They glance over, and their laughter fizzles. Brie turns her gaze pointedly away. It stings, but I ignore it and plunk my thermos and water bottle on the table. If I did something wrong, she’s going to have to explain.
I drop into a chair at the small round table. Brie’s looking everywhere but me.
Tess meets my eyes. Her lips press together in an embarrassed smile.
“You good?” I ask her.
She nods. “Yeah. Sor?—”
I interrupt, “No apologies. And you don’t have to tell me anything. But I hope you know you always can.”
And there it is, a genuine smile as she nods. I’ve always liked Tess. We started teaching here the same year, and even though I’m not particularly close to her, she’s kind of like the annoyingly chipper little sister I never had. I hate to think someone broke her heart.
She shifts, and a flash of something conspiratorial crosses her face as she glances at Brie then back at me with playful mischief in her eyes. Even though I don’t know what it’s about, I can’t help feeling like Tess and I have an alliance.
“So, Sawyer,” Tess starts, voice suspiciously nonchalant, “I hear you’re dating someone new.”
My first instinct is to deny it, but with the expectant way Tess is looking at me, I decide to play out whatever game this is. “It’s possible. What of it?”
Brie’s eyes snap up, finally focusing on me. She looks murderous. Is it still because of whatever she was mad about last night, or is it the prospect of me dating someone? Hope rises in my chest that Brie might be jealous of some imaginary other woman.
“Well,” Tess continues, “I heard that you went to dinner with Brie and Dev.”
That hope expands in my chest knowing Brie’s been talking about me with Tess.
I reply, “That was weeks ago.”
“And,” Tess goes on, “Dev had a date.”
This stumps me for a moment, and I almost blurt out, “He did?” But of course he had a date. It’s why I went to dinner in the first place, the crestfallen look on Brie’s face when she saw Dev with someone else had me jumping into action before I could think better of it.
“Aaand,” Tess says, “now you have a thing with Harvest.”
“Harvest?” At first, I think she’s talking about the garden I’m planning after my cabin’s built.
Tess frowns and looks at Brie. “Isn’t that her name? Harvest?”
It hits me.Harvest. Dev’s date.
Then I hear her words anew and I choke on my bite of chili. So much for Tess and me in an alliance. She’s trying to bury me, I’m completely on my own here. Why would she think I have a thing forHarvest?
I gulp my water and bang my fist into my chest before I answer. “Where did you hear that?” I cough out.
Tess’s mouth is agape and she doesn’t answer, but Brie’s eyes narrow on me, like I’m some scheming criminal.
I’m tired of guessing at what’s in her head. Of not knowing why she’s mad at me, or what she blames me for. Ever since she’s been back, I’ve been nothing but chivalrous to her. Except for the lack of professionalism on my part. And maybe barging in on her not-real-date with Dev. And arguing about what really happened in first grade.
But none of that warrantsthis.
Fed up, I return her expression, narrowing my own eyes at her. I’m acting more like a kid on the playground than the principal, but Brie does this to me. She drives me to the brink of insanity, forcing the worst out of me until I almost break.
She rolls her eyes.
And then Idobreak.
“Use your words, Brie.” I say it with condescension I wouldn’t even use on a student.
She scoffs. “I have no words for you, Sawyer.” Then a humorless smile spreads across her lips. “Or, maybe I can think of two.”
