Page 48 of The Biker and the Gamer
"Sad that we don't support slaughtering and skinning animals?" Isaac asks, appalled.
"God's not against it and He made the animals, so why are you?" she says with a shrug. "Did you know that He made it rain quail once for the Israelites? They were tired of their vegan diet of manna and wild wheat, so the good Lord made it rain meat."
I almost choke on my sandwich. Leyana, once she lets you in to know her, can be so addictive to be around. She's such a nutcracker. "If you're gonna be against animal eating," I say, watching him watch Leyana lick sauce from the corner of her mouth, "you need to goallthe way. There might not be any horrific gushing of blood with seafood, but they’re still being plucked from their natural habitat, killed, and eaten."
"Yep," Leyana agrees. "Just think about crabs and lobsters literally being boiled alive. Oysters aren’t even cooked half the time."
Isaac makes a disgusted face. "Don't Iloveit when you two gang up on me."
Leyana shrugs. "Just saying, all the ‘Arians’ who aren't straight vegans are hypocrites."
"Who should mind their own business and stop bashing meat lovers," I add as I catch a drop of cheese with my pinky finger.
Isaac holds up his hands in surrender. "'kay, I'm done. Not gonna debate with you two. Eat to your heart's content, my friends."
Leyana's phone begins vibrating on the table. She frowns as she looks down at the screen, and a strange expression flits across her face as she watches the phone ring out until it stops.
"Who's—" I start to ask, but the phone begins gyrating again. And again, she just sits there, watching it.
"You gonna get that?" I snap at her.
As if awakening from a deep sleep, she jerks and snatches the phone from the table. Her chair screeches and wobbles back as she stands. "Be right back."
Isaac licks his bottom lip as he watches her hurry off to the bathroom, lifting the phone to her ear. Once she's disappeared through the doors, he leans forward, eyes as sinful and mischievous as always. "So, what's her deal? Is she a dyke or is she just a man-hater? It doesn't make sense to me that someone who looks likethatis single."
I shrug and take a sip of Mountain Dew. "I dunno."
"What do you mean you don't know? You're like her only friend."
"True. But she's mad private. She only lets me in a little bit at a time, and I don't push. I’m just the friend she needs."
"Hmm." He leans back. “Do you think she likes me or hates me? I can never really tell."
"She hangs out with you because I hang out with you," I answer with a laugh. "But if you mean on an attraction level, nah. I don't think she likesanyoneon an attraction level."
He takes a sip of his flavored sparkling water. "Maybe she's asexual."
"Or maybe she's having an affair with a married man, who knows?" I pick up a strip of beef leftover from my sandwich and pop it in my mouth. "It’s no one’s business."
This time,hisphone hollers and vibrates on the table. We both glance down at the screen.
Alec calling...
My heart constricts, doing that tightening, hiccupping thing that makes me feel like I’m about to die.
Every time.
Every. Time.
It never gets better.
Isaac taps “reject” and waves it off. Like he always does when I'm around and his brother calls.
Whenever he does that, Alec, as if getting the message, never calls twice. But this time he does. Again, and again. Each time Isaac rejects it, the phone immediately goes off again.
I shove my chair back and stand. "It’s gotta be important if he’s calling that many times. Answer." I throw some money on the table. "I'm just gonna go. My lunch hour’s almost up anyway. Um..." I scratch my forehead, feeling dizzy and overheated. "Tell Ley I'll see her at home."
Isaac stands, but before he can get a word out, I’m gone.
