Fitz is laughing at some story Kathy is telling him.
“…stands up in the middle of the assembly and goes off about how eighty percent of the school’s funding goes to sports. They try to take the microphone from her, and she kicks the football coach in the balls.”
Fitz grins at me. “Winnie’s not going to suck up to athletes just because everyone else is. Well, guess we’re not doing any more sports dates.”
“You just take me there to cheap out on a date ’cause you already own the stadium,” I snap.
It comes out meaner than I intended, but Fitz just leans in to give me a kiss.
“See?” Kathy laughs. “Winnie’s hard on guys.”
“I’m honored that I made it into your inner triple-date exploit-the-elderly circle of trust.”
Kathy giggles into her wine.
“I need to make a call.” I push back my chair.
“She’s always busy too…” Kathy continues to tell him. Their voices drift off.
The restaurant has gotten a lot busier. I’m glad because it screens me. And they can sit there and laugh at me.
“Kathy’s just trying to be friendly,” I try to tell myself. I lean against the wall to the bathrooms, trying to get my bearings.
I’m being stupid and paranoid. Kathy’s probably happy to get out of the house and have a nice dinner away from the Pittsburgh troll.
I’m not like those boy-crazy girls who are likeDon’t talk to my man, rawr. I am a rational adult human being, and I—
“Winnie.”
Shit. I jump as Knox slaps a hand on the wall next to my head.
I steel myself. He’s just trying to intimidate me.
“Did you buy a house yet?” I ask him snidely. “I don’t want your mother in mine anymore.”
“What the hell is it with you women?”
I raise an eyebrow. That makes him even angrier.
“You’re always in my shit about something. You should be grateful my mother even wants to be around you.”
“Seriously? I can’t stand your mother. No one can.”
He grabs my arm. “Don’t say shit about my mother.”
“Then man the hell up and stop foisting your problems on other people. I’m not with you anymore. I’m not doing your emotional dirty work.”
“You want to be, though. You think Fitz actually wants you? Look at him. He’s all over your sister. He wants that pussy.”
I shove at him as he digs up all my insecurities.
“He’s doing it right in front of you because he knows you’re just going to come crawling back to him. You need to ditch him, get back with me,” Knox says, pressing a handto his chest. “I realize I made a mistake letting you go. I’m not going to treat you like shit—treat you like him. You and I go way back, Winnie. Shit, you helped me negotiate my first entry-level contract. You care about me. We were each other’s first love. Winnie, let me show you how much you—”
“Get the fuck off of her.”
38
FITZ
