Badly Behaved

A chuckle slips from me and her eyes flash to mine, narrowing, but I simply roll mine.

Ransom shakes his head and walks away, but I follow, stopping beside him at his station.

Beretta looks up at us and a grin covers his lips. “Aw, are we in that after hookup, pent-up and repressed stage?” he teases, so I follow his mood.

We need to lighten things up a little.

“I don’t know, are we?” I put my elbow on the table, my chin resting on my palm and flutter my lashes at Ransom.

His palms flatten on the tabletop, and he leans in with a blank expression. “I want to make sure you understand.”

“What, you think I need a proposal after two finales?” I tease, keeping my voice down. “Sorry, but I already have one of those, remember?”

Beretta chuckles beside us, pouring M&M’s in his mouth.

Ransom’s eyes flash, creases forming between them as he dips lower.

“Come on, blue eyes,” I whisper. “What is it I need to understand?”

“Understand Arsen isn’t yours for the taking.”

Beretta chokes on a piece of candy, slowly pushing to his feet.

My eyes snap to his, but his are focused beyond me, toward Arsen.

I look back to Ransom and take a deep breath, a nasty little swirl of something agitating my stomach. I stretch through it, pushing to my full height, and the grin I give him is forced, unlike the others I’ve worn when my eyes are locked with his.

He spots it, and he too stands, but he does so, taking a step toward me, pausing when I shake my head.

“I thought you heard what I said before, but maybe you forgot.” I lift a shoulder. “I don’t want anything, I need nothing, and I expect even less. If you are hoping I’ll challenge you here, I won’t, so make sure you’re saying what you really want to say, or it won’t be effective.”

His face contorts as if he’s angered, tempted to explain, as if there is something to explain, but if there is, something stronger holds him back.

A guy goes to step around me, so I move to the side, and it must annoy Ransom because he jerks forward, shoving our classmate in the back.

The guy stumbles, catching himself on a nearby table, and whips around with a glare.

Ransom puffs his chest out and a few near us, who saw the interaction, stare, waiting, but the guy only shakes his head at Ransom, flicking his gaze over him, as if deeming him unworthy of the argument. The guy walks away.

I shake my head, returning to my table as well.

The moment I step up, Arsen’s grin hits me in the chest, and a light twinge of discomfort follows. I quickly look away, grab my things, and dodge his hand when he reaches for me. I get the hell out, knowing he can’t exactly call out in protest and feeling like shit for leaving him with my half of the cleanup to add to his own.

I book a session with the personal trainer at the gym for this evening and the minute school is out, so am I.

My chest had no permission to ache, and to remind my brain of such a fact, I’ll make sure my entire body does too by the end of the night.

“This is amazing.” Cali closes her eyes, leaning her head back on the ledge. “My muscles are so tense right now.”

We kept the jets in the jacuzzi off so our hair doesn’t get wet since we agreed to show up for last call at Dax’s club tonight after their team gets back from their away game.

I nod, my eyes closed. “Same. Monti met me at the gym just before I was coming home and made me do leg circuits all over again.”

“Where is Monti?” Jules slips, splashing us both by accident. “I haven’t seen her in forever.” Half of her words are drowned out by the glass at her lips.

I frown, my eyes roaming over her. “I don’t know. Busy, I guess.”

“God, how I wish I didn’t know every little thing Amy did all the time.” She glares at the water, downs her glass and climbs out, nearly losing her balance. “I’m getting a refill and more sushi. Who wants?”

“We’re good, Jules.” Cali watches her go and turns to me.

“She’s off the hook lately,” I say what we’re both thinking.

“We were late yesterday because she was drunk when I went to pick her up for school.” She keeps her voice low. “I had to throw her ass in the shower and shove half a loaf of banana bread I snagged at the coffee house down her throat.”

“Did it work?”

“I’m pretty sure it was the first time she had eaten carbs in like two years, so yeah, it worked.” She nods, a light laugh leaving her but concern is there too. “You haven’t been around as much as you were this summer.” Her eyes slide to mine. “I didn’t think you noticed.”