Page 26 of Bad Crush
“Fine, I’ll go with you to dinner but I’m only eating foods I don’t like.” That seems like a fair compromise. Healthy foods only—take that self!
After we go through the line at the dining hall and get our food, we take our trays and sit down. I glance around for Adam, seeing as how we’re sitting at the hockey team’s table.
“Their practice is running late,” she says as if she can read my thoughts.
I relax and pick around my salad. When I look up, Ginny is staring at me.
“What’s with the all black?” she asks. She looks me over like she’s just noticing my outfit.
“I’m in mourning.”
“Oh my god, who died?” Her expression is horrified for a moment.
“No one. Just my fake relationship and any chance of ever dating your brother.”
She laughs and then coughs and holds up a hand while she takes a drink of her water. “I’m sorry, what?”
I hadn’t planned on confessing any details of last night, but once I start, I can’t stop. And maybe that really is the punishment I deserve because it’s just as awful when I start remembering all the little details that I managed to forget.
Ginny listens intently and even manages not to laugh. Though I can tell how badly she wants to as she smashes her lips together in a flat line.
“It sounds like you did him a solid. I’m sure he was appreciative, and you’re just making too big of a deal out of it.”
“No, you’re wrong. It was the biggest train wreck since Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez.”
“Oh, please, it couldn’t have been that bad. Also, I loved Jelena.”
“I thought he was going to faint. He got sweaty and pale, and no words were coming out of his mouth.”
She grimaces. “Yeah, that doesn’t sound good. I’ve only seen him like that one other time when he had to give an impromptu speech at an award banquet.”
I groan.
“ButI’m sure you just took him by surprise.”
“Oh, I took him by surprise all right, but not the good kind of surprise. The truly scary kind that should only happen in cheesy horror films.”
“Well, let’s find out.” She nods and her gaze goes above my head.
My entire body lights up and I just know he’s here even without looking. Maybe our shared trauma has forever linked us.
“Please don’t tell anyone else about the fake engagement,” I whisper while we’re still alone. “I’ll tell Dakota eventually, but I can’t do it right now. Retelling it was almost as painful as living it the first time.” I’m calling that good as far as punishment goes.
She laughs and smiles. “You’re so dramatic, Rea. I love you. I won’t tell anyone. But speaking of secrets, tell him the truth.”
She stands as the guys join us. “Hey, let’s sit somewhere else today.”
Heath glances to me and then Ginny trying to figure out what’s going on, but she pulls him along.
Mav tries to set his tray down, but Heath pulls him back. “I think she means all of us.”
“This is our table. We always sit here,” he says.
“Let’s switch it up today,” Ginny says smoothly, then turns to her brother. “Can you stay and help Rea with a problem she’s having?”
She doesn’t give him any time to answer before she herds the rest of the group away from us.
Adam places his tray down in front of me. “Is it okay if I sit?”
