I nod because, yeah, it sucks, but I get it. I’ve felt Brian’s rejection for a handful of weeks. Zheng’s had to deal with his father’s his whole life.
“You hungry?” he suddenly asks just as my stomach rumbles. We both laugh.
“Yeah. You could say that. I was supposed to have dinner with my dad, but I think I’ll go back to avoiding him after today.”
He pushes to his feet and holds out a hand for me. “Come on, I know the perfect spot. A shifter diner just outside the neutral zone with the best burgers in town.”
I hesitate. “Zheng I—”
“Isa,” he cuts me off. “I was an ass. I’m sorry. Not just for now but for earlier too. At school. I shouldn’t have said what I did. I was being an asshole because I was jealous. It won’t happen again. I promise. Give me another shot at being your friend. I won’t fuck up this time.”
I worry my lower lip, indecision sweeping through me. Then again, it’s not like people were knocking down my front door begging to be my friend. “Alright. But can we not talk about my dad? Or the wolves. Or anything that will upset either one of us?”
He chuckles. “Deal.”
19 Isabella
I ride with Zheng to Suzy’s, a local twenty-four-hour restaurant on the edge of town in shifter territory. The bell above the door jingles, announcing our arrival, and one of the waitresses waves at Zheng with familiar recognition before returning her attention to her customer.
Stepping inside, I’m immediately taken in by the old-fashioned vibe of the place. Black and white checkered floors are paired with red and white vinyl booths, and the bar counter boasts black, Formica countertops. The place smells like grease and salt and absolute heaven. My stomach rumbles.
Zheng heads straight for the counter, claiming one of the red barstools as I climb onto the one beside him. A boy I don’t recognize heads toward us and says something to Zheng, but I don’t hear what it is as I’m too busy taking everything in. The diner almost reminds me of a Johnny Rockets, though maybe not as polished. I turn in time to see Zheng slap something into the boy’s hand in a discreet gesture. I miss whatever it is before the boy shoves his hand into his pocket and makes a hasty retreat after a quick nod in thanks.
“Who was that?” I ask, my curiosity getting the better of me. If he were human, I’d think a drug deal just went down, but shifters don’t usually partake in drugs given the lack of affect they have on us.
“Just a guy from class.” He shrugs, but when I don’t say anything else, he continues. “I borrowed twenty bucks from him last week after losing my wallet. It was stupid.” He offers me a sheepish grin. “I barely know the guy but he helped me out. I was just paying him back.”
Oh. I guess that makes sense. I begin to take a deep breath and then stop myself. All of a sudden I feel like a complete jerk. I don’t want to always question him. I shouldn’t feel the urge to scent out a lie. That’s not how friendship works. And whatever just happened, it is none of my business.
A waitress bounces toward us, her perky ponytail bobbing behind her. “Hey, little Liu, you off tonight?”
Zheng smiles up at her, his dimples making a sudden appearance. “Yep. I’ve got the rest of the week to myself.”
Her eyes sparkle with mischief. “Lucky. Who’s the hot date?” Her nostrils flare and a red sheen rolls over her eyes.
I straighten in my seat.
“A little wolf?” Her head tilts to the side and her smile widens. “Here I thought you’d give someone from Clan Feloidia a shot. You wound me.” Zheng rolls his eyes, but his smile matches hers. “Does Mama Liu know you’re courting the ladies already? Let me tell her. Please!”
I’m just about to correct her when a group of familiar male voices enters the diner. “Rafe, Des, grab the booth in the back. I’m gonna take a leak.” It’s Jordy’s voice. I see him out of the corner of my eye stalking toward a small hallway to my right. I hunch my shoulders and angle my head away from the walkway, but Bouda waitress over here decides to draw his attention.
“Hey, handsome. Can I put in a drink order for you?”
Jordy lifts a hand to wave her off, but he catches sight of me and who I’m sitting next to. He comes to an abrupt stop and quirks a brow. “Well, well, well. What do we have here?” He comes closer and a knot forms in the pit of my stomach just as he calls out, “Yo, Rafe. Your girl’s here.”
My cheeks heat and I wish more than anything I could disappear beneath the counter. It’s almost comical how quickly I go from relaxed and at ease to epically uncomfortable and Zheng sees it. His jaw tightens, a vein in his neck popping out.
The waitress’s eyes narrow in confusion as she flicks her gaze between Zheng and a now standing-and-heading-in-our-direction Rafael who, I might add, looks royally pissed.
This isn’t going to end well.
“I’ll leave you three love birds to your squabble,” Jordy chuckles and heads to the bathroom.
I grit my teeth. Bastard.
Rafael crowds in beside Zheng, propping his forearm on the counter as he drinks me in. I don’t miss the hunger in his gaze or the fury rising in it. I flick a glance toward Desmond who’s settled back in the booth with an amused smirk on his face as if he’s settling in to watch the show.
Rafael clears his throat, drawing my attention back toward him.
“Care to explain?” His lips press into a thin line. I don’t know why I’m looking
