Page 58 of In Too Deep

“No,” I lie, thankful his eyes aren’t on me.

When I introduced Spencer to Lawrence, he blatantly ignored Spencer, looking at me as if we were alone.

“Come on, Cat. I know you have no idea how stunning you are, but you’re not blind.” His tone is scolding, and I can’t help noticing the slight twitch of his jaw. “And what about his nickname for you?”

“It’s just something he started calling me when we were kids. What’s wrong with it?”

“KitKat…” he drawls. “He calls you that because he wants to break off a piece.”

“What?” I squeak, shaking my head. “No.”

I never gave much thought to his nickname for me. It was something silly that came up randomly one day and stuck. Or at least, that’s what I always believed.

“Okay. Whatever you say.” The muscles in his arm flex as his grip on the steering wheel tightens. “So, you’re sure I don’t need to worry about this guy stealing you away?” He’s trying to sound as if he’s joking, but his words are drenched with worry and agitation.

“Of course not.” Guilt settles in my gut like lead as I reach over and give his thigh a reassuring squeeze.

His features soften as he turns to smile at me, clearly buying into my deceit. If I didn’t already feel like the worst person on the planet, I would now. I hate lying to Spencer. I hate that I betrayed him. He doesn’t deserve any of it. I always knew he was too good for me, but I’ve proved that now.

35

Lawrence

My glass clinks with Robbie’s in cheers before we both shoot back another shot of tequila. We’ve been hitting it hard since we arrived at Pam’s, and I’ve lost count. Today sucked. Watching my best friend say goodbye to his father was rough and seeing Cat with Spencer was heartbreaking.

When she showed up here alone, I was so relieved. But my behavior toward Spencer cost me. She’s barely even looked at me tonight. I’ll admit I let my emotions get the best of me, and I didn’t handle the situation in a very mature manner. I’m not sure what I expected, but it hurt that she acted like I was practically a stranger in front of him.

“Whew,” I say, shaking my head as I slam my glass on the counter. “This stuff is no joke.”

Robbie laughs. “Yep, it does the trick.”

My head spins, and I eye all the food on the kitchen table. “We should probably get some food in us before we have any more.”

He shakes his head, his haunted eyes avoiding mine. “Nah, I’m not hungry. You go ahead. I think I’m going to step outside.”

He’s out the back door before I have a chance to respond, and I’m considering going after him when Cat walks in the room. I watch with bated breath as she approaches me, her eyes slits of fiery determination.

“What was that today?” she whisper-shouts as she comes to a stop, her hand landing on her hip.

A smile spreads across my face before I can catch it. I know she’s angry with me, but I’m a little inebriated, and she’s so damn cute.

“I don’t know what you mean.” I reach out and take her hand, but she jerks out of my hold.

“Cut the bullshit, Lawrence. This isn’t funny. You know exactly what I’m talking about. You acted like an ass in front of Spencer. What exactly were you trying to accomplish?”

Shrugging, I wrap a ringlet of her hair around my finger. “I don’t know. I suppose I wanted him to see where you really belong.”

She bats me away as her mouth drops open, red spreading on her chest and neck. “Excuse me? I don’t belong to anyone.”

“Whoa, I didn’t say you did. I said where. Where you belong. That’s with me. You belong with me. You always have.”

She presses herself against the counter as I step closer, placing my hands on either side of her to pin her in. Her chest rises and falls as she looks around to make sure we’re still alone.

“You’ve got to stop this, Lawrence. I’m with Spencer.” Her tone is pleading and desperate, and I know I’m pushing things too far.

“At the risk of repeating myself, I’ll say it again, that doesn’t mean you should be.”

She groans, pushing on my shoulders. When I stumble back, she glares at me with disappointment and turns on her heel, walking away as Robbie steps back inside.

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