“Because it didn’t matter if they were true or not,” he answers, placing his free hand on top of mine. “Rachel and I aren’t getting back together.” Squeezing my hand, he whispers, “If it bothers you, I’ll go back in there and tell them the truth. I don’t… I can’t guarantee they’ll believe me though. I’m sorry. I didn’t really think about...”
“No, it’s fine. I don’t mind,” I assure him, then realize that may sound like I want people to think I’m dating all of them. “Uh, I mean…just, you know, rumors are stupid and people will believe what they want…so I, um, don’t care what they think and... yeah.” I groan. “I’m going to stop talking now.”
Kaleb laughs. It’s loud as it rumbles through the air, and definitely not the reaction I was expecting.
“Thank you,” he says, giving me one of his full real smiles, with white teeth and everything.
“For what?” I query, frowning while wondering if my insanity is contagious.
“For being you,” he replies, giving me a gentle bump with his shoulder.
My obnoxious blush is back, and I mumble, “You’re welcome?”
He chuckles.
Clearly, Kaleb is acting as weird as I think he is, because when we make it to the tree, Donovan narrows his eyes, blurting, “What the hell happened to you? What the hell was that? And why the hell are you laughing?”
“Pod person,” Felix stage-whispers into Nolan’s ear.
Nolan snorts, which he quickly covers with a cough, because our little circle has guests—Sam and a guy with sandy blond hair and amber eyes that’s looking at me a little too eagerly.
Sam drops a heavy hand on his shoulder, when, after sniffing the air, he tries to stand up.
“Down, boy,” she mutters, looking at him like he’s the pod person.
I wave awkwardly, then move to sit between Nolan and Connor, needing to be near familiar bodies, while Kaleb fills the empty space between Donovan and Sam. So much for normal.
“Not that it’s any of your business,” Kaleb answers Donovan, the familiar tone of strained patience coloring his voice, “but there was a disagreement in the cafeteria that led to a more clear understanding of the termination of my relationship with Rachel.”
“Never mind, there he is,” Felix observes, settling in the small gap between Nolan and I.
It’s unnerving to watch Kaleb slip back into his persona when I know everything is far from okay with him. I literally just heard him drop the f-bomb on a guy and look like he would definitely level Handsy if he tried to touch me again. Who the hell knows what he would’ve done had I not shut it down?
“Disagreement? Termination? Why do you have to sound like you swallowed a dictionary?” Donovan groans around a bite of his sandwich. “So, Rachel finally gets that you guys aren’t getting your fantasy wedding and white picket fence?”
Kaleb presses his lips tight together, releases a slow breath, and simply replies, “Yes.”
“Then why are you laughing?” he presses with a calculating look in his eye.
“Why do you care?” Kaleb counters, digging through his backpack for his lunch.
Sam releases a soft chuckle. “Good to see not a lot has changed. I’ve missed the D and K show.”
Donovan flips her off, and Sam returns it with a grin, which causes him to bite his lip to keep from smiling back.
Nolan, Connor, and Felix laugh. A half-hearted smile crosses my lips.
Logically, I know that since she used to date Connor, she must have hung out with the rest of the guys too, but in those two sentences, I suddenly feel like the outsider. I’m painfully aware that I’ve only known them for a month. We’ve been through so much it felt like years…until now.
I don’t like this sensation that makes me want to crawl back into myself. To reform those ice covered walls I’ve worked so hard to burn away.
“How are you doing, pretty girl?” Felix murmurs when he witnesses me wincing while I pull my lunch out of my backpack, and I nearly start crying.
He still sees me.The thought washes through me as a warming balm, followed by the little voice in my head muttering an exasperated,duh. She’s not here to replace you, idiot.
God, I hate hormones.
“Cramps,” I mumble with a sniff.
