Greer elbows Simon in the hip.
“Sorry.” He looks at us and smiles. “I like this side of you two.”
I roll my eyes, and Tobias just holds my hand tighter.
Then I spot her. The hair on my neck instantly stands up as she glares across the bar at me.
“Ignore her,” Tobias whispers in my ear.
I nod and then focus on our friends.
Nora and Hero arrive, followed by Beck and Calla, and soon enough we’re a couple of drinks in, with plates of appetizers on the table.
“I’m going to run to the restroom,” I tell Tobias.
“Need a hand?” He smirks.
“Not from you.”
I hate that I look over my shoulder more than once on my walk to the bathroom, but I don’t see Cassie. I take care of business and push out the door to return to the table.
I was definitely overthin?—
“I can’t believe you,” a voice snaps beside me. I don’t even have to fully turn to know who it is. She must have been waiting for me to leave my friends so that she could corner me.
“Hi, Cassie.”
“Don’t. Don't even pretend like we're still friends. We are far from it.”
I nod and then sigh. “I know you're mad.”
“No, you don’t get to play the nice one. The calm one. You messed up, Natalie. Big time.”
What does that mean? He cheated on me. Not the other way around. Although, at this point, that might not be what he told his family.
“Look, Griffin and I are over, and I think it’s?—”
“And that guy, oooooh, ahhhh.” She points over my shoulder, trying to find her words. I’m not sure why I keep standing here, because she’s clearly mad, and this isn’t going to go in my favor. Maybe it’s because even though she is crazy, I did try to form some type of friendship with her. By her reaction, maybe she thought we were closer than I thought. Sure, I thought she’d be mad on her brother’s behalf, but hurt, no. Yet her eyes are glistening.
“You two are stupid,” she snaps.
“Is there a problem here?” Tobias walks up behind me, lacing his hand with mine. “I can hear you across the bar, and you’re drawing attention.”
Cassie glares at Tobias. “You two are unbelievable. I bet this was happening the entire time you were with my brother.”
“It wasn’t.”
But now we know what he’s been telling people.
“For your sake, I hope not. Because if it was, Tobias will be bored soon, too, and then just like my brother, he’s going to find someone better who?—”
“That’s enough,” Tobias says calmly in a clipped tone before I can. I don't need him to fight my battles, but I’m on the verge of tears, so it's nice to have someone in my corner right now.
“Go ahead. Defend her. Be who she needs you to be, because when you’re tired and bored, you’ll move on from her too.”
“I said that’s enough,” Tobias says and turns me to walk away.
“I sure as hell hope you figure it out soon, Tobias. You know where to find me when you need some excitement in your life!”
