“Did you give him a nickname in return?” Raina asks me.
“Yes. Asshole.”
This time Ali snorts, and Cole laughs. Camilla nods with approval.
Raina leans closer to me, a slow grin spreading. “What nickname would you give me?”
Right now? Inquisitor. For some chick I just met, she sure asks a lot of questions. “I don’t know you well enough.”
“Well, hopefully we can change that.”
I shrug noncommittally and take another drink of coffee.
Cole clears his throat and I meet his gaze. His lips are twitching at the corners as he gives a sharp shake of his head.
“What?” I demand.
“He’s amused by the fact that you haven’t figured out this is a setup.” Camilla opens a packet of strawberry jelly and eats the inside. “A meet-and-greet. An arranged blind date.”
Shut the hell up. Raina is flirting with me?
“Ali.” I do my best to keep the anger out of my tone. “A word.”
“Oh. No, thanks. I’m good.” She looks everywhere but at me.
“Now.” I stand and “help” her to her feet, then drag her through the maze of tables and into the bathroom hallway. I whirl on her, saying, “What the hell, Ali?”
“Hey, don’t blame me.” She spreads her arms wide. “I’m simply obeying Kat’s orders.”
Kat told her to set me up with another girl? Damn it. I don’t... I can’t... The anger burns out of control, setting fire to my shock, and all I can do is choke on the fumes. I would never—never!—push Kat at another guy. I still love her. I still want her.
But she doesn’t want me.
Is she up there, watching me? Will it hurt her to see me flirt with another girl?
I guess we’ll find out.
“I’m sorry,” Ali says. “I know this isn’t—”
“Where’d you meet Raina?” I’m not interested in her pity. “What kind of girl am I dealing with?”
“Before I moved in with Nana and started going to Asher, I attended Carver Academy with her.” She nibbles on her bottom lip. “She’s a senior like you, a cheerleader with a sweet heart, and she knows nothing about Zs.”
Kat was a cheerleader in junior high, before kidney disease rendered her too weak. “Let’s get this over with.”
Ali grabs my arm as I walk away, stopping me. “One thing. Be nice to her, or I’ll be wearing your testicles as earrings tomorrow.”
“Set me up on another date,” I tell her, “and I’ll be using your lady balls as a coin purse.”
Snorting, she bumps my shoulder with her own. “You’d look good carrying a purse, but if you reach for my lady balls, Cole will cut off your hand.”
“I’m willing to risk it.”
“And it’ll be your loss.”
We head back to the table.
“—last boyfriend,” Raina is saying to Camilla.
Camilla opens her mouth to reply, sees me and stays quiet.
The waitress arrives, and we place our orders.
Raina offers me a nervous smile. “Alice—I mean Ali—tells me you’re a boxer like Cole.”
The truth and yet...not. “I taught him everything he knows. He still needs some work, and he’ll never be able to beat me, but I’ll never give up on him.”
Ali beams at me. Cole chokes on a drink of orange juice, and Camilla pours another packet of sugar into her cup.
“Would you like some coffee with your sugar?” I ask her.
“No, thanks. Did you see the sign? You have to pay for every refill,” she whispers as if it’s some terrible secret. “My first cup is my last.”
Because she can’t afford more? Something clenches in my chest. Before I can talk myself out of it, I lean over and give her half of my coffee. She blinks at me, baffled, and it irritates me, because I’m just as baffled.
“If you die of dehydration, you can’t be my bodyguard,” I growl.
“Bodyguard? Surely she’s not... Are you two...?” Raina waves a finger from me to Camilla, Camilla to me.
“No,” we answer quickly, both horrified by the prospect.
“Not even friends,” I add.
Raina frowns in confusion. “Then why—?”
“Tell me about you,” I interject in a rush.
She blushes, shifts nervously in her chair and stutters the word I as she tries to think of something to say. Wonderful. I’ve made her uncomfortable. I’m off my game. Clearly. I probably couldn’t charm a rabbit out of a hat.
“I’ll start,” Camilla says. Taking pity on the girl? “I’m nineteen, and like the boys I’m a boxer. I recently had a falling-out with my brother, my only family. I’m afraid of spiders and I adore cherry Life Savers.”
I can’t imagine her being afraid of anything. “Don’t forget your tire-slashing fetish.”
Ali narrows her eyes and points her fork at Camilla. “Did you slash his tires? Wait. Never mind. Don’t answer that. I’ll have to hurt you.”
Cole takes her fork and sets it on her plate. “No utensil fights. I’m still healing from the last one.”
“Fine.” She nudges him in the stomach, saying, “Your turn. Tell us all about you.”