Page 70 of Snowed In
Megan stiffens, confirming my suspicion. “Not really.”
The little liar.
“They used to be,” she concedes when I just wait. The coaster keeps flipping, and I realize what’s different about her tonight. What’s bothering me. It’s that for the first time since I met her, she looks self-conscious. She didn’t look like that when we met Isaac. She didn’t even look like that when she almost threw up in the pub, and the sight of it grates on me, igniting a protectiveness I didn’t expect.
“Were you going to call me?” I ask, suddenly very glad Hannah insisted we go out.
“What?”
“If I didn’t arrive tonight, would you have called me? Asked me to come?”
She looks baffled. “Why would I do that?”
“Because it’s part of the agreement?” I remind her. “If someone makes you feel like shit, you’re supposed to tell me.”
“They’re not doing anything.”
“Yes, they are. They know it, and you know it, and if someone says something and I’m not there, you call me. If someone side-eyes you, you call me. You call me, and no matter where you are or what time it is, I’ll pick up and I’ll come running. That’s the whole point of this.”
The vulnerability in her expression is almost painful to see, but she nods, her hands finally stilling.
“Maybe you could act like I just said something really funny?” she suggests hopefully.
But I just frown. “You?”
“Christian—”
“I’m the funny one in this relationship.”
“But you’re so good at pretending.”
“No one’s that good,” I say, and she starts to smile just as the group across the room breaks into laughter, then she’s back to looking like she wants a sinkhole to swallow her up.
And just like that, I know what I need to do. Even if she’s going to hate me for doing it.
“Okay. You’ll thank me later,” I say, grabbing our stuff.
“What are you—Christian.”
She tries to pull back when I take her hand, just like I thought she would. But I also know she doesn’t want to create a scene, so beyond making a strangled noise of threat, she lets me drag her across the room, straight into the viper’s nest.
We’re nearly at the bar by the time anyone notices our approach. Aidan does first, his eyes widening when we go past, but we’re at the pool tables before the others finally see us, all turning our way with expressions of minor alarm as I break the rules of…well, whatever this is.
“Hey,” I say, as I bring us to a stop. “Happy Christmas.”
They echo it back automatically, and Megan offers a weak smile as I try to get my mind around the group dynamics. Cormac’s the ringleader of the lot, that much, I can guess. He was best friends with Isaac, and I presume not much has changed because nothing ever changes around here. My sister is currently standing besidehissister, Sophie, who I remember as a skinny, timid thing. I’d barely recognize her now if Hannah hadn’t pointed her out. Jason seems the friendliest, even if he’s not exactly welcoming us with open arms, so it’s him I decide to start with right before we’re interrupted.
“So what have you been—”
“Happy Christmas.” Aidan appears at Megan’s side with a beer and a Coke and a wide smile on his face. “Mind if we join for the next round?”
He hands Megan the soda before anyone can say no, and perches on a stool next to Hannah.
“Aidan,” he says, holding out his hand. “Megan’s brother. You’re Hannah, right?”
“Right.” She shakes it with a smile. “I’m glad you’re here. Maybeyoucan help me since these guys won’t. I’m trying to get Sophie to be my model. She keeps saying no.”
“She just wants you to flatter her more,” he says, barely glancing at the other girl.
