“What am I missing here?” Jax asked as he looked between me and Andrew. By the tone of his voice, I knew. I just knew. Jax was getting all overprotective older brother on me, which he was prone to do, especially at lunch when I was the odd man out.
“Nothing,” I said. But I said it too quickly and I could feel Jax’s probing stare on the side of my face.
He turned his attention to Andrew, whose grin never faltered as he lifted his hands in mock defense. “Nothing.”
Both of them were watching me now, and I had a hard time meeting Jax’s stare. I’d never kept secrets from him before.
Okay, fine, maybe I didn’t tell him that Rose was playing him a few weeks ago, but really...that had been for his own good.
I’d never kept secrets about my own life, though, and I felt a surge of guilt that Andrew, of all people, knew something about me that my best friend didn’t.
As if he could sense my guilt, Jax narrowed his eyes on me. “Simone…” He dragged my name out like my dad used to do when he was getting ready to count to ten.
“It’s nothing.”
He tilted his head down and his brows hitched up in disbelief. “You’re a terrible liar.”
I heard Andrew snort-laugh beside me.
“It’s not much,” I amended.
Heat was already creeping into my cheeks as Jax’s stare bore a hole into me and Andrew’s gaze threatened to burn me to a crisp as he watched this scene unfold with amusement.
How had I never noticed that he’d been paying attention to me and Jax this whole time?
Oh crap. How much had he heard?
Snippets of conversations past came back to me like a tsunami and that creeping heat burst into flames. Ugh, no wonder he was always smiling when I looked his way—he was always laughing at me.
Jax leaned forward, “Simone, you’re killing me here. What’s going on? Is everything okay?”
I huffed. This would only get harder to spit out the longer I waited. “Everything is fine. I just…” I swallowed down my nerves and hesitation. “I have a crush.”
Jax’s eyes went so wide you’d think I’d just told him I was a man. “On Andrew?”
“What? No!”
I heard Andrew give another little snort of amusement.
Jax didn’t seem to notice. “Are you sure? I’d understand if you did.”
I leaned in toward Jax. “He can hear us, you know.”
Jax didn’t care. “So, it’s not Andrew?” He seemed mystified by this. I was sure that was exactly what Andrew’s ego needed.
“Not Andrew,” I said.
“Then who?”
My mouth went dry. This was Jax. My best friend. I shouldn’t feel so weird about this. But I did, because he knew me. He knew Tony. And if he laughed…
It was the flicker of hurt in Jax’s eyes when I didn’t answer right away that finally loosened my tongue. “Tony.”
Jax stared at me blankly like he’d never heard that name before. “Tony,” he repeated slowly. His brow drew together in obvious confusion.
Well, at least confusion was better than laughter.
“Tony?” He shook his head. “My Tony?”
I rolled my eyes. We didn’t know any other Tonys, at least none who came to mind. “This is why I didn’t want to tell you.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you liked...Tony?” His face was scrunched up like this had blown his mind. “Seriously? Tony?”
Hurt made my chest feel tight. This was exactly why I hadn’t wanted to tell him. If my best friend thought I was too much of a loser for his bandmate, what would Tony think?
I looked down at the table. “Just forget about it.”
“Are you sure you don’t like Andrew?” His voice was strained. Almost hopeful. As if Andrew was more likely to like me back. Ha!
“Ew, no,” I said. “Definitely not.”
“I am literally right here.” Andrew’s mild, amused voice to my right made me stiffen.
Crap. I’d kind of forgotten he could hear us. Old habits, and all that.
“I just…I just don’t see it,” Jax said.
And there it was. There and gone so fast he probably didn’t even know he’d shown it, but I’d caught the flicker of pity in Jax’s eyes.
I scooted my chair back so quickly it made a screeching sound that made Jax wince.
“Hey, Simone, don’t be mad, I just meant—”
“I know what you meant, and it’s fine,” I said, forcing a smile. “I get it. I really do.”
The sad thing was? I did get it.
I snagged what was left of my lunch as I stood. “I almost forgot I’d told Lulu I’d eat with her today so we can talk about our art project.”
“Simone,” he started to protest.
I couldn’t bring myself to look at Jax, afraid that I’d see that pity again. Instead, I made the mistake of meeting Andrew’s gaze.
There was no pity there, but there was no smile either. He was watching me steadily. Those pale, pretty eyes fixed on me like I was the most interesting thing he’d ever seen.
I forced a smile for both their sakes as I patted Jax on the shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. It’s just a stupid crush.”
And it was pathetic.
I was pathetic.
I knew exactly what Jax meant when he’d said he couldn’t see me and Tony together.
The truly depressing part?
I couldn’t either.
7
Andrew
I should stay out of it. I so didn’t need this level of drama in my life.
I had enough on my hands with a baseball season to prepare for and grades to maintain and...well, that was it, really. I went to parties but it wasn’t like I had any good friends here. My siblings had all moved out so it was just me and my mom rattling around the big house we’d bought with my dad’s life insurance policy.
So no, I didn’t need this kind of drama, but also…
What else did I have to do?
Man, that was depressing. My life had come down to this. Helping a cute little nerd
