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Directly across from me, Thane was telling Parker to his left all about his day.
And on my right, Hudson was taking a long swallow from the drink that had just been delivered before he hissed in delight as if that had hit the spot. Once refreshed, he lifted a finger and joined Alec and Keene’s discussion.
“No, no, no. That’s not how it went down at all.”
Thane had sent out a message earlier, organizing a meet-up for us since Foster had a game the next day and liked to carb out the night before, so we’d landed here, at this Italian joint called Rizzo’s, where Keene had charmed the waitress into seating us in a private room by ourselves.
Everyone was talking, being loud and rowdy, and even though I didn’t join any of what felt like half a dozen conversations that were taking place around me, I sat back contentedly, listening to them all and soaking in the feeling that I was home.
As I lifted a cola to my lips for a drink, Thane finally noticed how taciturn I was being and nodded at me to catch my attention as I set my glass down. “So what’s been new with Archer?”
“Not much,” I said, then shrugged and started tapping on the top of my thigh under the table because it felt as if I was lying…to one of my best friends on earth. “Just school mostly.”
He nodded good-naturedly, not suspecting a thing as he lifted his own drink. “Are all those psychology courses you’re taking this semester weighing you down too much yet?”
“Nah.” I lifted my shoulder again. “We’ve been going over a lot of case studies that make things more interesting. So it doesn't feel as overwhelming as I’m sure it sounds.”
“Good, good. And did you ever go to the police about your theory that the missing Haverick girl might be tied to—”
“Yeah,” I cut in with a wince. “They said she probably just dropped out and didn’t leave a forwarding address with the university. And I guess the roommate who reported her missing had a blowout fight with her not long before her disappearance, so it’s entirely possible she just didn’t tell the other girl she was leaving.”
“Huh. I hope that’s the case, then.” Thane nodded thoughtfully before snapping his fingers. “Oh, hey! I was biking Bridleway the other day and saw that you’d taken down the vacancy sign at your aunt’s place.”
And there it was.
“Uh, yeah…” I stalled lamely, clearing my throat as a vision of Oaklynn in nothing but a pair of shorty shorts and a tight cami filled my head.
Unable to think up a lie that I could feel comfortable about giving, I ducked my chin and mumbled, “Finally got a new tenant to rent it.”
And just like that, I’d caught everyone else’s attention. The six loudmouths surrounding me went immediately silent as they gaped in surprise.
“No shit?” Thane asked a second later with raised eyebrows right before Parker lifted a bill in the air.
“Ten bucks says they’re gone by the end of the month.”
“Oh, you aresoon,” Keene exclaimed, already digging into his pocket. “I put fifty down for the end of theweek.”
From there, everyone started arguing and debating over their bets.
“Well… She’s already been theretwoweeks,” I tried to tell them because it had been a week since I’d burst into the apartment on her, and she’d already been there a week before that.
But I was completely ignored until I added, “And she says she rented the room from Thalia.”
Once again, I captured everyone’s attention, and they all gaped at me in unspeaking confusion before Foster cleared his throat and tapped his ear. “I’m sorry, could you say that again?”
So I told them about the entire encounter I’d had with Oaklynn—neglecting to mention the part where she’d given me a very clear rejection.
That had definitely been a first for me.
I honestly don’t think I’d ever been shot downaheadof making a move on a girl before.
Not that I should’ve been making a move on her at all because the odds that Oaklynn Vargas was a complete liar were probably ten-to-one.
But I’d wanted her, anyway.
I hadn’t cared if she was a con artist intent to scam me, I hadwantedher. Badly. And she’d known it.
God, rejection sucked.
