I think back to the painful encounter with Lacey this morning. “I told her she looked nice, and I complimented the study guide she made for me.”
“Good. Good,” he says in a voice that you might use with a child.
“And I gave her my protein bar.”
The silence that stretches out between us makes me shift uncomfortably in my seat.
“I did exactly what you said,” I add. “I gave her a gift.”
“You gave her aprotein bar?” he asks in the exact same tone Lacey used.
“It’s all I had. And it was my last one.”
“A protein bar?”
“Is there something wrong with your hearing?” I ask instead of answering again.
He laughs. Loudly.
I keep eating while he has a good laugh at my expense. What an asshole. This was all his idea.
“I’m sorry,” he says, trying to get ahold of himself. “That is a sweet gesture coming from you. Good work.”
I can’t tell if he means it or not.
“Now what?” I grumble.
He glances over in the direction Lacey is sitting across the cafeteria. She’s smiling and laughing. My gut twists.
“Come with me.” He stands with his tray.
“Where?”
“Just trust me,” he calls over his shoulder.
With my tray in hand, I stand, and we walk together to the other side of the cafeteria. When we get to their table, Rowan takes a seat next to Lacey.
“Hey. Decide to come back to the cool table?” Her question trails off as she spots me standing behind him.
“Yep,” Rowan says without missing a beat. “And I brought a friend.”
I don’t have a great feeling about this, but it’s too late to turn back.
I set my tray down on the table in the only open spot between Claire and Lacey. Austin attempts to give me a reassuring smile as I sit with my ex-girlfriend on one side and on the other my…tutor.
Andie is also at the table with her boyfriend, Brandon.
“Hey.” I nod to them both.
“What’s up, Collins?” Brandon gives me a small chin jut. Andie smiles tentatively as she looks around the table.
Lacey doesn’t look my way at all, but Rowan doesn’t give up that easily. He leans over her to talk to me, forcing her to at the very least be aware of my presence.
“Are you going to the football game tonight?” he asks me.
“I’m grounded.”
“Oh, right. Bummer.” He looks at Lacey. “Any new cheers?”
