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I turned back and saw a smug smile on Jake’s face. He was enjoying this. I jabbed him with my elbow.
“So, what’s the deal with Jack?” he asked me, suddenly serious.
“Nothing,” I shrugged. “He asked me out for coffee one time, but we never went.”
“Did you want to?” he said and stopped grating the cheese to look at me.
Nick’s eyes never left my back. I could feel how tense he was.
“I did,” I sighed. “But then I found out about Nick.”
His lips pressed into a thin line, and he nodded.
My phone vibrated and I pulled it out of my pocket to see a message from Ian. Shit. I completely forgot to call him. I started biting my lower lip.
“What’s wrong?” Jake asked me when he saw the look on my face.
He knew me well enough to know that I bite my lower lip only when I was nervous.
I heard a chair scrape the floor behind me.
“Aria?” Nick’s panicked voice reached me. “What happened?”
I placed the phone back into my pocket and turned around.
“Nothing,” I said. “I am fine, Nick.”
Nick looked at Jake and came back to me.
“What is on your phone?” Nick asked, his eyebrows furrowing.
“Nothing, Nick,” I said, trying to stay calm.
“She is nervous about something,” Jake said, turning to me. “She bites her lip when she is nervous.”
Nick looked at Jake, his eyes narrowing. I knew he didn’t like that Jake knew me so well.
“I am not nervous, Jake,” I said and turned back to the counter. “Let’s just get back to preparing dinner, please.”
“Not until you tell me what’s wrong,” Nick growled behind me.
I closed my eyes and cursed under my breath.
“Swearing won’t help you, Aria,” Nick said sternly.
I signed and turned back around. Jake was leaning on the counter, facing me. His arms were crossed over his chest and his eyes were focused on me.
“I forgot to call back a friend,” I said. “That’s it.”
“What friend?” Nick asked as he clenched his fists.
“From the hotel where I was staying when I came here,” I said calmly.
I didn’t know why I had trouble telling Nick about Ian. I didn’t do anything wrong.
“Name?” he said through his teeth.
I sighed and leaned back on the counter.
