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Jesse.
I consider sneaking through the back door—I already told my dads I was going to Lacey’s after dinner—but it’s too late. Jesse’s seen me, and he might not be my favorite person right now, but I can hardly see myself walking the other way at the mere sight of him.
“Where’s everybody?” I ask once I regain my seat.
“Gaten got called away to the kitchen. Something about the sous-chef bailing at the last minute. And Dave stepped out to take a call from Charlie’s babysitter.”
I give a small nod, fidgeting with my fingers underneath the table. I don’t say another word and snatch my phone out of my pocket, intending to let the conversation die.
Too bad Jesse has other plans.
“Are you dating him?” he shocks me by saying.
I look up from my phone.
“Who?” I opt for my last line of defense. Ignorance.
“Oh, cut the bullshit, Dia. I heard your phone call.”
It was him?
“I said, are you dating him?” Jesse hounds.
I have two options.
Play dumb and risk pissing him off more.
Or come clean.
To hell with this.
“So, what if I am?” I lie. Finn and I aren’t official, no matter how much I wish we were, but Jesse doesn’t need to know that.
Jesse slouches into his seat, rubbing his palms down his face.
“Finn Richards? Seriously? You can’t possibly be this fucking dumb, Dia.”
It’s clear that his goal was to make me feel guilty, to make me doubt what Finn and I have, but all his speech is doing is make me hate him.
“Have you forgotten everything he did to you? For fuck’s sake, wake up. He doesn’t give a shit about you.”
That’s when I know I’ve had enough.
“He doesn’t give a shit?” I snap a bit too loud, capturing the attention of the couple at the table next to us. “What about you? You skipped town overnight and couldn’t even be bothered to say goodbye. You disappeared, Jess. You bailed. You don’t get to show up out of nowhere and act like a concerned brother.”
Jesse’s mouth drops open.
He’s stunned by my reaction, and I waste no time jumping to my feet before his composure returns and he starts making threats.
“Tell them I said thank you for dinner.” I turn to leave.
But I’m not quick enough.
“Dia?” Jesse calls behind me.
I glance over my shoulder despite every nerve in my body telling me to book it to my car.
“I might not be able to fix my own life, but you mark my words, I’m not going to let you ruin yours.”
