“No,” I snap, using anger to mask the pain. “I can’t listen to you right now. Not here.”
“Is there a problem?” comes the voice of the last person on earth I want to witness this moment between us.
At once, both Landon and I look over at Christian McCoy, who’s got the same stupid, smug look on his face as always. “Not now, Christian.”
“Fuck off, McCoy,” Landon warns, his voice icier than I’ve ever heard it.
Christian ignores him. “You haven’t been responding to my messages, Daisy,” he says, but it’s in that way he delivers every line, with the hint of a smirk that means he’s not taking anything he’s saying seriously. Just speaking to get a reaction. “Keep it up, and I’m going to think you don’t like me.”
I glare at him, gritting my teeth. “Christian, now is not a good time.”
He holds up his hands and shakes a pack of cigarettes. “Hey, I just came out here for a smoke.”
“Great,” snaps Landon, pointing across the parking lot. “Go pollute your lungs over there, then.”
Christian doesn’t budge. Just looks between us, a malicious glimmer in his eye, and takes his sweet time pulling a cigarette out of the pack. We watch him light it. Tuck the pack away. Take a drag. “I can see I’m interrupting something.” He blows smoke in Landon’s direction. “A lover’s spat, perhaps?”
“No,” I say.
“Shut it, McCoy,” snaps Landon.
Christian ignores him, looking instead at me. “Daisy, I thought you two were justfriends.”
“Christian, stop,” I warn.
“Because if you were more than friends, I can’t imagine Blair would care to hear about our kiss on the roof. I can’t stop thinking about it, by the way.” He glances at Landon. “She held out for a while. It was pretty impressive, actually. But all the new girls give in and give it up eventually. Even the teases.”
Landon’s eyes flash, and the look he gives Christian isn’t one I’deverwant to be on the receiving end of. “Watch your fucking mouth, McCoy.”
Christian smirks and steps toward Landon, getting all up in his personal space. Anyone can see that he’s too close, egging him on, his cigarette smoke polluting Landon’s air. “Or what?”
Not in the mood to break up any sort of fight, I don’t even hesitate before I step between the two of them, grasping Landon’s arm to drag him back. Surprisingly, he doesn’t fight me as I tug him across the parking lot, far, far away from Christian. He doesn’t protest, but I can tell he’s upset, furious even, by his tense muscles and short breaths.
“You need to go home, Landon,” I say, once we’re far enough away.
He eyes me sharply. “You want me to leave you with that asshole?”
“Notwithhim. God. I just want you to leave me alone!” He blinks at me, shocked by the forcefulness of my voice. I’m a little shocked myself, but I power through. “You told me to stand up for myself, so I’m standing the fuck up for myself! You lied to me.”
“Violet-”
“There’s nothing you can say, Landon! Don’t you get that?”
“I’m sorry-”
“No! Fuckoff,” I snap, and my voice doesn’t crack or shake or wobble. It’s steadfast and strong. Purposeful. Cold. “I mean it this time. I really mean it.”
My words hang in the air between us. I don’t miss the hurt that flashes across his face before his expression closes off, but what he doesn’t realize is my words hurt me just as much as him. They tear meapart.
He nods once, stiffly. “I’ll leave you to it, then.”
I don’t say anything. Just watch him turn and walk back to his car. Watch him get in and drive away, sick to my stomach the entire time.
When he’s completely out of sight, I glance back at McCoy, who keeps smoking his cigarette and watching our argument from afar, grinning like he’s enjoying the show. And suddenly, I’m furious. The anger is festering beneath my skin like a disease, and I’d love nothing more than to contaminate him. I march across the parking lot toward Christian.
“So. You really are fucking Blair,” he says, snickering. “Guess you’re not such a tease after all.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I snap.
