Page 22 of Get Even

“I’m okay. You’re not… mad?”

Suddenly her apprehension made a lot more sense. Our friendship was relatively new but it felt like I’d known her forever – of course she was worried I might be mad. Especially since, from what she’d told me, it sounded like she’d dealt with a lot of Mean-Girl culture at her last school.

I grinned at her as I stood up, “Oh, I’m mad, but not at you. I’m sorry he bothered you.” I raised an eyebrow at a very relieved looking Kat, “What? Did you think I was going to blow up at her?” Kat opened her mouth and then shut it, offering up only a guilty smile. I blew out a breath and grabbed her pitcher, “Can I borrow this?”

Without waiting for a response, I swept it up and walked in the direction of the table of boys where Aaron was currently sitting. Fortunately, he was at the end of the booth. Good. It would make this easier.

He looked up as I walked over, blue eyes glinting in the low-light, and smiled at me triumphantly. “I knew you’d come back to me Jamie. I forgive you, I knew you still wanted me–”

I dumped the pitcher over his head, the foamy beer flattening his hair under the deluge and leaving him sputtering as his friends fell silent. He stared up at me in complete shock, his eyelashes clumped together from moisture and his blue pressed button-down now flimsy and soaked.

“What the fuck are you–”

“No,” I said simply. “What the fuck areyoudoing? Fucking one of my best friends not enough? Thought you’d try for another?” The bar felt eerily silent as everyone listened in and his football bros looked away awkwardly. “I mean, I can tit-tat you again if that’s what you want?” I pointed at the friend of his sitting closest, “How about you, big boy? Think you can handle this?”

Aaron stood up abruptly, leaning close to me and my nose wrinkled at the pungent smell of beer mixing with his aftershave. “What is your problem?”

“You,” I said and set the empty pitcher down on their table. “I thought the message would have been clear, but you never were the quickest to catch on so let me spell it out for you: Don’t talk to me. Don’t look at me. Don’t eventhinkabout contacting my friends. I’d say have a nice life but I’d be lying.”

I whirled on my feet and strode away, feeling the anger and tension drain away and leaving me feeling only tired. Ugh, if Professor Dick got word of this… I was on thin fucking ice.

Liv’s eyes were wide as I got back to the booth and I gave her a small smile. Kat looked somewhat mournfully at her beer and I narrowed my eyes at her, she’d deserved a little payback too for thinking I was going to go apeshit on Liv and she knew it.

“I think I love you,” Liv said, still staring at Aaron’s booth as his friends grabbed napkins from the bar and Aaron attempted to ring out his hair.

“Oh sure, it feels good now,” I told her, “but I’m already on probation for my behavior and reputation so…”

“It’ll be fine,” Kat said reassuringly, apparently deciding to get over her lost drink. “I don’t see how your professor could find out.”

“You’d be surprised,” I said and then sighed as I spotted Billy the manager heading our way. “Anyway I think I’d better leave before Billy kicks me out. I’ll see you back at the apartment?”

Liv nodded and I blew them both kisses as I left, feeling somewhat numb, like I’d lost something I hadn’t even wanted. My eyes blurred with unexpected tears as I pushed through the door to the outside and I bit down on the inside of my cheeks, willing them away as the cool air hit me.

“Hey,” a low voice said as a warm hand caught my elbow. I looked up in surprise and blinked at Ryan.

“Where did you come from?” I stared at him in confusion, my eyes caught on the light dusting of stubble on his jaw as his hand slid down my arm before letting go.

“One of the guys texted me when they got here and saw you, they thought there might be some trouble and…” his eyes took in my still-wet eyes and flushed cheeks, “well, I’m guessing they were right.”

“Why would they message you?”

Ryan rolled his eyes, “I think we put out a pretty strong indicator that we were together at Aaron’s party. Why wouldn’t they message me? What happened in there?”

I pulled away from him and shook my head, “Nothing, I’m just heading home.”

He paused, looking out over the dark park and streets and then stepped back from the entrance toThe Box. “I’ll walk you.”

“You don’t need to–”

“I want to.”

He didn’t say anything else, just began walking and I hurried to his side with a huff. It was only a short walk to my apartment but something about the crisp, quiet, night air was more soothing than any words Ryan might have said. He seemed to sense this as he stayed quiet, letting me sort through my thoughts as we walked.

I felt… alone. I looked up at the sky as our feet found the familiar trail between buildings that led to my apartment. Clouds fogged the sky, blocking out any view of the stars, and I jumped when Ryan’s hand found mine. His fingers were warm and large between mine and I shivered a little at the sensation. Maybe not-so alone, then.

I tugged him to a stop in the darkness of the alley closest to my apartment and I could just about make out his features as he turned to me in confusion. My heart quickened as I stepped closer. I wanted warmth and touch and, just for tonight, not to be alone. Maybe it wasn’t fair, but right now I needed him.

Ry’s hand slid from my hand to my waist as he held me away from his body, “Jamie–”

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