“What’s her problem?” Jax asked.
I just barely held back an eye roll. Instead I gave him a baleful look that I was pretty sure said loud and clear that he was an idiot.
I mean, I liked the guy and all, but he could be such a moron.
Like right now, for example.
“What?” Jax said. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
Rose fell into Simone’s abandoned seat before I could respond. Her gorgeous supermodel features were furrowed into a fierce scowl that made me fear for Jax’s life.
“What did you say to her?” she demanded, pushing Jax’s shoulder for good measure. “Why did Simone run off like that?”
I sank back further into my seat. I didn’t know what kind of good luck had befallen me that I’d gotten stuck sitting at this table all these years, but one thing was sure—it never failed to provide entertainment.
“What did you say to Simone?” Rose’s expression shifted. “Did she tell you?”
Jax leaned forward. “You knew she had a thing for Tony?”
Rose’s smirk said it all.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” he demanded.
Rose crossed her arms. “Because Simone wanted to tell you herself. And she felt weird about it…”
“Why?” He sounded so hurt I almost felt for the guy.
Almost.
“Why do you think?” I asked.
Both of them turned to face me with nearly identical expressions of shock.
Seriously? Was I just invisible to these people? I let out a sigh as I crossed my arms.
“What does that mean?” Jax asked when he recovered from his surprise that I did, in fact, have ears.
“It means you acted like a jerk, man,” I said. He’d acted like she’d feared he would. I didn’t say that because it wasn’t my place. I mean, how did I know what she’d been afraid of?
But I had known. I’d seen it written on her face, plain as day. The reason she’d been nervous, her fears confirmed...I’d seen it so clearly I’d almost felt it myself.
Rose was busy smacking Jax’s arms in response to what I’d said. “What did you do? She’s vulnerable, Jax!”
“Ow, cut it out,” Jax said, trying to avoid her next swing. “I didn’t say anything.”
Rose turned in her seat to face me. “Andrew?”
“He didn’t say anything...too bad.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jax said. “It’s not like I laughed at her.”
“You’d better not have,” Rose growled. “That poor girl is like a baby chick—”
Jax gave a snort of disbelief and I couldn’t help my own choked laugh.
“A baby chick?” Jax said. “Simone?”
“Fine,” Rose said with a roll of her eyes. “Maybe not a chick. But she’s...she’s…”
Innocent. Weird. Sweet. Genuine. My mind filled in the blanks too readily but Rose went with, “Naive.”
Jax blinked. “Simone? She’s the smartest person I know.”
“There’s a difference between smart and worldly,” Rose said with exaggerated patience. “Simone is...innocent when it comes to boys and dating.”
Jax looked pale. I imagined that’s the way I’d look if anyone tried to talk to me about my sister’s love life and my sister was three years older than me. No one wanted to think of their sibling like that, and I knew from having hung around them for so long that Simone was basically a little sister to Jax.
“I didn’t say anything bad,” Jax said.
Once again, Rose looked to me for confirmation. I shifted in my seat. Crap. This was why I stayed out of others’ business. I’d gotten really good at standing on the outskirts. Fitting in without being a part of it all.
“Spit it out, dude, what did I do wrong?” Jax asked. He looked so distraught I actually felt for the guy.
I ran a hand through my hair with a sigh. “I’m guessing she thinks that you think she’s not…” I waved a hand as I looked for the words. Man, I hated this crap.
“She’s not what?” he snapped.
“Good enough for him,” I finished.
They both stared at me in horror for so long that I scooted my seat back. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll just—”
“Oh no you don’t,” Rose snapped.
“Why would she think that?” Jax asked.
“You acted like it was the craziest thing you’ve ever heard of.”
“Because it is,” Jax snapped. “Tony has the intellect of a rock. She’d be bored to tears with Tony.”
“Did you tell her that?” Rose asked.
“No.”
“No.”
We both answered at once.
Rose groaned and rolled her eyes. “So she thinks you disapprove because he’s out of her league or something.”
“What? I never said that. Why would she think that?” Jax asked.
Rose shook her head as she reached over to pat his cheek. “Thank goodness you’re so pretty, babe.”
I let out a huff of amusement and even Jax’s lips twitched with grudging amusement.
Rose sank back in her seat. “Well, if he’s really that dumb—”
“And boring,” Jax added. “If he didn’t play the bass so well I’d have kicked him out ages ago.”
“Fine, if he’s such a dud then Simone will figure it out for herself,” Rose said. “But this is the first time she’s liked a guy. It’s her first crush. She’s going to be super sensitive and vulnerable...” She narrowed her eyes as she glared at Jax. “You’re going to have to make this right.”
Jax nodded and I found myself trying not to fidget as they talked. I didn’t know her well but I knew without a doubt Simone would hate that I was hearing this.
Her first crush. Did that mean she’d never gone on a date?
Did that mean she’d never been kissed?
My mind flashed on an image of her in the backseat, partly in the shadows, her lips dark and lush, her gaze wary but fixed firmly on mine like she wouldn’t back down.
I felt a smile tugging at my lips at the memory.
Baby chick my butt. She was smart as a whip and had a spine of steel.
She was just inexperienced, that was all...and maybe a little shy. All she needed was some confidence.
“We should do everything we can to help her get his attention,” Rose said. “And then she can dump him when she realizes he’s just a pretty
