She nods slowly. “Yeah, my mom’s been hounding me about talking to you at school.”
“Why?” Jacob asks. Dorothy is clearly having a hard time talking to me as it is. I’m not a complete asshole, and I don’t want to make her more uncomfortable.
I smack Jacob in the ribs. “Mind your own business.”
“Can I ask you something?” Dustin asks her, butting in.
“Sure,” she answers in a whisper.
“I know about the arranged marriage thing. Do you actually want to follow through with it?”
She shrugs and folds her arms around herself, and it’s then that I know that she does. I don’t know if it’s out of convenience—because she’s clearly not getting any dates or, hell, spending any time with men by how this conversation is going—or if it’s because she follows her parents’ word as law. But I have to figure out how to let her down gently. Maybe in private because doing so in front of my friends would be an asshole move.
I change the subject. “How are your classes this year?”
She brightens up a little. “A lot harder than I thought they’d be, but I like a challenge.”
“That’s good,” I say, giving her a smile that makes her blush and pull on her fingers again.
“How about yours?”
“Can’t complain.” Actually, I can if the weight of my backpack is anything to go by. But I don’t complain out loud because, honestly, I want this conversation to end.
Dustin takes pity on me and coughs into his hand. “We should get going.”
“Yeah, we should.” I squeeze Dorothy’s shoulder. “It was nice seeing you.”
“You too,” she says as we pass her.
When we’re out of earshot, Jacob starts to laugh. “That was the most awkward thing I’ve ever seen you wiggle out of.”
“She’s clearly into you,” Dustin adds.
I grumble under my breath. “You two have no idea what it’s like to be me.”
“Why didn’t you just tell her then and there that this arranged marriage is not going to happen?” Dustin asks.
“I didn’t want to hurt her feelings in front of an audience.”
“You’re too nice,” Jacob grumps. “Just do what I do.”
“What? Sleep with her and then block her number the next day?” I’m being rude, but honestly, I don’t need their input. I get enough of that from my parents.
Jacob throws his taco wrappers away in a nearby trashcan and sucks in a breath. “You wound me.”
I sigh and nudge him with my shoulder. “Sorry. Just…this whole thing is pissing me off.”
“Is this because of the girl you refuse to talk about?” Dustin asks.
Jacob grins knowingly. “Yeah, Reid. Is it?”
I give him the look to keep his mouth shut, and he turns his grin to the pavement, his body shaking with silent laughter as we head to the crosswalk.
“Someday, you’ll have to introduce me to her,” Dustin adds. “You can’t keep hiding her forever. It’s not like I’ll steal her away from you or something. Ivy’s a handful as it is.”
I grip my backpack straps and press the button for the crosswalk. “Yeah, someday,” I say nonchalantly.If you don’t find out and kill me first.
CHAPTER 13
