“What do you think?” she asks Lathan.
He twists his lips. “Needs glitter,” he says tersely, arms folded across his chest.
“Needs glitter,” she repeats, turning back to me.
“How could I ever forget the glitter?” I mutter, cutting my eyes to Lathan. I dust it onto her cheeks, and this time, she beams when she sees her reflection. Her mom pays me, while Rosie hops off the stool, giving high-fives all around.
“Got a minute?” he asks, and Jada makes a squeaking sound from beside me.
“I don’t know. Last time you ambushed me, it wasn’t very fun.”
His arm darts out, snatching my elbow before pulling me away. I catch the paper bag before it falls off my lap, scrambling to keep up with him.
“What the hell, Lathan?” I snap.
He drags me to one of the picnic tables with a half-eaten corndog on it. “Sit,” he says, pointing at the bench.
“Not until you tell me what you want.”
“I’m trying to apologize.”
I press my lips together to keep my laugh in. “Well, you’re off to a great start,” I say sarcastically. I sit, if only to get it over with, dropping the paper bag on top of the table.
“Seb said you left without eating. He strongly suggested I bring you some food.”
“Thanks,” I say, still not sure how to feel. Whatever’s inside smells amazing.
“I still think you should leave,” he starts off.
“You’re really bad at apologies.”
“But,” he says tightly. “I overstepped. My bad.”
I quirk a brow. “What happened to your eye?” I ask, unfolding the top of the bag, pulling out something wrapped in foil.
“Don’t worry about it.” I narrow my eyes. Did Sebastian do that? I think back to this morning, trying to remember if Sebastian was sporting any battle woun
ds. If he was, I didn’t notice.
“Did he make you apologize to me?”
He chuckles darkly. “No one can make me do anything.”
“Okay.” I shrug. “What is this thing?”
“Cheesesteak.”
I scrunch my nose, unwrapping it. It doesn’t look pretty, but it smells amazing. “Well,” I say when the silence stretches between us. “Thanks for this.” I raise my sandwich.
He hesitates, like he’s got something else to say.
“For the record, I really was trying to protect you.” His tone is earnest, his eyes holding a sadness I’ve never noticed before. “But I see now that it’s too late.”
I lay my sandwich down, suddenly losing my appetite as an uneasy sense of foreboding courses through me. Before I can tell him to quit being so cryptic, he prowls away.
The sound of the dirt bikes vibrates through my entire body. I’m blissfully buzzed and more than a little turned on watching Sebastian do his thing in the cage.
“Damn, girl.” Miles laughs. “he’s going to be a lucky man tonight.”