“Last night, I had to pinch my thigh, and picture Cherry humiliating me to stop from getting a boner, as he poured his heart out to me with his head on my shoulder. And watching him skate and laugh today was almost as bad.”
Blushing, Nate rubs his hand over his neck. “Man, picturing your sister would not work for me.”
“Please don’t,” I say, the acid in my empty stomach tickling my tonsils. “I need to eat.” As though she’s listening, the waitress who’s been eye-fucking us since we walked in, swings by to take our order. Blossoming under her attention, Sam and Lucas both order the post-game protein pack Lotte added to the menu in honor of Noah. It’s a turkey and avocado sandwich on whole-grain, topped off with an almond milk smoothie full of fruit, and protein powder. It would be my choice too, but since I’m low on funds, I stick with just the smoothie. Sam nudges my arm.
“Thought you were hungry?”
“I am. But I’m also poor.” I toss the menu onto the table top and sigh. “You know what pisses me off? Rich assholes like Trent who can not only buy the whole menu, they can buy their way into Harvard.” Lucas huffs in agreement, but Sam’s lingering blush is reinvigorated.
“Not defending himat all, but not all people that come from money are like that.”
“Everyone I know is,” Lucas adds, ripping open and shooting every ketchup packet within reach.
“Well, I’m not.”
Beginning to feel awkward as fuck, I shift in my seat. “You’re not what? Rich?”
“No, I am rich. Or my parents are at least. I mean that I come from money, even older money than Trent, and I’m not a jerk. Maybe that’s ‘cause only my dad is my real dad, and not my mum. It’s like the snobbery has been diluted somehow.”
Lucas’s red stained mouth falls open. “There’s a lot to unpack there, dude. But let’s start with how rich are we talking? Millionaires?”
Sam nods, then blushes, then switches to a head shake. “Nah, nothing like that. Just every day extra comfortable.”
In what I suspect may be permanent, my brows furrow. “I don’t get why you seem embarrassed by that?”
“I do,” Lucas scoffs. “Why the heck do you make me drive all the time? I never said anything, ‘cause I figured you couldn’t afford gas. But here you are, Lord Richie Rich Money Bags, with enough loot to buy the whole damn gas station.”
Un-knitting my expression, I wave off Lucas, and tap Sam’s hand to get his attention back on me. “Well, I guess you’re the exception to the rule. Rich, kind … and cheap as fuck.”
“Ha-ha. Just don’t tell anyone, alright. People treat you differently when they think you’re cashed up, and I don’t want that. I just want people to like me for me.”
“They do. And I will. So we have a deal then. We won’t tell anyone about you and your gold-plated toilets, and you don’t tell anyone about me, James and my boners.”
A very warm, verynotSam or Lucas-sized hand lands on my shoulder. “About you and who now?”
Regret slithers through my veins like a snake through wet grass. How? How could I be so stupid?
“Can I speak to you in private, please?” Giving Cory no time to reply, I fist the collar of his tee and yank him to his feet.
“Sure thing, Doc.” He squirms in my grip but also looks like he’s enjoying it.
This does nothing to soothe my tempter. Bursting through the Beanz and Book door, I stride to the empty alley beside the building and roughly reacquaint him to the ground.
“Please. Please do not tell me you told Lucas and Sam about our … encounter?
He smiles. He fucking smiles. “It’sencounters. And, okay.”
“Okay, what?”
“Okay, I won’t tell you.”
Pretty sure I know the answer already, but I stupidly ask, “You won’t tell me because you never told them?”
“Technically I didn’t. They guessed, and I accidentally elaborated it. So really, I was just respecting your request for me not to tell you I told them.”
This. This very exchange is the exact reason I don’t like people. Exhaling so loudly I scare away pigeons picking crumbs at my feet, I begin to pace. “Cory. Do you remember the discussion we had right at the beginning of my placement. I asked you, very respectfully, to keep what happened between us, between us. And what you said in my room last night. That I could trust you?”
“I do. You can, and I did. Only Sam, and Lucas know.”
