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I shoulder my bag and take Thea’s as she talks to Maisy. They both come over. Her friend sizes me up.
“Maisy is coming over so we can go shopping.”
“Cool.” I hold a fist out for her to bump.
She holds out, then taps her fist against mine.
Coleman hovers while Thea delegates last minute questions from the other planning committee members. As she returns to my side, he stands in our path.
“Is there anything else we can knock out today?”
“No, but I’ll call the DJ to confirm tonight.” Thea doesn’t pick up on his intensity. She’s too kind to suspect anything is wrong. “We’ll move onto the other tasks at the meeting next week.”
“Well. I
have to say, Thea, I knew you were the right choice for this. You’re perfect.” His gaze is unwavering as he stares her down, like he’s waiting for her recognition. “I have to commend you for a job well done so far.”
I exchange a look with Maisy. She’s put off by Coleman, too, so I know I’m not imagining this weird feeling.
“Thank you,” Thea says.
“I just know that because of your hard work, you’ll always have all the world has to offer you,” Coleman says in this haunting voice that makes every hair on my body stand on end. “You won’t have to wait for it anymore.”
What the fuck?
An uncomfortable sense of déjà vu washes over me. I recognize those words. They were one of the creepy stalker comments on Thea’s blog.
I’m taking a step before I know it, edging between them to protect Thea. Coleman can’t quite smother the frustrated sound that catches in his throat.
“Come on, or we’ll totally miss all of our shopping time,” Maisy says, hooking her arm with Thea’s and ushering her ahead.
I cut a glance to the side, making sure Thea is leaving.
“What? No we won’t,” she says. “Relax, the dresses aren’t going anywhere.”
“Let’s just get out of here.” Maisy twists around. “Boyfriend? Your chauffeur service is required. My brother already left.”
I hang back for another beat, meeting Coleman’s gaze with a challenge. He seems to snap out of the psycho trance he was in a second ago talking to Thea and sneers at me.
“Get out of here before I give you detention, Mr. Bishop.”
I give him an arrogant snort. “For what? Standing?”
Without waiting for his answer, I head out. The slithering feeling knotting my stomach doesn’t leave as I catch up with the girls.
“So that was weird, right?” Maisy asks once we reach the parking lot.
“Hmm?” Thea takes her bag from my shoulder, rummaging for her phone. “What was weird?”
Maisy’s gaze darts to me and we both look at Thea.
“Do you have conversations like that with any of your other teachers?” Maisy questions. “Seriously, I think what he said to you was over the line.”
“I guess not. Mr. Coleman’s really cool though,” Thea says. “I’ve always felt like I can talk to him.”
“That guy?” I shake my head.
“Thank you!” Maisy looks at me in a new light, no longer judging me for being her friend’s boyfriend she doesn’t know.
