“Just a guy from class.” He shrugs, but when I don’t say anything else, he continues. “I borrowed twenty bucks from him last week after losing my wallet. It was stupid.” He offers me a sheepish grin. “I barely know the guy but he helped me out. I was just paying him back.”
Oh. I guess that makes sense. I begin to take a deep breath and then stop myself. All of a sudden I feel like a complete jerk. I don’t want to always question him. I shouldn’t feel the urge to scent out a lie. That’s not how friendship works. And whatever just happened, it is none of my business.
A waitress bounces toward us, her perky ponytail bobbing behind her. “Hey, little Liu, you off tonight?”
Zheng smiles up at her, his dimples making a sudden appearance. “Yep. I’ve got the rest of the week to myself.”
Her eyes sparkle with mischief. “Lucky. Who’s the hot date?” Her nostrils flare and a red sheen rolls over her eyes.
I straighten in my seat.
“A little wolf?” Her head tilts to the side and her smile widens. “Here I thought you’d give someone from Clan Feloidia a shot. You wound me.” Zheng rolls his eyes, but his smile matches hers. “Does Mama Liu know you’re courting the ladies already? Let me tell her.Please!”
I’m just about to correct her when a group of familiar male voices enters the diner. “Rafe, Des, grab the booth in the back. I’m gonna take a leak.” It’s Jordy’s voice. I see him out of the corner of my eye stalking toward a small hallway to my right. I hunch my shoulders and angle my head away from the walkway, but Bouda waitress over here decides to draw his attention.
“Hey, handsome. Can I put in a drink order for you?”
Jordy lifts a hand to wave her off, but he catches sight of me and who I’m sitting next to. He comes to an abrupt stop and quirks a brow. “Well, well, well. What do we have here?” He comes closer and a knot forms in the pit of my stomach just as he calls out, “Yo, Rafe. Your girl’s here.”
My cheeks heat and I wish more than anything I could disappear beneath the counter. It’s almost comical how quickly I go from relaxed and at ease to epically uncomfortable and Zheng sees it. His jaw tightens, a vein in his neck popping out.
The waitress’s eyes narrow in confusion as she flicks her gaze between Zheng and a now standing-and-heading-in-our-direction Rafael who, I might add, looks royally pissed.
This isn’t going to end well.
“I’ll leave you three love birds to your squabble,” Jordy chuckles and heads to the bathroom.
I grit my teeth.Bastard.
Rafael crowds in beside Zheng, propping his forearm on the counter as he drinks me in. I don’t miss the hunger in his gaze or the fury rising in it. I flick a glance toward Desmond who’s settled back in the booth with an amused smirk on his face as if he’s settling in to watch the show.
Rafael clears his throat, drawing my attention back toward him.
“Care to explain?” His lips press into a thin line. I don’t know why I’m looking at his lips. Scratch that. I absolutely do know and it’s because he kissed me in the lunchroom today. I’m still pissed at him for it, too. Why does he continue being the asshole showing off that he’s got the girl when he doesn’t even want me?
“She doesn’t have to explain anything to you, man.” Zheng pushes up from his barstool, but a firm hand on his shoulder shoves him back down into his seat. Rafael doesn’t even look at him. His eyes stay locked on mine, a tick now forming along his jaw.
“Isabella…” He draws my name out, the sound low and seductive, sending fire through my veins. He’s using his bedroom voice and God, does it do things to me it shouldn’t.
I take a deep breath.Come on, Isa. Be strong.I square my shoulders. “I’m having dinner with a friend,” I say, proud when my voice comes out even. “Is there a problem with that?”
His eyes flash with silver as he straightens. “Yeah,” he says, “there is.”
“Umm…” Our waitress opens and closes her mouth. She looks like a goldfish, and I almost laugh.
“We’re good, Penny. Thanks.” Zheng waves her off, and we all watch as she scurries away to help other customers before Zheng turns to face Rafael head on. “Look, man. I get you don’t like me or trust me—the feeling is mutual, by the way—but Isa’s my friend. I don’t care what you two have going on, that’s your business, but stop being an asshole for no reason. Why don’t you try being a normal guy and, I don’t know, call her or ask her out sometime?”
The urge to say “Yeah,” in a snarkytold you sovoice is strong, but I hold myself back and wait for Rafael’s reaction. With exaggerated slowness, he swivels his head to give Zheng his undivided attention. I swallow hard at the look in his eyes. White. Hot. Rage. Had I been standing I would have taken several steps back—and I’m not even the one on the receiving end of that look.
Zheng’s Adam’s apple bobs up and down, but he manages to meet Rafael’s glare for three seconds before looking to the spot on his shoulder.Impressive.Whatever issues lie between them, Zheng’s no coward.
Hostility radiates off both boys as Rafael stares at him, unmoving, never saying a single word. Tension builds in the air. It’s suffocating. I rub my palms over the tops of my knees debating whether or not to intervene when Jordy finally pops out of the hallway, oblivious to the tension in the air.
“Hey, fuckers. We still chatting?”
Like a bubble being popped, the pressure releases and I noisily exhale. “Nope.” I turn to Jordy, a fake smile plastered across my face. “Rafael’s just being Rafael. You guys should probably get back to Des, though. He looks lonely over there.”
Jordy looks over my shoulder and his grin widens. “Yeah, he doesn’t look so lonely.” I turn and spot our waitress—Penny—leaning toward him, her breasts intimately close to his face. Des licks his lips.
