Page 92 of Betting on the Best Friend
I know Ruby isdistracted, trying to figure out how to handle Niles’s jackassery. But it doesn’t stop me from thinking about how dangerously close she was to biting me in a way I wish she would.
I’m pinballing, ricocheting from protectiveness to lust, and only one of those is right for this situation. Or any situation with Ruby and me, ever.
My eyes flicker to Niles, trying to decide what to do next, when I catch him watching us as if he’d turned around after kissing his girl to see if we noticed. His eyes dart between me and Ruby, and a dull red flush creeps up his neck.
I pluck up another sandwich and hold it out to feed Ruby. “Do that again.”
“I’m not—”
“Don’t look, but Niles hates it. Eat.”
She keeps her eyes on me and takes the sandwich again, more deliberately this time, her hand reaching up to circle my wrist as she slowly sinks her teeth in enough to slip the sandwich from my fingers. Sweat breaks out on my nape.
“Is he watching?” she asks.
Who? Oh.
“Don’t check,” I murmur. “It’ll ruin the effect.” I give her a lazy smile, like I’m thinking about dragging her out of the tea and skipping straight to dessert, because I am. Niles will be able to read it.
She gives me a slow, sweet smile and keeps her eyes on mine like I’m the only guy in the room. “I hate that you have to do this. I’m sorry.”
“I have no problem making him suffer at a party he crashed.”
“But you’re okay?”
Not even a little. But I’m okay doing this for her. I lean against the trellis-covered wall, keeping our shared plate held out for her. “Look at me, as chill as ever, unbothered by Niles. Can you feel him getting mad from here?”
She grins. “Yeah. The leaning is mean. You’re winding him up.”
“Duh.”
Her smile stretches, and suddenly Niles is there.
“I knew it,” he says.
“What are you talking about?” My tone makes it clear I know exactly what he’s talking about.
He points between me and Ruby. “Knew there was something going on between you two.”
Ruby’s eyes glint like she’s about to go off, but this is too fun, so I feed her a strawberry to make sure she doesn’t ruin this.
“Don’t know what you’re talking about, Niles,” I say, not taking my eyes off Ruby, who stares back at me, that glint turning from mad to wicked. “Do you know, Roo?”
She shakes her head as she chews the strawberry and gives Niles an extremely fake innocent look.
“How long has this been going on?” Niles demands.
I consider the question. “Hmm, let’s see, we’ve been friends for, what, three years, Roo?”
“Close to four,” she confirms.
“I mean this more than friends thing.” Niles sounds like he’s asking through gritted teeth.
“Not sure how it's your business,” Ruby says like she’s bored by the conversation.
“Or why you would care,” I add in my bestMean Girlswhy-are-you-so-obsessed-with-me tone.
“Because you were cheating on me.” His dull red flush is back.
