Page 29 of Clap Back (Carter Brothers)

But Auden was acting like Scott was so insignificant to both me and himself that we hadn’t discussed him at all.

Well played, Auden. Well played.

Scott puffed up his chest, ready to fight now, but Sheldon appeared from behind Auden’s back and said, “Who are you?”

“I’m Maven’s man. Who are you?” Auden challenged sarcastically.

“I’m her ex-fiancé,” he said.

I rolled my eyes. “There was never a fiancé title to be an ex.”

“Amen,” Athena said. “Dodged that bullet.”

“Why the fuck are you still here? Shouldn’t you be in your high school classes still?” Sheldon snarled at her.

I snorted.

Athena was young.

She was twenty-one, and far younger than I was. Than Sheldon was, too.

When Sheldon and I were together, he’d hated that I hung out with a ‘kid.’

Truthfully, I’d loved Athena the moment I met her. She was younger than me, sure, but she was mature for her age and always had been. We’d hit it off because of a book club we’d attended years ago and had stayed fast friends ever since.

Sheldon didn’t like Athena because she was too smart.

His words, exactly.

He hated feeling stupid when Athena was around, and it was inevitable that Athena wouldn’t dumb herself down enough that Sheldon could stand her.

“How about you go back to your table with your friends, and leave us alone to finish our food?” Athena suggested. “We only have twenty more minutes left before Maven has to go visit with her lawyer.”

Scott’s anger turned to me again, his eyes narrowing. “What lawyer?”

“Don’t act like you don’t know why I need a lawyer. It’s beneath you.” I stood up, my body brushing along Auden’s as I did. “You’re late.”

Since we were putting on a show…

“Come join us,” he suggested, his hand going to mine—the one still clutching the book.

I didn’t protest his hand tugging me toward his table.

I did, however, catch Athena’s hand and pull her along with me.

When we arrived at the Carter table, all eyes were on us.

Atlas’s were amused.

Quincy’s were narrowed and aimed at the assholes behind me.

The rest of them were ping ponging between the two emotions.

“This is Maven, as you know,” he said to the group as he tugged a chair to stuff it between myself and his brother, Quaid. “Athena is her best friend.”

I was smiling so big my face hurt.

He didn’t raise an eyebrow at introducing the two of us.

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