Take that, you crazy sylphs with your not eating and controlling people’s lives!
I scoot closer to Hannah, letting our legs touch—skin on skin, since we’re both wearing shorts. Another point for Hannah: She’s dressed appropriately for summer in the desert. Not buttoned up to her neck in some ridiculous uniform.
I still feel nothing when we touch, but her closeness brings a different kind of thrill. The thrill of success.
Hannah takes my hand again, lacing our fingers tight.
“Vane?” someone calls over the noisy restaurant.
My sandwich and fries threaten to come back up.
Isaac, Shelby, and Hannah turn to see who’s calling me. I stare at my plate, wondering if I can stab myself to death with my butter knife.
“Vane,” Audra says again, her voice louder now. Breathless.
A shadow falls over the table, but I don’t look up. My plan is to pretend she’s not there. It needs work, but it’s all I have.
Isaac and Shelby are silent. Probably sitting back to watch the show.
Hannah shifts in her seat. “Vane, what’s she doing here?” The edge to her voice tells me she’s less than happy to see Audra again.
“I’m here,” Audra answers for me, “because I’m his girlfriend. So I’d appreciate it if you’d take your hands off of him.”
“Dude,” Isaac half-laughs, half-mumbles.
He grunts, like Shelby elbowed him.
I say nothing. I’m in a crapload of trouble, but, God help me, all I can think is how good it sounds when Audra says “his girlfriend.”
I risk a glance at her—and, oh man, she’s hot. Lots of hair has escaped her braid, falling around her flushed face, and her jacket’s gone, her black tank even tighter and tinier than I remember. I’m not sure “hot” is a strong enough word. “Smokin’ hot” might be more accurate.
Hannah snaps me out of my staring when she yanks her hand away and scoots as far toward the wall of the booth as she can possibly go.
I know everyone’s waiting for me to do something—say something—but my brain isn’t equipped to deal with this situation.
Isaac clears his throat. “Dude, if you have a girlfriend you should’ve just told me.”
“More importantly,” Shelby interrupts, “he shouldn’t be putting the moves on Hannah.”
“No one was putting the moves on me,” Hannah mumbles, like the very idea of me being interested in her is suddenly disgusting.
“Yes, he was. And he went out with you a few nights ago. Did you have the girlfriend then, too, Vane?”
“Hey, I—” I start, not sure where I’m going with this.
“It’s a recent development,” Audra interrupts. Then she leans forward and strokes my face with her fingers.
Not playfully.
Possessively.
I don’t pull away. I might even lean into her hand as ten thousand sparks shoot through my skin at her touch. What can I say? I’m weak.
The difference between the way my body responds to Audra and to Hannah is night and day. Everything about them is night and day. Hannah’s blond hair and blue eyes are the sun to Audra’s dark-haired, dark-eyed night.
“I’d like to go home,” Hannah announces. Her voice sounds choked, like she’s seconds from crying.
She doesn’t deserve this.
I owe her the mother of all apologies. I just can’t figure out what to say.
She doesn’t wait for me to try. She doesn’t even wait for me let her out of the booth. She pulls her feet up on the bench and climbs onto the table. Plates and glasses rattle as she crosses to the edge and jumps, racing for the door as soon as she lands. Shelby shoves Isaac out of the booth and chases after her—shooting me a death glare on her way out.
Isaac laughs. “Well, I gotta hand it to you, man. You find the most unbelievable ways to ruin dates.”
“I—”
He raises a hand. “I’m dying to hear what’s up, but I’d better take the girls home. See what kind of damage control we need.”
I nod and he turns to leave.
“By the way”—he turns back and points to Audra—“Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice.”
I wonder which one of us blushes brighter, me or Audra.
When Isaac’s out of sight, I force myself to meet Audra’s eyes.
“You went on a date?” she snaps. “Have you lost your mind?”
“Me?” All my anger races back. “I love how you think you can just throw on the ‘Vane’s girlfriend’ hat whenever it’s convenient for you. Jerk me around, screw up my life, then stomp on my feelings as soon as we’re alone. All to please your precious Gale Force.”
“We can’t have this conversation here.”
She stalks toward the exit, and I dig my wallet out and toss all the money I have on the table before I follow.
I figure Audra will be miles above me, flying home so she can rip me a new one the second I get there. But she stands against my car, her arms crossed, her eyes trying to bore holes into my skull. I’m just as furious with her, but my heart still skips a beat when I think of the long ride home, just the two of us.