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She tips her head back so she can meet my gaze. Her expression is somewhere between amusement and low-level mortification. She whispershi.
I don’t think it could possibly get more uncomfortable until Mav drops down across from me and kicks me in the shin. Likely on purpose.
“The fuck?” I shoot him a glare.
He props his chin on his clasped hands and smiles like a lunatic. “Look at how awkward you two are. This is awesome.”
Lavender slurps her smoothie loudly and turns her sharp gaze on her brother. “This is your one and only opportunity to be a dick about this, so make it good.”
Mav’s grin widens. “I’m not being a dick. I’m just being honest. You’re like a couple of eighth graders trying not to make eye contact for too long. You’re not even touching.” He motions to the inch or two of space between us. “Kody is halfway out of the booth, and he looks like he’s going to shit his pants. You look like you’re trying to snuggle with Lacey.”
“You’re all staring at us like we’re some kind of circus act,” Lavender says. “What did you think was going to happen? Heart bubbles were going to magically appear over our heads?”
“Kinda, yeah. I mean, this storm has been brewing since this guy could get a boner.” Mav points at me.
Lavender holds up her hand. “Stop right there. We are not having a conversation about Kodiak’s boners in the middle of this diner. In fact, we areneverhaving a conversation about Kodiak’s boners, because you’re my brother and there are some goddamn lines that should never be crossed.”
“You’re really intent on sucking the fun right out of this for me, aren’t you?” Mav sighs. “So Kody never told me what you did that finally pushed him over the edge.”
“Maybe I figured my shit out. Did you ever think of that?” I shoot back.
BJ snorts, and so does Lavender.
I give her the side-eye. “Whose side are you on?”
“My own.”
The server comes and takes our order. It’s a guy, and he keeps looking at Lavender, so I slide my arm across the back of the seat, trace an infinity symbol on her shoulder, and don’t bother to drop it after he leaves.
“Look at you, being all territorial.” Mav is still grinning. “You know, I figured that whole thong thing would’ve done it, and then Lav freaking moved out.”
“Wait, you know about the thong?” Lavender’s eyes are extra wide, and she glances from Mav to me and back again.
“Everyone knows about that. Mom called me the day after to ask a bunch of questions I sure as hell didn’t want to answer,” Mav replies.
“What kind of questions?” Lavender asks.
“The kind I tried to wipe from my memory forever.” He shakes his head. “And don’t look so surprised. She’s got these freaking fake social media accounts set up, and she thinks she’s being sly about it, but we all know it’s her. She uses stock photography from cheap sites I’ve seen a million times.”
“Your mom has sock accounts?” I don’t know why this surprises me. Violet is basically insane. Awesome, but definitely not normal. Mav gets his sense of humor from her.
“I’m sure she’s set your mom up with one too.” Mav raises an eyebrow at me. “And yours.” He points to BJ.
“How do you know it’s your mom? I mean, there are loads of catfish accounts out there,” BJ says.
Mav pulls his phone out of his pocket, pulls up his IG account, and clicks on a post of him with some girl sitting in his lap from earlier in the semester. He scrolls through the comments, clicking on a profile of a woman wearing a tiny bikini top blowing a kiss at the camera. Every single post she has looks like it’s from some kind of photo shoot, and there are captions like “Feeling pretty.” Another says, “Just reading by the pool” with the same model sprawled out on a towel beside a pool with a magazine artfully placed by her head. The best one is captioned “I love pineapple,” and the model is lovingly cradling a pineapple while wearing a pineapple-print bikini. “Now read the comment she left.”
Lavender nabs the phone and barks out a laugh before she passes it to me. The comment reads: “So HAWT! Don’t forget to wrap your sausage! XOXO #safesex.”
Mav has liked the comment and replied with: “Thanks for worrying about my junk.”
“Does she know you know?” BJ is basically doubled over with laughter.
“I don’t think so, and I’m not going to ruin it for her.” He slides his phone into his pocket when our food arrives. “So does River know?”
“Not yet.” Lavender pokes at a chunk of pineapple floating in her smoothie. “I haven’t seen him to tell him since he hasn’t been home much lately.”
Mav digs into his scrambled eggs. “Man, I hope I’m around for that.”
