Page 66 of Talk Nerdy To Me
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Rye says under his breath, scrubbing a hand over his face. “The guy really does want to die.”
“He’s saying we suck at intimidation,” Maverick states flatly, eyes passing over me like he wants the miracle solution to making me vanish.
“And bribery. You suck at that too,” I remind him as I stand up, peering over at Britt again.
Her back is to me now, and some of the girls have dispersed.
Some kid eyes me up and down as I pass him, appearing as though he’s sizing me up for whatever reason. Weird.
Britt stands and immediately comes toward me, as the girls—who are subtly inching closer—pretend they’re not trying to listen in.
“Why are you here?” she asks me seriously. “And later will you tell me what they say to the guys? They don’t know I know.”
Never does she say anything I expect her to, and my grin starts before I can stop it. A chorus of audible feminine awwwws, has me lifting my eyes. At least five heads snap away, hair of all colors flying as they all go back to pretending they’re not listening.
“You’re over here betting on them making the guys leave; I saw you throw money in. Yet they don’t know you’re betting?”
“To be fair, the betting just started happening at the past two gatherings, and she didn’t join in until today,” Rain says, then clears her throat, whistles, and goes back to pretending she’s not listening.
“Things usually happen around me that I don’t bother asking someone to explain,” Britt tells me, as though it should be obvious. “So me betting just means I’m joining in. It doesn’t mean I know why.”
“Why wouldn’t you ask why?” I volley, unable to stop myself from smiling more.
“Because sometimes it’s more fun to pretend you know why and try to guess the real reason why when people discuss it in the vague abstract around you.”
My hand comes up, and my finger runs down the column of her throat as I study her eyes, full of curiosity and intrigue, brimming with more awareness than she credits herself for having.
“I’ll tell you what they said as long as you promise no more dates while I’m around.”
I expect more awws, but I look up to see some incredulous eyes on me, as though I’ve said the wrong thing. Do they really need me to prove I’m stupidly jealous?
I have bartering options, and I’m not above using them.
Britt starts to speak, when Rain says, “I’m sorry, did you just ask her not to date while you try to decide how you feel?”
“No?” I say, though for some stupid reason it feels like a question.
Ash even looks pissed at me. She never looks pissed at me. Hell, she fucking adores me. Drives Tag insane from time to time.
“Are you going to be dating anyone, kissing random girls, or flirting with anyone else while you’re hanging out with Britt?” Tria asks, not seeming as sweet as usual.
Five angry Sterling men did nothing but amuse me.
Fucking women here are understatedly vicious. You can sense it rather than see it. It’s like they want you to hear what an idiot you sound like, so that you know why they’re glaring.
Yet they’re not actually being truly abrasive. It’s the subtlety that makes you feel like taking a step or two back.
“No,” I say with decidedly infinite confidence that it’s the right answer, as well as the truthful one.
They study me for a minute, then look away, resuming the courtesy of pretending not to listen.
Relaxing a little, I look back to find Britt just staring at me, waiting her turn to interject on the matter. “Only if you agree not to play with my head.” She says this as though she’s been coached.
“I swear to you, I’m not trying to play with your head.”
“Damn it,” Maverick’s girlfriend—um…Salem?—says as she glances at her phone. Then Salem straightens, blinking rapidly. “Actually, I guess that’s a good thing.”
“Salem finally lost one, so there’s hope,” Harley says idly.
