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Landon unzips the little soft-shell cooler he brought and takes out a container of grapes with a container full of sliced cheese stacked on top of it. He opens both and puts them between us, then he grabs a pack of crackers out of the side pocket.
“A cheese board,” I say, delighted.
“Kinda. Figured you’d want a snack.”
“You know me so well,” I joke, reaching for the crackers.
He’s in a better mood than I’m used to, so I’m still not entirely sure what to do with it. He reaches in the cooler and draws out a clear capped bottle. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think it’s the sunset lemonade I like from the club.
Alarm takes hold when I consider that it could be. I hope he didn’t go there without me. I don’t even think he should be welcome there after what he pulled before, but the prospect of him encountering Javi with no one around to keep an eye on him… it’s not my favorite thing to imagine.
When he passes me the drink, I think about asking, but I don’t want to invite an argument right now. “Thanks,” I say instead, giving it a little swirl, then uncapping it so I can take a sip.
Itisthe sunset lemonade. Or maybe something close. It tastes a bit different, but mostly I can still taste the flavored lemonade and splash of grenadine I enjoy at the club. “This is really good,” I say, taking another sip.
“It’s spiked,” he volunteers, halting me midway through sipping. He holds up a bottle of tea for himself. “Mine isn’t since I’m driving you back to your car, but I figure it’s Friday. You can afford to blow off a little steam.”
I swallow the drink in my mouth, but I cap the bottle, unsure I’ll take another. Thankfully, he also brought bottled water, so I grab one of those. “You have got to stop spiking my drinks and not telling me.”
“I did tell you. Just now.”
I shoot him a look. “BeforeI take a drink would be the appropriate time. In fact, asking beforehand if I wouldlikealcohol in my drink would be the best-case scenario.”
Immediately rejecting the suggestion, he shakes his head. “Nah, not my style.”
“Yeah, I gathered you’re more the ‘ask for forgiveness, not permission type’,” I mutter dryly.
Landon’s eyebrows rise and he leans back on his hands, stretching his legs out in front of him. “When have I ever asked for forgiveness?”
“I… don’t know. Presumably at some point in your life.”
He shoots me a look that seems to conveyif you say sobut doesn’t comment.
I stare at him. “Please tell me atsome pointyou have expressed remorse for any number of the terrible things you’ve done.”
He shrugs. “I don’t know. Most of them were to you. You remember an apology?”
Certainly not.
“So, you just don’t care who you hurt, huh? Fuck everybody? Then why should anyone care about you?”
He shrugs again, looking out at the water. “I doubt anyone does.”
My heart flips over in my chest, but decidedly not in the good way. It’s the flippant way he says it more than the words themselves. I know Landon has a chip on his shoulder, everyone knows that, but he doesn’t say it like some bullshit meant to draw out my sympathy. He says it like it’s an established fact he made peace with a long time ago.
Andthatreminds me of the Landon I tried to approach in middle school.
The one I went to that stupid party for.
The one I wanted to kiss.
Shaking my head, I pick at the label on my water bottle. “That’s not true, Landon. A lot of people care about you. Your dad cares about you. I know you guys don’t have the best relationship, but he does care. He wouldn’t try so hard to protect you from yourself if he didn’t. Malek obviously cares about you. He’s always trying to keep you from getting into trouble. Clearly, I care about you. We wouldn’t be here right now if I didn’t.”
His mouth tugs up slightly at the corners. “Yeah, but you care about everybody.”
I scoff. “That isnottrue.”
“Sure it is. Miss Uplift Club with all your community service.” He lightly mocks me, but there’s no true malice in it this time, he’s just ribbing me. “I’m just one of the strays you volunteer to help out with.”
