Page 66 of Tell No Lies

I didn’t have to open my eyes to know he was smiling or laughing or plain not taking me seriously.

“Well, we both know that’s a lie. I’ve invited you to my private luncheon area, and I’m making conversation with you, about you, so I obviously don’t hate you.”

“Fine. All of the people I thought were my friends hate me.”

“I’m not your friend?” He teased.

I grunted. “No. Of course you are!”

“Then stop using absolutes.” He shot me a look before taking a bite of his apple.

“Fine. Mckayla, Talia, Alexis, Mike, his friends, even Sean aren’t speaking to me or acknowledging my existence.”

“Oh no! Not the holy ones! How will you go on?”

I scowled and cracked one eye to glare at him. “They’re my friends. Mckayla’s family, for crying out loud. None of them will even tell me what I did!”

“Some friends …”

I rolled my head to the side to glare at him. “Gage.”

“Aubrey. Listen to me. If those people were really your friends, they would care enough to be mature for two seconds and tell you why they’re pissed.”

“Maybe.”

“Definitely.” He nudged his shoulder against mine. “You don’t deserve the silent treatment. Maybe after they at least bring you up to speed, but definitely not before.”

I sat up and lightly smacked him. “Can’t you ever just sugarcoat things?”

“Not possible. Then I wouldn’t be me.”

“True.” I smiled for the first time today. “I wouldn’t want that.”

As fate would have it, Mike decided to appear at the one time I haven’t been silent or sad. He stood in front of us with his fists flexing. “I need to talk to you. Now.”

When I made a move to stand up, Gage put out his arm to block me. “She’s not going anywhere with you until you calm down.”

Mike didn’t bother taking his eyes off me to look at Gage. “Don’t you even dare speak to me.”

“Seriously, Mike?” Gage sneered. “You and your little posse have been ignoring her all day, and now you stomp over here looking two seconds away from Hulking out, and you want her to go off with you? No way.”

I sat, frozen. Gage made sense, but Mike’s gaze chilled me to the bone. I knew I had to talk to him to find out what was going on, but I certainly didn’t want to.

I patted Gage’s arm, which was still blocking me. “It’s okay, Gage. I need to talk to Mike too.”

Gage broke their staring war to look at me. “No, you don’t. He’s ignored you all day, and now he calls and just expects you to run to him? Aubrey, you’re better than that.”

His words stung, but I stood anyway. “Thanks for talking to me.” I grabbed my books and bag without looking at him. I knew the expression he would have in his eyes. A plea for me to stay, mixed with concern and hatred for Mike.

I followed behind Mike as he led me into an empty hallway.

“Do you want to explain yourself?”

My mouth fell open. “Me?”

“Well, I’m not talking about myself.”

“I have no idea what’s going on. Mckayla kicked me out of her car this morning, Talia and Alexis haven’t responded to any of my texts, and you didn’t even bother showing up to class.”