up, and he nodded. He never really cared for sports that didn’t involve networking for the elite. Golf, billiards, even polo one time. Those were more our thing.
“Of course it’s okay to have your number on my cheek,” my little vixen said, her voice soft as she put her bag on her lap, the zipper creaking slightly as she pulled the tab open to search for something inside.
After finding a marker, she closed her backpack and set it beside her on the bench with a soft thud. Although I couldtell this was a tense situation for her, it seemed she was also somewhat thrilled as she slid the marker towards Nero, and she leaned her upper body over the table.
With a casual motion, Nero took the marker, removed its cap unceremoniously, and then he leaned closer toward my little vixen, preparing to write his number on her cheek.
Fourteen.
Out of pure habit whenever Nero and Cosette did something ‘friendly’ these days, my eyes flitted to Dex.
His face was straight, remaining cool, but I could tell what’s going on in his mind.
Are you seeing this shit?
For someone whose only task was to write the numbers one and four on another person’s cheek, he seemed to be very close to her. I’m talking ‘she-can-probably-feel-his-breath-against-her-cheek’ close.
“There. Thanks, C,” Nero said, pulling away and clearing his throat before quickly returning to his lunch.
“No problem,” said my little vixen, who was pretending to stay unaffected by her long-time crush asking her to do something so territorial.
I grabbed the soda that Dex bought, pulled the tab and opened it for her. “Here, little vixen. Looks like you need it. Weren’t you thirsty?”
Nero almost choked on his food at my playful teasing, standing up quickly and unexpectedly. “I’m going to grab a soda, too,” he said before walking away, leaving his backpack behind to let us know that he’s coming back.
“You guys are so mean,” Cosette said, leaning back against me with my arm going around her waist yet again.
We’re mean?
We’re not the ones already in a relationship and still flirting with another guy, right in frontof our boyfriend.
Or boyfriends, in her case.
“Are you mad?” Cosette asked as she pressed her cheek against my biceps, looking up at me.
“No.” And I meant it.
I wish I could say I was. I wish I really had the strength to tell her to get rid of the feelings she has for Dex and Nero.
But I also wish that she could just be selfish. Tell me she wants more guys. That she wants a whole harem like in the books she read on her Kindle. Because maybe then I can be selfish, too.
With the way she’s still fighting her attraction to Nero, though? Always making sure I’m okay whenever she’s acting loveydovey with Dex and that she’s staying mindful to give me love and attention without me feeling like I only own part of her heart?
Those efforts are just making me want her to stay as happy as she can be.
