Page 28 of Framed

“I’ll just have a California roll,” I told the chef behind the counter. I hadn’t exactly had the opportunity to try much sushi in my life, given where I’d spent the last few years. But I remembered liking Cali rolls.

While the chef prepped, Kane leaned against the counter, eyes fixed on me. “Didn’t take you for a sushi girl,” he said.

“No?” I arched a brow. “From all your vast experience with me, you had a better guess?”

He laughed. “Touché. Guess I figured you’d be more of a burgers and wings type.”

Burgers were my favorite food, in fact. But I wasn’t about to tell him that. “Well, glad I can still surprise you after all this time,” I said, leaning in to scoop up my roll. It was finished before his enormous order, thankfully. “Catch you around,” I said, starting away from him. “I should go. Meet my roommate.”

“Sure you don’t need help finding her?” he called after me. His eyes twinkled with suppressed mirth.

I bit my lip, avoiding the urge to meet his banter with my own. It was too damn easy with him. “Thanks, but I think I’ve got it from here.” I started toward Winter’s table, planning to meander in her general direction and then sneak somewhere else when I could.

But I didn’t make it far before Kane called out, louder now. “Don’t be a stranger, Scarlett.”

My stomach tensed and my pulse did a little skip-thud in my chest. I forced what I hoped looked like an easy smile. “Of course not.”

Then I was gone, beelining across the cafeteria, in what I hoped had been a reasonable amount of time.

Why does he make me so damn nervous?

Before I realized it, my feet carried me almost right up to Winter’s table. That was a problem, because she was staring at me, her eyebrows sky-high and her lips parted in almost comical shock.

I blinked at her, and she quickly erased the expression, waving me over with a grin.

I hesitated. But, this would help sell my story to Kane. So, in the end, I caved and walked up to her table. “Hey,” I said, sheepish.

“You and our erstwhile football captain, eh?” She grinned so hugely it reminded me of a cartoon cat finally catching the bird it had been chasing for years. “Way to go, Scarlett.”

My body felt so hot I was surprised my clothes didn’t burst into spontaneous flames. “It’s not like that.”

“Oh, so you mean he hasn’t been eye-fucking you from behind your whole walk over here?” Winter arched a perfectly sculpted brow.

I resisted the urge to turn around. “What Kane does is his own business.” I forced a nonchalant shrug. Then I glanced at the empty chairs around her. “Um. Are those free or…?” I hated the hesitance in my voice. But I’d dug my grave. If Kane was still staring at me, all I could do now was leap into it.

When Winter hesitated, I nodded at the rest of the cafeteria. “Only, it’s a bit packed in here. But no worries if you’re waiting on people.”

Winter kicked one of the chairs toward me. “You’re good. Only meeting a couple friends for a juice anyway.”

“Thanks.” I sank into the seat.

“So. Scarlett and Kane…”

I scowled at her. “Can we not?”

To my surprise, Winter dropped her smirk and her teasing all at once, straightening in her chair and assuming a polite, almost blank smile.

I blinked, surprised, until I felt the chairs on either side of me draw out.

“Hey, Winter,” called a brunette with a short blunt cut. It was Melonie. I’d seen her around campus before and walking around with Winter but like most of Winter’s “friends” they’d never been to the apartment. I noticed her demeanor shifted whenever they were around. As if she was one person with me and another with them. “Who’s this?”

“My new roommate, Scarlett.” She gestured, and I managed a wave.

“Hey.” My shoulders remained tensed around my ears. I waited for Winter to share the juicy gossip, start talking about me and Kane. But she didn’t say a word. She just smiled and accepted the juice Ariel, another one of her friends, offered her.

As the girls fell into an easy conversation about classes that week, the upcoming football game in a few nights, and the summer fling boys they were all in various levels of contact with, I found my attention drifting away from our table.

As subtly as possible, I scanned the cafeteria for Kane. It didn’t take long to find him—a gaggle of girls had collected around the table where he was sitting down, a tray laden with food in front of him.

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