Page 11 of Pack Giroux

"Hi, so I'm Marnie," I start.

"Is that short for something or did your parents actually hate you that much?" Laura asks, playfully. If I hadn't caught her glare earlier, I would take it for the tease like it sounds.

Keeping a tight control on my emotions, I play it off. "I guess they hated me that much, because it's my real name. Not short for anything. I also love volleyball. Got really good in high school and got scouted for a scholarship."

Whitney snorts. "Like we all did."

"Oh," I start. "I didn't realize they did that for everyone."

She and Laura look at each other and burst out laughing. Nichole rolls her eyes at them and smiles at me. "Ignore them.They laugh at the stupidest shit."

I press my lips together in a fake smile but am saved from any other of their antics when our waiter brings out our food. Saving mine for last, he cleverly sneaks a napkin underneath as he sets my plate down. I glance up at him, but he's already walking away. Pulling it out just far enough to see the words written on it, I shove it back under, grabbing my silverware and making it all look intentional.

All through dinner, all I can think about is the message under my plate.

Enjoy!

-K

Knowing that he and Grady could be sitting on the other side of the glass inside watching me keeps my cheeks red all through dinner. It has nothing at all to do with the girls grilling me for more information on my past and who I am. I'd thought at first that they were doing it as a kind, curious gesture. By the end of our meal, I can't help but wonder if this whole thing was a sham just to get ammunition they could use against me later. Unfortunately for them, my thoughts have already been claimed, leaving no room for them.

"So, what are your plans after this?" Whitney asks the table.

Laura's eyes widen and flick to me quickly before moving back to Whitney. I'm not looking at her, so she probably thinks that I don't notice. Whatever they're going to say next, I know that I'm not invited, and that's okay. I would've found somehow to talk my way out of it anyway.

"I need to go into the city for that dress that I wanted to buy," Laura says, thinking she's smooth. Yeah, about as smooth as a donkey's butt.

Nichole sighs at my side and turns to me, "I don't think you'll want to go with us for that. It takes hours sometimes forLaura to buy one dress."

And I'd liked Nichole best out of all of them. I hate that she feels the need to lie to me, too. Whatever, though.

We all pay on separate checks before walking inside just to walk back outside. In theory, it's actually humorous that they don't have a gate where the customers don't have to do that. All three of them are in front, leaving me to tag along following them.

Before I can make it out the door, a warm voice whispers in my ear, "You never called."

I recognize the scent first and then the voice. it's the only reason panic doesn't jump start my heart. Quite the opposite. Butterflies take flight in my belly. Without turning around, I ask Grady, "Did I not?"

His chuckle at my back puts a smile on my face that stays there as I walk out to where the others wait at the curb. Right before I make it to them, I could swear I hear Laura say something about someone being a weirdo. If I had three guesses as to who she's talking about, I bet I wouldn't need the first two.

Laura glares at me like I've held them up for the plans that I wasn't even invited to. Whitney, who was watching the door and behind me as I walked out, asks, "Who is your friend?"

Friendis said with a touch of sarcasm that I suppose is meant to express that Grady couldn't possibly be anything more than that. I may have grown up on the compound with some really messed-up ideals, but that doesn't mean that I wasn't on the receiving end of my fair share of girl drama in school. That's about the only thing thatwasnormal in that place.

Realizing that the question also wasn't rhetorical, I tell them the truth without giving too much away. For reasons I can't explain, I feel protective over their identities. "Just some guy I met the other day."

"Hmm," Laura hums, slightly narrowing her eyes like shedoesn't believe me.

"That's some guy I wouldn't mind randomly meeting," Nichole states, fanning herself. "You know I've got a thing for tall, dark, and handsome. And did you see the size of those muscles? Like, girl, damn."

At this point, I'm glad that I didn't get invited to the rest of their plans. I don't think I can handle hearing them talk about this for the next few hours.

"This is our Uber," Whitney announces as a small, white car pulls up to the curb.

Nichole is the only one that looks back. "You going to be okay by yourself?"

I nod. "Yep, I know my way around."

"Okay, great," she says, getting into the backseat of the car and rolling the window down. "Text us if you need to."

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