He smiles—and I’ll give him credit, because it’s not a smarmy smile. “I like you.”
“Well, I don’t.”
“Like me? You don’t even know me yet,” he responds.
“Like me.” I turn back to face the front of the room and let me him think what he wants with that information.
“Remind me to never piss you off,” Rae says. “You’re vicious.”
“Gotta keep you on your toes,” I tell her as Professor Hawthorne comes into the room.
Nova
“This is weird. This is so weird,” Thea mutters, barely picking at her lunch. “The guys should be here. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I miss them. Especially Xander.”
Rae peers at Thea over the top of her sandwich. “You just saw him this morning.”
“I know,” Thea sighs. “But I love him, and I miss him.” She takes a reluctant bite of her sandwich. “I know, I know,” she continues before we can say anything. “I’ve become one of those girls—but have you see the boy? He’s lucky I don’t have him naked and flat on his back all day while I go to town.”
Rae covers her face with her hands and groans. To me, she whispers, “Be so glad you don’t live with them.”
I am. I so am.
Although, Rae doesn’t see it, she’s equally as bad with Cade. She’s mellowed out some since they’ve been together almost a year, but she still has that new relationship glow about her and she turns into mush any time she sees him.
Thea sighs and abandons her sandwich. “Xander’s first NFL game is this weekend. You and Jace are still coming?” she asks me, nervously fiddling with the collar of her shirt.
“Um … yeah,” I say, racking my brain for any reason that might have come up that will prevent me from going.
Football isn’t really my thing, and I only attended a few college games last year. It wasn’t exactly what I’d call a good time. I don’t like sports, and I don’t understand them, so spending my whole day at a professional game sounds even worse. People get so bent out of shape over the teams they love, and when they lose, they act like miserable little shits.
But I can’t tell Thea that.
And I do like Xander and want to support him as his first professional game is a big deal.
Thea asked all of us to go about a month ago, and even though it requires being gone the whole weekend and flying, we all said yes. There was no way any of us would say no.
“He probably won’t get any playing time, but I want us to support him,” she rambles. “I know it’ll mean a lot to him.”
Then she’s moving on to another topic. She reminds me a lot of a hyper puppy. She can’t focus on one thing for more than a few seconds, but it’s part of her charm. “I can’t believe I’m married, guys,” she muses, resting her elbow on the table and her head in her hand. “Not only that, but I married him twice. That’s insane.”
I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that Xander and Thea went on a business trip at the beginning of the summer and ended up married. I mean, everyone except maybe her brother—who also happens to be Xander’s best friend—knew those two were going to end up together. Every time they’re in a room together their chemistry knocks you down. You can’t deny something like that. It’s impossible.
“I knew you two would probably end up together,” Rae speaks up. “But I didn’t expect a Vegas wedding—props to you for being such a go-getter.”
Thea snorts. “Still can’t believe I proposed and he said yes.”
“It was meant to be,” Rae responds.
I finish my sandwich and wad up the Saran wrap. “While this conversation is super fascinating, we need to get to class,” I remind them.
“Crap.” Rae drops her half-eaten sandwich down and looks at the time on her phone. “You’re right—and our class is all the way on the other side of campus.”
She hurriedly gathers her trash, and I do the same.
“See you later,” I say to Thea. She looks like a wounded animal at the fact that we’re leaving.
“We should all have dinner tomorrow since Xander’s still home. He leaves Wednesday and is gone for a few weeks since he has only away games.” She looks really sad now. I’m sure it must be hard for them, newly married, and a new relationship at that, with him traveling for work and her still in college.