I am a walking fucking cliché. But I don’t really care. There’s something not right about this guy, and friends or not, Beth shouldn’t trust him.
God, she’s always so fucking naïve when it comes to guys. Falco, this guy…me.
“Please, David,” she breathes one last time as the fucking creep approaches.
I don’t stand down as she asked, but I don’t pounce on the guy, either. I just fucking stand here like a sentinel, like the goddamned bodyguard Lani is always accusing me of being.
The creep slows his steps as he meets us and takes me in, looking uncertainly between me and Beth. But Beth smiles that warm Beth smile, and his tension eases marginally. He leans down, that same uncertainty practically rushing from his pores, and presses a small, chaste kiss to her cheek.
“Hey,” he breathes. There’s something unsettlingly familiar about him, but then I’ve known a lot of fucking creeps.
“Hi, Brody. This is David. David, Brody.” Beth introduces us like everything is completely normal.
We size each other up like the testosterone-filled guys we obviously both are. And I’m irritated to find that he’s looking at me like I’m the one not to be trusted. He looks between me and Beth, like he’s the fucking protective one and I’m the one trying to get in her pants, and it stuns me silent.
Beth shifts from foot to foot, waiting for the tension to dissipate, but it doesn’t. “David is one of Sammy’s best friends, one of the ones I was telling you about,” Beth murmurs.
Sammy? Telling him about? Just what the fuck has she told this guy in the five minutes they’ve supposedly been friends?
“Brody is in my Abnormal Psych class,” Beth tells me. “He just transferred here this semester to…be closer to family. He doesn’t really know anyone.” Beth tries hard to make things right, but as much as I want to appease her, it isn’t enough of an explanation for me.
“Is that why you stalk girls from alleyways?” I accuse.
Brody doesn’t even flinch. He just glares at me.
Beth pinches my bicep—not too subtly, either. “He was just nervous to introduce himself. Like I said, he doesn’t know anyone.”
“Do you want a beer?” Brody seems over this conversation.
“She already has one,” I point out, but it doesn’t seem to daunt him, and he orders one for himself.
Despite my hostility, Brody and Beth fall into easy conversation, and I have no choice but to participate, since I’m not about to leave her alone with this guy. He doesn’t really talk to anyone else, and when social graces force me to introduce him to a few people, he doesn’t do much more than offer a cursory nod or a tip of his beer.
“Hi, David,” coos the voice that now sounds like nails on a chalkboard, and I turn to find Liz—Lizard—smiling at me like that whole exchange at last week’s party never happened. “Hi, Beth.”
Beth’s eyes flash with incredulity. She doesn’t do fake, and she doesn’t understand it, either. “Um, hi,” she replies uncertainly.
“What’s up, Liz?” My tone makes it clear I’m not asking how she’s doing, I’m asking her what the fuck she wants.
“I just wanted to apologize for, you know, at the party.” She looks between Beth and me. “I really didn’t mean it to come out like that. Sometimes I say bitchy things and I don’t even realize it until after, and then it’s too late.”
I’m not buying it. Because that wasn’t the first bitchy thing I’ve heard her say. It was just the first time it was aimed at someone I care about. And I know full well she doesn’t show remorse unless there are consequences, and apparently she considers my attitude just that. Our houses take the brother frat–sister sorority thing seriously, and we’re supposed to look out for them. We’ve roughed up many an asshole that got too forward with one of our “sisters.”
But Beth’s eyes soften with sympathy, and I grit my teeth. So damn naïve. Because that’s the thing about people. We never get to live inside someone else’s head. The only real frame of reference we have is our own, and Beth would never hurt someone on purpose, so it’s easy for her to believe that this girl wouldn’t either. But I know better.
“It’s okay,” Beth murmurs.
It’s not, though, and I don’t pretend it is.
“So are you going to introduce me to your friend?” Liz purrs.
Ah, the real reason for her apology. Our Lizard has taken an interest in Creepy Stalker. Well, perfect. I bet they fucking deserve each other. “Liz, this is Brody. He just transferred. Brody, Liz,” I dismissively introduce them.
Liz starts making conversation with Brody. Or as much of a conversation you can get out of a guy who mostly just nods and grunts. I watch him look her over. He makes absolutely no effort to disguise the fact that his interest—which appears marginal at best—is in what’s beneath her clothing, and not what’s coming out of her mouth. Incidentally, I happen to know from experience that Lizard’s mouth is one of her best features. But not when it’s talking.
Frankly, I’m just relieved Brody isn’t looking at Beth like that, and while he’s reluctantly distracted I take the opportunity to drag her a few feet away. But I do notice Brody’s eyes subtly follow her, and it pisses me off.
“What the fuck?” I chide when they’re out of earshot. “Days ago he’s stalking you and now you’re best fucking friends?”
