Page 216 of We Shouldn't Be Together
“It’s fine while it’s wrapped up.” She turns her hands over, revealing her palms. “These scratches are still irritating me.”
I smile at her. “I’ll wrap you in cotton wool the next time we go into the mountains.”
She chews her lip, smiling. “Last time I got hurt was near my house. Maybe I should be in a bubble.”
“Just a few scrapes. Maybe you’re just fitting in with my crew.”
She grins, nodding. “I think so. I dig it.”
I hesitate. “What about your dad?”
She shakes her head. “He got home late and left early for work. I think we bypassed this one.”
I’m about to cheer my satisfaction, when Jamie stomps toward the table. With a grating screech, she drags out the empty chair beside me. “I’m going to practice with you guys after school.”
The way she blurts it makes me jolt in my seat. “What, like to watch?”
She plonks onto the chair. “Nope. I’m doing drills with you.”
“Cool,” Tyler cheers. “It’s been ages since we kicked the ball around with you.”
I lean in closer to Jamie so I can lower my voice. “Didn’t your coach say you couldn’t touch a ball until your grades are up?”
Jamie shrugs, crossing her arms. “Screw it.”
Tabby leans around me to ask Jamie, “Is it normal for a girl to join the boys’ team?”
Jamie doesn’t answer her. She just stares at her blankly.
Oh, brother. We can’t keep doing this. At some point, Jamie has to accept that I’m with Tabitha. What else is Tabby supposed to do to prove she’s not the enemy?
Considering Jamie’s already steamed, I nudge my lunch tray in front of her, hoping to soothe her wildness. “Hungry?”
When Jamie reaches for a fry, Tabby giggles in that way that gets me every time. “Ah, babe, I wasn’t done.”
On instinct, I’m about to pull the tray back. But Jamie’s hand is still mid-air. I can’t yank it from her. I should’ve kept it in front of me so they could both reach it.
Jamie rolls her eyes and pushes the tray back. “I’m not hungry.”
I shift in my seat, hoping to calm her down another way. “Word around school has made everyone hungry for milkshakes.”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Apparently Ash’s girlfriend can’t stop talking about them,” I continue. “I still can’t believe you hung out with them and didn’t call me. You know how much I want to hang out with the guy.”
Jamie gestures at our friends at the table. “Why? Because we all bore you?”
“No, it’s different. He can get anything at a snap of a finger. I’ve overheard all the epic things he and his buddies get up to on the weekends.”
Tabby loops her arm around mine. “We’d make such a cute double date.”
I grin at her. “Do you know his girlfriend?”
“I’m working on it.” She brightens. “You know, Yvette is Ash’s second cousin. Maybe I can ask if she can pull some strings?”
“Yes, do that,” Parker blurts.
My stomach quirks. “Umm, no. You shouldn’t talk to Yvette.”
