Charlotte
Have you seen the Shenanigans page today?
Me
Yes. Lots of unflattering pics of me. Why?
Charlotte
…
…
Oh, sweet summer child.
With a feeling of impending doom, I open Facebook. There, at the top of the Shenanigans feed, is a picture of me and Donovan, sitting across from each other at this very table. The Sinsters must have snapped it when they first came in,in the wake of Donovan’s confession about Officer Asshat. His expression is…intense. I’m transfixed, hanging on his every word. Above it is the caption:Sinsters sighting! Rune Whitlock and ‘friend’ recovering from car crash at the Grille. #sweettreats #fatedmates #goals #firstdatemagic
I let out an undignified squeak. Startled, Donovan looks up. “What’s the matter?”
“Here,” I say, shoving my phone at him. He takes it, brows knitting as he reads. His mouth forms the words ‘first date magic,’ but he doesn’t make a sound. Maybe he’s been rendered incapable of speech.
I glare at the table around which the Sinsters cluster, clutching their copies ofBy a Thread.Like little kids hiding comics inside their textbooks so the teacher won’t see, each of them has their cell phones sandwiched between the pages of their open novels. And every single screen I can see is showing that damned post.
Mrs. Hernandez, the high school’s retired robotics team coach, is typing furiously. A moment later, I hear the telltale ‘bing’ as a comment pops up on all of the Sinsters’ phones.
Donovan’s eyes widen, and I lean over the table, trying to see. “What did she write?”
Expression unreadable, he tosses the phone in my direction. It skitters across the Formica, coming to a stop just north of a spatter of milkshake.
Update: Trouble in paradise? #firstdatemagic turns #firstdateminus when Rune and ‘friend’ argue over splitting the bill. Fate brought them together, but will finances tear them apart? #staytuned #eyesontheprize #sinstersforthewin
Sweet purple ponies on ice skates. “I’m gonna kill them,” I mumble. “I’m gonna confiscate their phones, make you hack into every single one, and remove the Facebook apppermanently. I’m gonna film their next Sinster sex party and stream it at all of their family holidays from here to eternity.”
I glance at Donovan for support, but he just sits there, looking like a carp that someone smacked over the head with a mallet, if said carp had a jawline that could slice diamonds, unfairly sexy hair, and a semi-permanent pout.
“Don’t you haveanythingto say?” I demand.
His jaw works, once, twice. And then he pushes to his feet. “Yeah, I do. One, as I keep telling you, I’m not a hacker. And two? Let’s get the hell out of here.”
Chapter
Ten
Donovanand I don’t speak on the way back to his Prius. I’m sure I look ridiculous, barefoot and wearing a cat hoodie that reaches my knees. He, on the other hand, looks like the poster child for tall, dark, and brooding. And after that Facebook post, I don’t blame him.
We reach the car, and he walks around it, re-inspecting the damage. A furrow appears between his brows. If anything, he looks broodi-er.
I can’t take the silence anymore. “Maybeyoushould call AAA.”
“Nah. It’s cosmetic. Totally driveable. Just need a body shop.” The words emerge in a low, disgusted rumble. “Fucking Cooper.” He slides his blue gaze my way. “I mean,freaking. FreakingCooper. Sorry.”
This makes me snicker. “You can curse around me, Donovan. I won’t melt.”
Donovan makes an indecipherable noise and stalks to the driver’s side. “I’ll look at your laptop if you want,” he offers, unlocking the doors and sliding behind the wheel. “Just to makesure nothing happened to it in the crash. I can’t today, but bring it to the office and I will.”
“Um, thanks. That would be great.” My surprise must show in my voice, because he cuts his eyes at me.
“It’s not, like, a personal favor. We have to work together. How are we going to do that if your Mac’s bricked?”
