Page 88 of We Shouldn't Be Together
“Step-sister,“ I insist. “And she won’t be a scholarship kid. Cammy’s dad will pay the tuition.”
He double-takes at me. “Don't you see the hypocrisy?”
“It’s not that simple. It’s not like Cammy even likes her step-mom or step-sister.”
“No, why would she? Does she like anyone in her life?”
“She was really tight with her dad.” I swallow hard. I shouldn’t be divulging her family’s secrets. I’m stabbing Cammy in the back. “But since he abandoned them, Cammy’s been siding with her mom. I can see how painful it is for her, being away from her dad.”
Kai relaxes in his seat. “I can see why Jamie’s presence pushes her buttons then. She’s like a mirror image of her problems.”
I snap my fingers as something hits my memory. “Yeah, Jamie’s dad is out of the picture too, isn’t he?”
“Mm-hmm.” He nods, tapping the side of his glass again. “But, unlike Camila, Jamie doesn’t know who her dad is. She can’t call him up and guilt-trip him into buying her stuff to make her feel better.”
“We don’t have to talk about this,” I rush. “We can focus on the assignment instead.”
“Sorry, I just get defensive about Jamie.”
“Don’t be sorry. She’s your friend. Makes me wish I had a friend as great as you.”
His gaze lifts, locking with mine. “I can protect you too, if you want.”
My throat dries, and I tap my chest to get the air flowing again. “Huh?”
“If you want to ditch Camila and avoid her attacks, I’ll protect you.”
“How… How…” The words tremble out of me. “How would you do that?”
A small smile tugs at the corners of his mouth upward. “By being your friend.”
With a mighty thump, my heart balloons against my ribs. There’s a clamminess across the back of my neck, and a shiver glides down my spine.
His head tilts it that handsome way. “Are you okay, Tabby?”
“Tabby?” it breathes out of me. Not witch. Not she-devil. He called me Tabby.
Like a friend would.
A laugh mumbles out of him. “That’s your name, isn’t it?”
I giggle and watch the sparkle light up the green in his eyes. “Yes. Umm, that’s really sweet, Kai, but I don’t need rescuing.”
“Are you forgetting I saw you on Friday night?” He pauses, sighing. “You looked so sad just talking about her.”
“But she’s hurting too.”
“And she shouldn’t take it out on you. Friends don’t do that.”
I silently nod at him, wrapping my hands around my warm mug for comfort.
“Well, the offer is there.” He taps on his book. “If you want a distraction, we can get to work on this instead.”
I swallow hard and nod. “Okay. Where do we begin? Do you even know?”
“I’ll let you in on a little secret. I don’t need Milo’s help with schoolwork. I get this stuff on my own,” Kai admits. “I don’t know. It’s like I read something and my brain sucks it up like a sponge. Milo’s the same, but he actually enjoys going deeper into these so-called ‘facts.’ I prefer not being one of the mindless sheep, gobbling up the slop the teachers force on us.”
“Do you want me to ask the wait staff to fashion you a tinfoil hat?” I joke.
