On The Rebound (Steinbeck U #1) - L.A. Cotton Page 0,54
joined the line and I searched for Calli in the crowd. She and Joel were in the line for dirty fries. Her eyes were crinkled with laughter. But I wasn’t laughing.
I hated her, but I hated watching her with him more.
“Zach?” Kira yanked my arm.
“Huh, what?
“I said, I was hoping you’d ask me out sometime.”
“You were?”
“Well, yeah.” She smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “You’re... so hot.”
Right. I fought the urge to roll my eyes.
“And I’ve always wanted to date a Scorpion.”
“Didn’t you hook up with Dev before the summer?”
Her cheeks pinked. “That was nothing.”
“No?” I leaned down slightly. She was at least a head shorter than my six two. “So what was it?”
“Zach...” A nervous giggle spilled from her lips. “You know how it is. We were drunk and I—”
“Couldn’t resist riding his dick?”
I was being an ass, but Calli had me all twisted up inside. Nothing made sense anymore, not since seeing her at the party and discovering she was a freshman at SU.
“But it isn’t Dev I want.” She glided her hands up my chest, gazing up at me like I was a fucking god.
“Next,” the server yelled with perfect timing.
Kira gave a little sigh and turned to reel off her order, which wasn’t much considering she was getting a salad.
Like a moth to a flame, I glanced over at Calli again. She and Joel had gotten their food and were seated at one of the huge wooden tables. They were huddled close, still laughing.
Fuck.
Why did I care so much?
You know why...
I pushed the unwelcomed thoughts down.
“I’m ready.” Kira nudged my shoulder, stalling when she noticed my fixation with Joel. “What’s up with that?”
I frowned.
“Joel and Cassie?” She looked at me like I was stupid.
“Calli?” I snapped a little too sharply.
“Yeah, who even is she?” Kira failed to keep the jealousy out of her voice. Victoria and her girls were possessive over the team. Everyone knew that.
If only you knew. I swallowed the words.
I ignored Kira, leaving her to her salad as we headed back to the others.
“That looks good,” Victoria said, tucking into her taco. “But I needed some grease.”
“A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips,” Kira sang, sliding onto the bench next to Brad. He and Josie were keeping their distance, but she’d looked a little disheveled when they stepped off the ride.
“What did you get, Calli?” Victoria asked her.
“Just some loaded fries.”
“Nice. So where did you say you were from again?”
It was an innocent enough question, but I knew Victoria and she’d barely spoken two words to Josie or Calli all night.
“I... uh...” Calli flushed, refusing to meet anyone’s eyes.
“Shit, get it off me,” Josie leaped up, flailing her arms around. “Somebody get it off me.”
“Relax, Jos,” Brad said, “there’s nothing there.”
“There’s not?” She heaved a big sigh. “I thought there was a wasp. My bad.” Josie dropped sheepishly onto the bench. I caught her eye and raised a brow, impressed at her theatrics.
But Victoria was like a dog with a bone, so I was hardly surprised when she said, “So Calli, you were saying?”
“I...” Her eyes darted to mine and I sat a little straighter, waiting to see what she would say.
Outing herself, would be outing our connection.
It occurred to me that given Victoria’s insistence Calli answer the question, that she’d probably figured something out. I didn’t know how she knew, but I knew Vic well enough to know she was stirring the pot.
“I come from Bay View.” Calli inhaled a sharp breath as her words punctured the air.
“Bay View?” Joel stuttered, glancing between Calli and me and back again. “But isn’t that where—”
“Surprise.” I chuckled, but it came out strangled.
“So you two know each other?” he gawked at us.
I shrugged. I wasn’t about to bail her out of this.
“We went to high school together for a while,” Calli said.
Victoria looked triumphant, watching Calli splutter for words.
“You went to Bay View High School?” Brad added, oblivious to the tension crackling between the four of us—Calli, Victoria, Joel, and me.
She nodded and he rubbed his jaw. “Nice. Callum James went there too.”
The blood drained from her face, panic swimming in her eyes.
“Oh, did you know Callum too? How funny, you have almost the same name.” Victoria grinned, like the cat who got the cream, as she watched her plan fall beautifully into place.
It hit me then, she’d orchestrated this whole thing. From setting up Joel and Calli to getting them here tonight. She wanted the truth to come