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“Those are biased.”
“You took it anonymously. I should know; my score was average compared to yours. It was not biased. Stop hiding the fact that you're fucking smart. You’re here because you’re bored. The same way she feels in algebra class.”
“Is that true?” I ask.
“Now that you’re here, I’m not bored.” The breeze pushes a strand of hair into my face. “I'm"—he slides the rogue piece of hair behind my ear—"enraptured.”
Chills glide over my skin like a tidal wave from his words. My eyes are lost in the shades of his eyes to see if I’m the cause.
“There you are,” a female’s voice says, interrupting the moment and taking a seat next to Valen.
Valen swings his leg over and faces Garret. The air around us shifts, leaving me confused.
“What’s up, Melissa?” Garrets says in a flat voice.
She leans forward. Her bottled platinum blond hair frames her face. The shape of her eyes, perfect brows, high cheekbones, and shimmery lips from her pink lip gloss. Melissa is beautiful.
I can tell Valen thinks so too, because he has suddenly avoided my gaze.
“I saw Valen sitting over here and thought I should come over so we could have lunch like old times. Right, baby? Like old times,” she says demurely.
Garret’s gaze swings to me, to Melissa, and then to Valen. My heart sinks, but my inquisitiveness doesn’t allow me to assume. I want to know the truth behind Valen’s words. What did last night mean?
I smile. “Hi, I’m…”
“Melody.”
She knows my name.
“Yes.”
Her smile widens, but it’s forced. “Everyone knows who you are.”
“Yeah.” I glance at Valen. “Are you ready to get something to eat?” I ask purposely, ignoring her.
His jaw hardens, but he doesn’t look at me.
“Sorry, but I can’t.” He gets up and looks down at Melissa. “Ready?”
Melissa gets up, and I try to swallow the needles in my throat, but it stings, and it feels like all my saliva has drained from my mouth to prepare for the tears that I’m holding back.
“Yes, baby,” she says with a triumphant smile. She slides her arm through Valen’s as he walks away and looks over her shoulder. “It was nice meeting you, Melody. We should all hang out sometime. Show you around.”
I wait until they walk toward the parking lot and watch as he opens the door to his car so she can get in. Not once did he look back. Not once did he look up when he shut the door for her.
“It’s not what you think,” Garret says.
I grab my bag and stand. “It’s okay, Garret,” I say deliberately. “I don’t have to think about anything.”
“You’re mad because you’re jealous, and he turned you down to leave with her.”
“Down?” I say to play it off. His words sting with the truth, but it’s better this way. It’s better I know now before falling into a trap.
“I thought you weren’t waiting for him.”
I shake my head. “You know what? Rose was right about you. You are an asshole.”
I walk away, done with people playing games with me.
