My heart lurches into my throat. How did he find us? I look around the space like that will somehow explain it. This is exactly why I didn’t want to come.
Jake glances from Spencer to me and back to Spencer. “Well?”
“Getting ready to eat.” Spencer rests the arm along the back of the bench. “What does it look like we’re doing?”
Jake’s jaw flexes. “Asshole.”
“It’s not what it looks like.” My heart feels like it’s going to bust my ribcage apart as the customers around us swirl in a mixture of muted grays and fuzzy floating faces.
“Hey, you left me alone with Em.” Spencer shrugs.
My stomach drops at his use of my nickname. Spencer knows exactly what he’s doing.
“Or rather, you left me with Kaleb, but he bailed on me. So that left,Em,as my sole source of entertainment.” This time, he pauses before and after my nickname as if he’s underlining it.
Jake’s shoulders go rigid.
“Would you rather I take her to bed or out to eat?”
“Watch your mouth.” A red tint creeps up Jake’s neck and over his cheeks as Mrs. Walker and Mrs. Martin, two of our town’s mainstays, scoot their chairs in our direction.
“You’re the one who left last night.” Spencer arches an eyebrow as he makes a big production of lifting his arm and studying his watch. “And never came back. I guess you had something better to do than hang out with your roommate and best friend.”
Yeah. He did. With Amanda. After telling me to get lost. A knot tightens inside my chest. Why do I care if he’s upset? He’s made it clear that I’m not worthy of spending time with. Hemight like to control what I do, but it’s not out of some undying love that he’s stuffing down to avoid upsetting Kaleb.
Jake’s gaze shifts to me, sharp and furious. “Em, I’ll take you home before you do something you’ll regret.”
“Relax, I’m not embarrassing you anymore.”
“What?” Jake frowns like he doesn’t know what I’m talking about. I’m not buying that for a second. Last night, he couldn’t get me out of the kitchen fast enough to keep Spencer from seeing what I had on.
“You’re not my boss.” I straighten in the booth, lifting my chin. “And I can go out with whoever I want. Whenever I want,” I add, forcing my voice to remain steady. “And do whatever I want while I’m out with him.”
His head jerks back. “You’re still in high school.”
“I’m eighteen. I’m not a baby.” I glare at him, daring him to say something else.
“Then stop acting like a brat.”
Something inside me snaps. Heat rushes to my face as the café falls silent around us. Mrs. Walker and Mrs. Martin are practically falling out of their chairs now.
Of course, he’d do this. Make a scene. Humiliate me in front of half the town. If I didn’t already hate him, this would’ve done it.
He was right. I was naïve. A child. But not anymore.
I keep my eyes locked on Jake. “Spencer, let’s go somewhere else. Somewhere we don’t have an audience.”
When Spencer doesn’t respond, I shift my attention to him, finding a grin spreading across his face. He’s clearly enjoying every second of this. “You’re on, love.”
Jake steps forward as if he’s been propelled into motion. “Em, I’ll take you home.” His hand moves like he’s going to grab my arm.
“Don’t.” I jerk away before he can touch me. “You already made it clear that you don’t want me around.” I push past him as I slide out of the booth.
Jake stands there like he can’t believe I didn’t listen to him. He lets out a choked laugh, “Unbelievable.”
“Relax, man, we were only having dinner.” Spencer places his hand on my shoulder.
Something dark flashes across Jake’s face as I meet his gaze. Spencer says something else that I don’t catch because Jake is still watching me. My pulse roars in my ears. Neither of us are moving. Like we’re in the middle of a standoff that’s been years in the making.
