God. What does Gabi see in him?
People are looking at me like I’m a willing participant in this spectacle, though nothing could be further from the truth. I’m mortified and a nanosecond from crawling under the table when Jayden, bless him, throws an elbow into Damon’s shoulder. “Dude, don’t be an ass.”
His admonishing is in good fun, allHa ha, boys will be boys. He and Hudson are truly decent, but they’re as clueless as Gabiwhen it comes to who Damon really is. Mostly they just enjoy railing on each other. Still, I send him a quick nod of thanks before nose-diving back into my book. Tears prick my eyes, and there’s a mango-size lump in my throat, but I willnotcry. Not here. Not in front of Damon.
A shadow falls over my table. I look up, expecting Clay and a plate of crispy coconut shrimp. I find Henry, holding his big-ass book and a half-drained glass of soda.
He slides in beside me, close enough that I feel the heat of his arm against mine. His body language allows for the assumption that we’re together—maybe that’s the point—and if that’ll shut up Damon, great.
“Friends of yours?” he asks, nodding toward the guys.
“Definefriends,” I say dryly.
Raucous laughter explodes from their table. It’s probably not aimed at me, but it feels personal. My flush deepens. I bet I’m as red as Henry’s sunburned cheeks.
He’s staring Damon down, and he lookspissed, like one more word out of this new adversary will have him shattering his glass in a Hulk-like fist. Damon’s an all-district wrestler, but he’s lean and only an inch or two taller than me. A tiger shark to Henry’s great white.
I wonder if he’s intimidated.
Damon looks away first.
Coward.
Henry swigs his soda then bangs the glass down on the tabletop, seemingly disgusted by this idiot who harasses girls in familyestablishments.
I’m a little intimidated myself.
But when he looks back at me, his face clears. He shifts a little, like he’s just become aware of how close we’re sitting. In the space of a heartbeat, he’s returned to the Henry I’m acquainted with: sweet, mindful, a little awkward.
“That guy’s a tool,” he tells me. “I apologize on behalf of my gender.”
“Unnecessary, but thank you.”
“You go to school with him?”
“Unfortunately.”
“Does he always treat you like that?”
“It’s a recent development.”
“It’s bullshit.”
“Yeah. Tell me about it.”
He gives me a reserved smile. “I didn’t mean to butt in. You clearly had it handled. It just looked like you could use some backup.”
Dog-earing the page I last read, I set my book on the tabletop. Henry puts his near it and asks, “Got a thing for mermaids?”
“Totally,” I say, glad we’ve wordlessly agreed to pretend Damon doesn’t exist. I rest a reverent hand onDelphina of the Starlit Sea’s worn cover; her black-blue hair swirls in the water around her, and her lilac tail is curled coyly. I’ll never be ashamed of Delphina and her underwater world. “Mermaids are the best.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” Henry says.
“You’ve never read the Delphina trilogy?”
“No.”
“But you’ve seen the movies, right?”
