If he’s an ass to you, I might have to scratch him up a little.
As much as I appreciate the sentiment, don’t do anything that draws attention to you. I don’t want the librarians to ban you from coming in here.
Hmph.
Drew continued to stare at Edward but arched his brows—both of them, since he didn’t possess the skill to only lift one like Zach and Kensington, much to his annoyance. It seemed to be enough to jolt Edward from whatever fugue state he’d fallen into. “So, um, how have you been?” Edward finally asked.
Drew snorted. “Oh, great, you know, except for this dick who takes an unhealthy delight in making my life a misery.” Seriously, who the hell did he think he was?
Edward managed to look chagrined. “Um, yeah, about that . . .” He ran a hand through his hair, and despite staring intently at Drew for the past five minutes, was suddenly unable to look him in the eye. “I’m sorry for being a douche. I hope you can forgive me.”
Drew fought the urge to laugh in his face. “Are you serious right now? You make my life a living hell, not just in high school but at uni too, and you think oneI’m sorryis enough to gain my forgiveness?”
You tell him, Drew!Zach said, sounding proud.
Edward winced. “I get it, okay. If I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t be too quick to forgive me either, but I really hope we can put this aside so we can move on.”
“Move on? Edward, I hate to break it to you, but we’re not, and never will be, friends,” Drew told him bluntly. “If you’d shown some form of maturity after high school, then maybe we could have been, but you didn’t. You kept on being the same bully you’ve always been.”
A flush spread over Edward’s cheeks. “I was kinda hoping that maybe we could bemorethan friends.”
Drew was rendered speechless, but Zach wasn’t.I’mrighthere! Who does he think he is?
“Excuse me?” Drew finally managed to choke out.
“Phillips . . . I mean,Drew. I was hoping maybe we could get a coffee or something,” Edward said, eventually meeting Drew’s gaze.
“Even if youhadn’tbeen a dick to me for the past six years of my life, you do remember Zach, yeah?” Drew held a hand up. “Really good-looking guy with a killer smile and an even better ass who Ihappento be involved with? I’m pretty sure you can’t have forgotten about himthatquickly.”
Instead of looking abashed, like Drew had expected him to for being called out, Edward became very earnest. “Look, I just really don’t think he’s right for you, Drew. He’s gotta be at least twice your age, maybe even more. What can you possibly have in common with him?”
“More than you think,” Drew snapped.
Edward shook his head. “There’s just no way you can connect with someone that much older than you.Reallyconnect.”
“And you think I can connect with you?Reallyconnect?” Drew threw his words back at him, and then his tone turned faux jovial.“Oh, Edward, remember that time you damaged the lock on my locker so I couldn’t hand in my essay on time, which was worth ten percent of my grade? Wasn’t thathilarious?Oh, and what about the time you shoved me in the back so I tripped over the janitor’s mop bucket and ripped open the knees of my only pair of jeans? We’resoconnected! It’s enough to make me want to grow old with you!”Drew batted his lashes at Edward and then an instant later dropped the facade and glared at him. “Trust me, I have much more of a connection with the man who treats me with respect, who cares about me, makes sure I’m looked after, and who can make me laugh. That will never be you.”
Edward shook his head. “You’re wrong, Drew,” he insisted. “Icanbe that person for you.”
“Years of teasing and bullying say otherwise.”
“Did your mother never tell you that boys tease the people they like?”
“My mother is dead, Edward, so no, she didn’t. My aunt, on the other hand, taught me that bullying is wrong, and that excusing that sort of behaviour as being okay because someone ‘likes you’ isnotokay.”
Edward was clearly getting frustrated now at his inability to convince Drew. There was nothing that could have prepared Drew for what he did next, though. Edward reached across the table, grabbed a handful of Drew’s shirt, and hauled him into a kiss.
The action dislodged Zach from Drew’s lap, and the angel wasnothappy with Edward’s action. He hit the ground and transformed into his human form, upending the table and flipping it to one side. Zach roared as he pushed Edward away and inserted himself between him and Drew.
“What the fuck?” Edward cried as he fell onto his ass, staring up in horror at Zach. “Where didyoucome from?”
“Howdareyou touch Drew without his consent!” Zach snapped, and Drew could just imagine the look on his face. He couldn’tseeit, though, since Zach’s back was pressed right up against his front.
“How did you do that?” Edward said, stuck on trying to figure out where Zach had come from. “You just appeared out of nowhere, man!”
“Do not concern yourself with where I came from,” Zach said in a deadly voice. “Just remember that if you ever lay a finger on Drew again, I’ll be there, and I won’t let you walk away unscathed.”
As menacing as Zach was being—Drew figured he’d had to perfect his acting ability after masquerading as a demon for centuries—Edward just really wasn’t getting it, too caught up in where Zach had appeared from. He was looking around wildly, and then his eyes opened comically wide. “The cat! The cat is gone and you’re here instead. Fuck, fuck, fuck. You’re a . . . a . . . awerecat!”
