“Are you sure it’s okay for me to sit with you?” I could see the table Leo and his friends usually occupied, and it looked full. Maybe just room enough for one more, and for sure that one more wasn’t the girl who wrote newspaper columns.
“Of course it is. Come on.” He grasped my hand again and tugged me over to the table, dropping his own tray first and then taking mine from my arms to set down next to it. “Hey, guys. Make room.” He slung one leg over the bench and gave the guy next to him a little shove. “Move over, Simpson. My girl doesn’t need much space, but you take up half the bench.”
“Nice, Taylor.” Dylan glanced back at me and then did a double-take. “Oh. Hi.”
“Hi.” I felt tremendously self-conscious as the group fell silent. Keeping my head down, I mimicked Leo’s moves and climbed over the bench, trying to make myself as small as possible as I sat down.
“Oh, hell no, Leo. Hell no.” Trish Dawson slammed down her can of diet soda. “No way. I’m not eating with her.”
Down the table, Matt sighed. “Trish, c’mon—”
“Matt, you might be the quarterback, but you’re not going to win this one.” She pointed at me. “She hates us. Have you read what she writes in that stupid school newspaper?”
“Trish, sit down and shut the hell up.” Leo didn’t raise his voice, but Trish’s eyes rounded in surprise. “Quinn’s with me. If you have something to say to her, discuss it like a normal person and stop screaming like a banshee.”
“Hey, speaking of banshees, you know who’s hot?” One of the other guys leaned up, smirking. “That chick who plays the banshee onTeen Wolf. Am I right? Smokin’.”
And just like that, the conversation shifted—nowtherewas a pun—to which female on that television show was the sexiest. Trish sat down across from me, glaring, and I knew this was far from over.
And that was just the beginning. By the end of the day, I’d been shoved from behind by a group of cheerleaders, jeered at by two girls ... and then I stopped at the newspaper office. Gia looked at me and shook her head.
“Quinn. I thought you had more smarts than this.”
I pasted on a smile. “What do you mean?”
“Leo Taylor? Really? I get that he’s built like a freaking god, and his face sure is pretty to look at, but God, seriously. A football player? You’re better than that.”
I rolled my eyes. “You know, I expected to get shit from the cheerleaders and all their buddies, but I figured my own friends might actually have my back.”
Gia sighed. “But ... but Quinn. It’s like you’re defecting to the other side. How can I bitch about the football team when you’re hooking up with their chief?” She dropped her voice. “Is it just the sex? Because I can get behind that. If you’re just using him for his body, I mean.”
“Oookay then. And this conversation is over.” I turned to leave, but she snagged the handle of my bag.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I know. On principle, as a feminist, I need to support your choice to be with whoever you want. And I’ll admit, hearing you bagged the Lion right from under a cheerleader’s nose gave me a little happy.” She held up her right hand. “I promise, I’ll be good. I respect your right to choose.”
I shook my head. “I didn’t bag anyone, Gia. Leo’s been my best friend forever. It’s just that now we know there’s a little something more between us.”
Her smile turned wicked. “I hope it’s not just alittlesomething, babe. Looking at that guy, I’d lay a bet nothing on him is little.”
Great. I could tell my face was flaming. “Anyway, I didn’t steal him from Sarah. They were just seeing each other casually, and he’d ended it before—well, before.”
“Well, that’s less satisfying but more honorable.” She folded her arms on the counter and leaned her chin on top. “I gotta give you credit, though. Dating a guy like Leo Taylor would be too much for me to handle. I heard his friends were talking shit already. And Trish Dawson says there’s no way you’ll ever hang with the team and their girlfriends. You two are like the fucking Romeo and Juliet of Eatonboro High.”
I dropped my head back and blew out a long breath. “I know. But it’ll settle down. They just aren’t used to the idea.”
“If you say so.” Gia wheeled her chair around and picked up a pile of paper. “Hey, you here to work? Want to help me fold papers?”
“Sure.” I took my share and began folding. “I’m waiting for Leo to finish practice, then we’re going to the hospital to see Nate. He’s pretty sick.” I felt a stab of guilt; how could I worry about my own petty crap when my friend was fighting to recover? “My mother just texted that he’s awake, so we can see him for a few minutes.”
“God, I’m sorry, Quinn.” She was quiet for a minute, folding. “He’s always been kind of sickly, right? I remember that from grade school.”
I nodded. “He was born prematurely, and he has a degenerative muscle disease that has lots of complications with it. It affects his lungs, and it makes him vulnerable to all kinds of viruses and infections.” I fought back the gripping fear that always niggled in my heart whenever Nate was sick. “He’s been doing pretty well the last few years. Sometimes I forget how sick he can get—and how fast it happens.”
We’d just finished the papers when Leo appeared in the doorway of the office. He filled the space, taking my breath away as he leaned on the jamb, grinning. His hair was still damp, and the long-sleeved thermal shirt hugged the roped muscles on his arms. Faded jeans stretched over his long legs. My mouth went dry and all I could think was ...damn.
Next to me Gia sniffed, but I didn’t miss the gleam of appreciation in her eye. I gave her shoulder a little nudge. “Behave yourself.”
Turning to Leo, I smiled. “Hey. I’m ready to go. Just let me grab my bag.”
He was too fast for me. “I got it.” He slung the canvas carryall over his back. I thought he’d just head for the door, but he stopped, offering his hand to Gia. “I’m Leo Taylor. Nice to meet you.”
Her mouth dropped open a little. “Uh, Gia. Gia Capri. Yeah, nice to meet you, too.” She took his hand, and I was fairly certainly there was a little bit of swooning going on. I tried hard not to giggle.
“When Gia lets go of your hand, we should leave. If we get over to the hospital in the next hour, we can see Nate for a few minutes.”
Leo nodded. “I talked to Coach, and he said as long as I was home by nine tonight, I’m cool for curfew. Let’s go.” He winked at Gia as he freed his hand. “See you around.”
I glanced back at Gia as we left. She gave me wide eyes, fanned herself and mouthed, “WOW.”
Clearly even feminist journalists were not immune to the charms of the Lion.
