Now, as she looked at them, both guys were staring intently at her. Neither one looking thrilled to see her. In fact, Conrad looked downright angry wearing a scowl eerily similar to the one currently on Trevor’s face. Lacey wasn’t sure how an exciting date night quickly led to three guys giving her the stink eye, but she wasn’t going to sit around twiddling her thumbs hoping someone would explain ittoher.
She glanced at Trevor before getting out of her seat and storming over to where Conrad andDeclanwere.
“Anyone care to explain what’s going on here?” She stared down at them impatiently, hands onherhips.
The two guys quickly glanced at each other before looking back up at where she stood towering above them. Both of their faces were frustratingly blank. Lacey lost her grip on the temper she’d been trying to reign in. She spoke loudly gaining the attention of several nearbycouples.
“Look!” She pointed her finger at Declan first. “I don’t know what your deal is, but you’ve made this past week a living hell for Morgan. I think she had a really good time with you at the club before all this.” Declan’s eyes widened. “But then you went and wrote that terrible article and now you’refollowingme?”
“I’m not—” hestarted.
“What? To try to get to her? You’reunbelievable.”
A crease formed between his eyes, and Lacey thought she heard a coughing sound come from where Conrad sat, so she shifted her body slightly to face him better, once again pointing her fingeraccusingly.
“And you,” she started, but she was taken aback by how drastically his features had changed. Instead of the scowl, his eyes now held a mixture of concern and awe. She hated the way it made her heart flip in her chest. She pushed through her body’s reaction to Conrad and put her angry brain back in control of things. “Why are you here with him? He’s trying to humiliate my bestfriend.”
“Morgan is your best friend? I thought she was yourroommate.”
Lacey’s face scrunched up. “She’s both, but that’s not the point. Declan isbadnews.”
Conrad’s gaze went over her shoulder to where she’d been sitting just moments earlier. “And what about your date? I bet he’s a real stand-up guy,isn’the?”
“As a matter of fact.” Lacey sighed. “He is. He wants to be a doctor, and is a totalgentleman.”
He lifted his eyebrows. “And he’s your perfect match according to your best friend, the DateMaker?”
Lacey closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip, knowing about all the mix-ups, yet afraid to say so in front of Declan. When she opened her eyes and looked at Conrad, he seemed oddly transfixed by hermouth.
She quickly released her lip and answered with more bravado than she felt. “He’s a greatmatch.”
“And you don’t mind that he’s intoanothergirl?”
“Into another…what?” She reflexively turned to where Trevor sat. He wasn’t watching the scene unfold as Lacey expected. He wasn’t staring at his plate as he ate either. No, Trevor Benson—future doctor and man of her dreams—was staring in a completely different direction. A slight smile touched his lips, as he looked across the room. Lacey followed his gaze until she found a redhead sitting by herself. The girl was taking slow bites from a plate of tiramisu that sat in front of her. Lacey watched in horror as the girl seductively licked the spoon clean, her eyes locked with herdreamdate.
Now the constant looking at the door made sense. Trevor had been waiting for another girl thewholetime.
Lacey didn’t know if she wanted to laugh or cry. Every guy she’d ever fallen for was a jerk. She’d tried so hard to impress Trevor, from the way she pretended she had a plan for the future to forgoing her beloved garlicknots.
But she was done. Done pretending she was someone she wasn’t. And done with denying the things sheenjoyed.
She looked down at the food on Conrad and Declan’s table, seemingly untouched. Lacey knew she was crazy for even considering it, but she grabbed the garlic knots from their table before she could think too much about it, not bothering to look at either oneofthem.
She left the restaurant without another word to anyone else, stepping out into the cool evening air. The sun hadn’t quite set over the horizon, and her favorite spot to watch the sunset was just a couple minutes away on foot. Lacey shoved a huge bite of garlic knot into her mouth as she started toward LakeMirror.
She planned to eat every last bite of the garlicky goodness in her hands and watch the sunset.Alone.
“What happened toTrevor?”
“Ihopehe got what hedeserved.”
ChapterSeven
Conrad watchedLacey storm out the door, paying attention to which way she turned, before looking back to Declan. “Did she just steal my food andleave?”
Declan shook his head. “I really expected her to say something to him, but look.” He jerked his chin in the direction of where Trevor sat. “That dude is still watching theothergirl.”
The other girl. Who was she, anyway? Just some ridiculous chick making out with her silverware. She was licking the spoon so aggressively, Conrad worried she might cut her tongue. “That guy is an idiot. He was matched by the Date Maker and didn’t even bother trying to give Laceyashot.”
