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She dropped her head to the side and folded her arms.
Fucking fine.
“Can I at least order first?” I asked, glancing around the room.
She blinked, her brows pulling together, before she picked up the menu again and tapped it across my shoulder. “No, you can’t order!”
“Ow,” I murmured. “Jesus. Thought this would be a safe location to talk, but you’ll turn fucking anything into a weapon.”
She sucked in her cheeks to hold back a grin. “Talk!”
“Fucking fine. I got wasted on New Year’s, wound up on my back in a field with Jackson Bateman of all people. Fucker’s wandering hands took a wrong turn right up my shirt, and instead of letting me handle my shit, Bradshaw fucking stormed the field like some modern-day knight in black armor and smacked him in the jaw. One thing led to another, yada, yada, yada… next thing I’m slinking out of his house at five am with sex hair, no shoes, and a lace bra stuffed in the waistband of my leggings.”
“Jackson Bateman?” Ri frowned. “How the hell did that happen?”
“It was—” I broke off, looking up. Jackson Bateman had been a direct consequence of my mom’s revelation that night. The one Riley didn’t know about. The one I still couldn’t bring myself to talk about. “It was something stupid. Can’t even remember now.”
She didn’t look convinced; her curious eyes stayed on my face a good thirty seconds longer, only breaking off when a server wearing a red and white striped skirt and matching headscarf appeared at the table holding a circular tray aloft in one hand, and a checkered plate in the other.
“Beat’s big burger?”
Riley glanced up, then pointed to me. “I ordered before you got here. Got your favorite.”
“Thank god. I’m starving.” Smiling my thanks at the waitress, I unwrapped the cutlery and spread the napkin over my thighs, then glanced over to Ri.
Riley thanked the server when she positioned a tall cotton candy shake down on the table in front of her, then strode away. Lifting her wrap from
the plate, Riley took a small bite, eyeing me while she chewed. “So, why'd you slink out of Leon’s trailer at the crack of dawn?”
Pausing mid-bite, I arched a brow and mumbled, “What should I have done?”
She rolled her eyes. “Oh, I don’t know. Stayed? Talked to him?”
I scoffed. “Yeah, because that wouldn't have been awkward as fuck. And don’t talk to me about stealing away from a hookup in the middle of the night.” I aimed a pointed look her way. She ignored it.
“You like him.”
I busied myself with picking at the edge of the bun. “Whether I do or don’t is irrelevant.”
“Why?” she murmured, head tilted. “Why not see where it goes?”
A wry laugh broke from me. Placing the burger back on the plate, I ran my hands over my thighs. “Look... you know me. You know Leon. He's not boyfriend material, and I'm so far from girlfriend material it's not even funny. It was sex. One night and done. Just leave it at that.”
Ri’s eyes narrowed. “I really want to hit both of you around the head.”
I curved a brow. “You should really see someone about your anger management issues.”
She stuck her tongue out at me before wrapping her lips around her straw and taking a long sip from the shake. “Danny's place is basically a free house for the next two weeks. You’re coming tonight, right?”
I shook my head, muttering, “Nope.”
Riley lowered her drink to the table and placed both palms down flat. “Sorry, that was my bad. The way I phrased that made it sound like you had a choice. You don't. I’ve hardly seen you for the past year. Danny's place. Tonight. Nine work for you?”
Swallowing the last of my burger, I hit her with a stare. “I liked you better in Atlanta.”
She grinned as she stood up and tossed a crumpled napkin down on her plate. “Cry to someone else, Gert. Don't be late.”
My head shook as she dropped some bills down on the table before taking off for the door.
