Page 107 of We Shouldn't Be Together
When I make a show of stamping my foot and widening my eyes at Kai, he finally gets moving, rescuing his friend from any more potential attacks.
Cammy pops a hip and twirls a piece of hair around her finger. “Of course, Freddy. I never want to hurt anyone. I just thought we should all be aware of the warning signs.”
Freddy rolls his eyes and places a hand on my back. “You wanna go, Tabby? You girls can make your own way home?”
“But, I…” Cammy stops herself, and I see her mind working overtime to get Freddy back on her side.
“I’m meeting Zane in the parking lot,” Yvie chirps. “You wanna third wheel, Cammy?”
Insulted, Cammy groans and marches out of the school building.
Like a naughty puppy trying to gain its owner’s affections, Yvie chases after her with rambling apologies and compliments.
“He said nothing,” Freddy murmurs.
I step to the side as more students pass us to leave the school building. “What?”
“Kai.” Freddy points to the exit. “Drew said he saw you two coming home last night. You just told the girls about running home, and he didn’t say anything. He didn’t stand up for you.”
“I didn’t want him to.”
Freddy’s head juts back, and he folds his arms. “What do you mean?”
“You won’t get it. I was proving a point.”
He stops me from walking away. “What point?”
“You saw the interaction I had with his friend. She’s terrified of what I’ll say to her. I promised Kai I wouldn’t be mean to her.”
“And telling your friend an embarrassing story proved that point?”
“Yes, because it distracted them from tearing down Jamie.”
Freddy ushers me out of school. “I don’t like it. You deserve better than a guy who wants you to take a bullet for his friend. He should take the bullet for you.”
“You saw the ice last night. I would’ve actually sprained my ankle if Kai hadn’t saved me. He’s a good guy, Freddy.”
“Not by Dad’s account.”
“Dad doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Besides, didn’t you see him step in when Cammy mentioned an eating disorder?”
Freddy grunts with distaste. “Ugh. That girl is beyond a brat. She can think twice about ever getting inside my car again after saying that.”
I pat his arm. “Thanks for having my back.”
He winks. “Always.”
Once we get home, Freddy and I go our separate ways. I sit at my desk in my bedroom, cradling my phone in my hands and staring at Kai’s last text message.
"What?"
We were texting right after he couldn’t acknowledge my presence in the hallway because he was with his friend. Now, things are so awkward because his other friend hates my guts.
I can’t exactly text him now, trying to make it right. One, he’s at soccer practice. Two, he left with Jamie. Kai won’t respond to my text while he’s with her. At this stage, I doubt he’d even want to read it.
Just when I’m about to set my phone down, a text pings. My heart sinks when it’s Cammy.
"Please tell Freddy I’m sorry. I never meant to say anything that would hurt him."
