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That was about as much confirmation as I could expect out of her. I took it for what it was worth and hopped into my seat.
“You know where to find me.”
Chapter 13
Charlie
I wouldn’t haveplaced a bet on her showing. Once she pulled away, I lost track of where she went as I backed out of my spot and hit the road.
If she was coming, she took the long way, because I had been sitting at a table in the far corner for over ten minutes now. I had a great view of the front door and jumped every time the little bell jingled.
After the first few minutes, I threw in an order for chips and guacamole because my stomach was about to eat itself. If she wasn’t coming, then I would at least be able to start eating. If she was, then she would have food on the table when she got here.
The guac came out with an extra basket of chips. I thanked the waiter and sighed. Popping a chip into my mouth, I dug into my pockets for my phone to check the time again.
Out of nowhere, Una appeared in the chair in front of me. She grabbed the glass in front of her and took a long sip, her eyes widening as she realized what was in it.
“Root beer?” she questioned hesitantly.
I shrugged. “Saw you with a can the other week. Figured you liked it.” What I didn’t tell her is that almost every time I saw her around food—in the cafeteria, at my party, when I chased her down to ask if she needed a ride—she had root beer.
She nodded, but didn’t say anything else.
“Glad you showed,” I said. I pushed an extra plate in her direction, offering her some chips, salsa, and guacamole. She took a handful of chips and a scoop of guac onto her plate, but didn’t speak.
Never had I ever been at a loss for words with someone before. I could talk to a brick wall and make excellent conversation. But it was different with Una. I struggled to find the balance between making a fool of myself and being the kind of person she wouldwantto talk to.
I couldn’t sit in this silence much longer. “Your dad went extra hard on us today. Any idea why?”
Wrong move. Totally wrong move. Completely, utterly, horribly the wrong move. Why did I mention her dad? It was obvious she wasn’t super close with him. And he was my coach, for crying out loud.
My heart raced behind my ribs, thumping almost louder than the bass over the speakers.
Out of all the things I could have said, I mentioned her father?
I cringed. She raised an eyebrow, staring at me. If she bolted and ran out of the restaurant right this second, I wouldn’t blame her. Usually my game was much better than this.
Thankfully, the waiter saved me by coming to take our orders. We both told him our options, and he took off again.
I wished he would have stayed longer.
Seeing her there, munching on a chip, brought me to my knees. I was weak around her. Charming lines of wit and humor, sure. But a full-on conversation? She was so far out of my league, I didn’t even deserve to sit at this table with her.
Somehow, my brain was on a roll, though. All the pent-up questions I had over the last few weeks came to light right at this moment.
“Why did you sabotage Aria and Ali? I mean, I understand your deals, but that’s your best friend and your ex-step sister.”
Una’s face fell. “How did you know she’s my ex-step sister?”
There I went again, saying the wrong things. After the argument at my party, the word spread. How they both hid their relationship the entire time their parents were married was the item on most people’s minds. But now I told her I knew one of her secrets. And she wasn’t happy about it.
“I… did some digging,” I admitted. Granted, it wasn’t hard digging, but I did ask around when I overheard people talking at the party.
“Why?”
“Why did you do it?” I shot back, really wanting to get a deeper understanding of her motivations.
She glared at me, but I didn’t back down. “I was saving him from the inevitable.”
