“Hey, Jack,” I say meekly, waving, but he ignores me. He empties the bags to reveal Thai takeout, which he sets out on the table.
Arthur sits up straight in his chair. “Before Bree gets here, can we?—”
“No.” Jack’s voice is cutting.
So, instead, we sit in silence and wait.
Finally, Bree’s car pulls up out front. When she knocks on the front door, Jack gestures at Arthur to go and open it.
“Hey,” they both say awkwardly before Bree steps inside. She’s beautiful with her curly hair tucked under a beanie that has a pink pom-pom on top, and a reddish hue to her cheeks and the tip of her nose. Her smell is divine, unreal, filling up the house as soon as she steps in.
Even Jack sits up in his chair and inhales when she enters. She pauses in the doorway to the dining room where all of us are seated at the table already, untouched food out in front of us.
“Oh. It really is a dinner.” She removes her jacket, then hangs up her purse on the open chair before easing herself into it.
“Eat before it gets cold,” Jack says impassively, and her eyes jump up to his. She watches him for a moment and he stares back, until Bree nods and serves herself.
I’m all nerves, wondering what Jack has to say to us. But for now, he stays silent as we all dig in and eat. I can barely taste what I’m putting in my mouth, and Arthur keeps glancing at me with a worried look.
Finally, Jack sets his chopsticks aside.
“How did this happen?” he asks, gesturing at all three of us.
“We go to yoga together,” Arthur helpfully pipes up. “I’ve known Bree for a while.”
“This is just a coincidence?” Jack raises one eyebrow.
“No.” Bree puts down her utensils, too, and meets his eyes without flinching. “I applied to DreamTogether when Mangelli mentioned it. I wanted to get matched up with the three of you.”
This takes me by surprise. I didn’t realize Bree had set all this up on purpose—that she did it because of Arthur.
I cringe because this will be an even bigger tally against her.
“If you want to blame someone, blame me,” Bree goes on, steadfast. “I had a crush on him first.”
Arthur drops his head into his hands, while Jack simply stares at her.
“You had a crush on… Arthur?” He barks out a nasty laugh. “Is that a joke?”
“No.”
Bree does not look cowed or intimidated.
“I’m the one who came on to her,” Arthur cuts in. Ah, shit, this is the last thing we need. “I just smelled her, and I knew, and I just needed to fuck her so bad?—”
“Arthur!” Jack snaps. “Stop defending each other.”
Arthur crosses his arms like a petulant teenager. “I just don’t want you to blame Bree for this.”
Jack shakes his head, then turns to me.
“But that doesn’t explain you, Bennett. How did you get tangled up in this?”
I swallow. Now is my part, the thing I’ve been hiding.
“I watch her cam,” I say at last. “I’ve been watching for… a while.”
Jack’s eyes never leave mine. “How long?”
