“Ah. Well, I mean, I plan to, if I’m being honest.”
“Okay, good. God, now I need to actually go to the bathroom. Um…”
“I’ll tell the others I checked in with you in the bathroom and you’re feeling a little sick.”
She cleared her throat. “You’re a lifesaver. Um…”
I wasn’t about to stick around for whatever came next. Whatever did come next was guaranteed to be trouble. “See you in a minute,” I said, and I hurried away, just trying to put distance between us. Physical distance didn’t do the trick, though. She stayed front and center in my thoughts, and that was where the real trouble was.
Daniela and Abby bought it, at least, once I got back from the bathroom and told them about finding Alyssa there and that she wasn’t feeling well, but I knew from Cat’s steady look at me that I was in trouble. Alyssa got back eventually, as the night was in the last legs and most of the other attendees were up dancing now, and she flashed a nervous smile at us.
“Hey, everyone,” she said, signing along with it as she did. “I’m so sorry, I think something in the lasagna set me off, and I need to go home and deal with it. Can you cover my part of the check and tell me later how much it was?”
Daniela half-stood from her chair. “Girl, you came here in my car.”
“Oh, Jesus, I did.”
Abby stood up too, turning to Alyssa. “It’s all right, I can drive you back to your place. Can you send me my share of the bill, too, Daniela?”
My stomach clenched. Alyssa went wide-eyed, looking between me and Abby. “Oh,” she said. “I wouldn’t want to trouble you when…”
“It’s no bother at all,” Abby said. “I’m danced out anyway.”
Alyssa flicked a nervous look my way. I shrugged, looking away, my best attempt atsure, go ahead.As long as they weren’t going back to Abby’s place. I’d relax. They wouldn’t be flirting the whole drive. Or maybe they would, and Alyssa would resent that I didn’t give her something proper, and she’d be pent-up and unsatisfied and hit on Abby, and she’d ask to go home with her, and Abby would spend the night living out the fantasy I’d just gotten a taste of.
“I guess… if it’s okay with you,” Alyssa said. I was pretty sure that was directed at me, but it wasn’t like I could respond, and Abby put a hand on her arm.
“Just wanna make sure you’re all right,” she said. “C’mon, let’s get you home.”
Daniela left for the bathroom shortly after the two of them left, and Cat wasted no time—as soon as it was just the two of us, she gave me a loaded look, and she switched to full sign language.
“You didn’t want to be the one to drive Alyssa home?”
I sighed. “She’s clearly interested in Abby. They’ll have a nice time.”
“Interested in Abby and you feel totally normal about it.”
“Cat,” I signed with a frustrated gesture. “We don’t need to talk about this in public.”
“What were you talking about when you two were gone earlier?”
Talking… yeah. We could say that. “I’m not going to out what she was talking about without her permission,” I said. “Ask her if you want to know.”
She gave me a skeptical look. “You two were…” She opted to charadeseye-fuckinginstead of using real words, signaling eye contact and a scissoring gesture. I choked.
“I—” I fumbled on the signs. “I got jealous seeing her dance with Abby. I went to harass her about if she was leaving with Abby. I guess I fucked things up and made her feel weird. Now can we not talk about it?”
She didn’t believe me, not fully at least, but she didn’t fight it, just studying me for a while before she said, “Sorry. I’m sure she’s not mad.”
“Yeah… mad isn’t really her default state.”
She waited a long time, clearly debating whether to say what was on her mind, but Daniela getting back cut it off, and she dropped it and changed the topic, the three of us chatting as if nothing happened. It took everything I had to focus on the conversation, keep up with the two of them like I was normal, and I was all too relieved to finally pay for the meal and head out.
Only problem was that Daniela caught me once Cat was in my car and before I’d joined her, keeping her back to the car windows so Cat wouldn’t be able to follow, and she nudged my side. “I had fun today,” she said. “Thanks for coming with. And bringing Cat.”
“Yeah… thanks for having us.”
“I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said,” she said, looking down. “Everything about Cat and Drew. I was trying to figure out a way to square it all away, but the more I sit with it, the more I realize you’re right. Trying to take a middle groundis just siding against the victim. You two are always welcome. I don’t care if it makes other people complain.”
