On the Outside (Caught Inside #3) by S. Briones Lim Page B

too, Harper.” Deciding that the boy at the beach had good reason to think I was the oddest one of the bunch, I quickly shut my mouth and headed inside.
    The restaurant Xavier picked was beautiful! With its chandeliers, crystal vases, and candelabras, the restaurant was a bit classier than I would have expected from him.
    Maybe you don’t even know him at all.
    Charlie’s words echoed through my mind, further adding to my nervousness. It was so unlike me to feel so insecure about meeting someone new, and the fact that his sister could affect me this much really surprised me.
    I rubbed at my forehead and sighed. “What the hell is wrong with me?”
    Sulking slightly, I made myself comfortable at a back table and took out my phone as a distraction. To my surprise, it seemed Xavier was running a bit early too.
     
    Xavier: You wouldn’t be able to come earlier, would you? We’re actually pulling up to the restaurant right now.
     
    My heart skipped a beat as I read Xavier’s text. As middle school as it sounds, I couldn’t help but feel giddy. But hey, I’d take giddiness over vomit inducing nerves any day.
    With a stupid smile on my face, I typed:
     
    Me: I’m already inside. Saved a table toward the back.
     
    “Being fashionably late is for suckers anyway.” I snickered, throwing my phone into my purse. I rolled my neck from side to side, relaxing my stiff muscles. Finally feeling more comfortable, I nodded my head and let out a slow breath. “This will be good. This is good. I’m putting myself out there, and if I make a good impression, maybe Xavier won’t just think of me as another job.”
    What are you talking about, Harper? He wouldn’t have invited you if he didn’t think of you as a friend at least.
    “At least…” I mumbled.
    A cold breeze worked its way through the restaurant, shocking me as a shiver ran up and down my spine. I shuddered and rubbed at the goose bumps that tickled my arm. Besides the fact that I was inside a restaurant, it was summer and there was no explanation for cool wind.
    “Maybe it was a ghost or…”
    A bad omen.
    “Shut up, Harper. You’ve dealt with the worst already. The karma gods have to be looking out for you now. Besides, what bad can happen to you here?”
    His sister might hate you.
    “Shut up,” I grumbled, flipping through a gigantic sized leather menu to distract myself.
    “I see her. She’s over there.” The sound of Xavier’s voice brought me back to earth. It’s hard to explain, but somehow his baritone sent soothing waves through my body, instantly calming me.
    Not wanting to be rude, I rose to my feet and plastered a huge smile on my face. From where I stood I couldn’t see his sister behind the tall wooden booths, but figuring she was close by, my heart continued its pounding beat.
    All of a sudden I spotted a head of brown bouncing beside Xavier’s monstrous figure. At six-foot-two, he towered over my five-eight stature, but his sister was so tiny. She couldn’t have been more than a little over five feet!
    The siblings rounded a corner booth and before long I finally caught a look at the infamous woman. It was hard not to see that the two were related. They both had the same big brown eyes, oval shaped face, and sharp features. Their parents must have been really attractive, because together the brother and sister commanded the attention of the entire room.
    Xavier spotted me and lifted his hand up to wave. His smile wavered a bit when his sister stopped in her tracks.
    “What’s wrong?” I heard him ask.
    The woman looked at me—no glared at me with a ferocity I had never seen before. Frowning, I glanced behind me to make sure she wasn’t looking at someone else— anybody else. When I turned back around she had turned beet red and was shaking uncontrollably.
    “What’s wrong?” Xavier repeated in a firmer tone. His thick eyebrows furrowed as he reached out to touch his sister, who merely slapped him away in annoyance.
    Well, if