trying to formulate an appropriate response when Brandon grabbed my elbow and pulled me back under the awning. “Wait,” he whispered.
Oh, God. No. I may not be the best person in this relationship, but I could take the high road when the situation demanded. Brandon was happy with Felicity, and I would not be the one to let him jeopardize that in some moment of weakness brought on by tight jeans and a tighter sweater. “Brandon, I don’t think—”
“Shh.” He peeked around the entrance. “They’re still out there. Can you hear?”
Oh. As soon as I paid attention to something other than my heartbeat and my ex’s proximity, I could.
“Micah, no! It’s not like that,” Jenny was saying, practically…sobbing?
“This is what we agreed on, Jen.” His voice was perfectly even, as if he were discussing the weather. “I fail to see how anything has changed. You were the one that told me—”
“Not here, please. And not now. Seriously, it’s not right.”
“You promised me you would. You swore it. Were you lying? Were you lying to me ?” And there was a hint of emotion in his voice, a carefully reined anger that slipped a bit on the “me.”
“No, of course not. It’s just so hard. So much harder than I thought it would be. I’m not sure I want to do it anymore.”
“I don’t understand. I love you, Jen. Don’t you know that? I trust you.”
“I know. I know you do.” Her voice broke on her words.
“And you love me…don’t you? Don’t you love me? If you love me, then why is it so hard to do what I want?”
Enough! “That bastard,” I hissed and would have stormed out of the foyer, but Brandon put his hand in front of me.
“You’ll humiliate her.”
“I plan to eviscerate him.” Betrayal or not, she was my Diggirl, and I was going to show my support. I’d teach this budding sexual predator that “no” meant no. I’d sic the full force of the Eli Women’s Center on his ass. But Brandon held me firm, and I didn’t move.
Jenny spoke again. “I can’t talk to you about this now.”
“When, then?” Micah said. “No more waiting. You’ve been putting this off forever.”
“It’s not forever. I’m just not ready.”
There was a long pause, and then he said, “Well, I’m ready, so I don’t care if you are or not.”
“I’ve changed my mind,” said Brandon, and his hand formed a fist. “Get him.”
We spilled out of the entrance and Jenny looked up. Her cheeks were stained with tears. She looked at me for one second, her eyes burning with hatred, then turned and sprinted off.
Micah smirked at Brandon, and also departed posthaste. The jerk was probably well aware Brandon Weare would not fight him on a crowded city street.
“Should I go after her?” I asked him.
Brandon’s jaw was clenched tight. “If you think she’ll talk to you. I don’t think she will.” He watched Micah walk away. “But I’ll tell you what I do suggest. Get your people —and I know you have them—get your people to do that guy some damage. Soon.” He took the coffee from my hand. “I’m going to go deliver this to the Lit office. Chase down that girl, or find your friends, or something. I’ll see you later.”
No! That’s what he’d said to me last time, and it had been a month and a half before I saw him again. “When?” I couldn’t help but blurt out.
He looked down at the coffees. “I don’t know, Amy. Maybe when you call me?”
I power-walked back to Prescott College, cell phone in full gear. Jenny’s phone rang and rang, but Brandon had been right. She clearly didn’t want to talk to me. Maybe she’d take a call from another Diggirl. But that route dead-ended as well. Clarissa’s phones sent me to voice mail, Odile’s message said she’d be out of town until Wednesday, and Demetria’s land line (she refused to sign her soul away to a Cingular contract) had a busy signal. (Seriously, who doesn’t do call-waiting these days?)
Okay, no problem. I’d
Oh, God. No. I may not be the best person in this relationship, but I could take the high road when the situation demanded. Brandon was happy with Felicity, and I would not be the one to let him jeopardize that in some moment of weakness brought on by tight jeans and a tighter sweater. “Brandon, I don’t think—”
“Shh.” He peeked around the entrance. “They’re still out there. Can you hear?”
Oh. As soon as I paid attention to something other than my heartbeat and my ex’s proximity, I could.
“Micah, no! It’s not like that,” Jenny was saying, practically…sobbing?
“This is what we agreed on, Jen.” His voice was perfectly even, as if he were discussing the weather. “I fail to see how anything has changed. You were the one that told me—”
“Not here, please. And not now. Seriously, it’s not right.”
“You promised me you would. You swore it. Were you lying? Were you lying to me ?” And there was a hint of emotion in his voice, a carefully reined anger that slipped a bit on the “me.”
“No, of course not. It’s just so hard. So much harder than I thought it would be. I’m not sure I want to do it anymore.”
“I don’t understand. I love you, Jen. Don’t you know that? I trust you.”
“I know. I know you do.” Her voice broke on her words.
“And you love me…don’t you? Don’t you love me? If you love me, then why is it so hard to do what I want?”
Enough! “That bastard,” I hissed and would have stormed out of the foyer, but Brandon put his hand in front of me.
“You’ll humiliate her.”
“I plan to eviscerate him.” Betrayal or not, she was my Diggirl, and I was going to show my support. I’d teach this budding sexual predator that “no” meant no. I’d sic the full force of the Eli Women’s Center on his ass. But Brandon held me firm, and I didn’t move.
Jenny spoke again. “I can’t talk to you about this now.”
“When, then?” Micah said. “No more waiting. You’ve been putting this off forever.”
“It’s not forever. I’m just not ready.”
There was a long pause, and then he said, “Well, I’m ready, so I don’t care if you are or not.”
“I’ve changed my mind,” said Brandon, and his hand formed a fist. “Get him.”
We spilled out of the entrance and Jenny looked up. Her cheeks were stained with tears. She looked at me for one second, her eyes burning with hatred, then turned and sprinted off.
Micah smirked at Brandon, and also departed posthaste. The jerk was probably well aware Brandon Weare would not fight him on a crowded city street.
“Should I go after her?” I asked him.
Brandon’s jaw was clenched tight. “If you think she’ll talk to you. I don’t think she will.” He watched Micah walk away. “But I’ll tell you what I do suggest. Get your people —and I know you have them—get your people to do that guy some damage. Soon.” He took the coffee from my hand. “I’m going to go deliver this to the Lit office. Chase down that girl, or find your friends, or something. I’ll see you later.”
No! That’s what he’d said to me last time, and it had been a month and a half before I saw him again. “When?” I couldn’t help but blurt out.
He looked down at the coffees. “I don’t know, Amy. Maybe when you call me?”
I power-walked back to Prescott College, cell phone in full gear. Jenny’s phone rang and rang, but Brandon had been right. She clearly didn’t want to talk to me. Maybe she’d take a call from another Diggirl. But that route dead-ended as well. Clarissa’s phones sent me to voice mail, Odile’s message said she’d be out of town until Wednesday, and Demetria’s land line (she refused to sign her soul away to a Cingular contract) had a busy signal. (Seriously, who doesn’t do call-waiting these days?)
Okay, no problem. I’d
Similar Books
