Page 26 of Tasting Innocence

Chapter Nine

In the morning,everyone gets up and meets in the dining hall for breakfast. I catch Jayden and Trevor taking extra biscuits and cinnamon rolls to have something to snack on before lunch. Bryant and Shawn finish their food and start talking to Monique who’s in the middle of making another trip to the buffet for seconds.

I’m at a table with Renzo and Ronan, completely zoned out and not paying attention to whatever they’re talking about, because I’m too busy trying to stare at Vi without looking like I’m staring at her.

She sits with Scarlet and they talk quietly, bringing their faces closer together as they lean forward, and every once in a while their eyes will zone in on me.

I’m still unsure what happened last night. Maybe she’s realizing she’s not that interested. It’s possible I scared her off a little, but I know enough about Violet and her personality to know that she’s not easily offended or put off by crude language. I’ve heard her talking to her friends about guys.

Confused, and not entirely sure what to do, I push the eggs around my plate with a fork and think.

“What’s up with you?”

I hear the voice but don’t realize the question is aimed at me until I feel someone kick my foot under the table.

“Huh?” I look up and see Renzo watching me with a weird look on his face.

“What’s going on? Why are you so zoned out and sad?”

I sit up straighter. “I’m not sad.”

“Well, what’s up?”

I feel Ronan’s eyes on me for a couple seconds before he speaks up. “He’s probably just tired. I still feel kinda out of it, too.”

He’s helping me out and I appreciate it, because he must be aware that something’s going on. Ronan’s the only one who knows how I feel about Violet. And I feel bad for having him keep it from Renzo.

“Yeah, I’m pretty tired,” I answer. “Might go back to sleep for a little while.”

I get up and take my plate to the buffet table, stacking it with the other dirty ones, and leave the room to go to my own.

Only five minutes later, Ronan comes through my door with his arms crossed over his chest. “Tell me what’s really going on.”

I lift my hands over my head, interlocking my fingers, and push my head deeper into the pillow. “No thanks.”

His steps thump across the floor as he walks closer, and then the bed dips as he drops down at the foot. “Okay, but you know I know you’re lying, and you know that I’m the only one who knows about certain things, which means you know I’m the only one you can talk to, so get to it.”

“I hate you, you know that?”

He chuckles. “We both know that’s not true.”

I grudgingly sit up and rest my back against the wall since there is no headboard. “It might be best if I don’t tell you. It’ll just be one more thing you’ll have to keep from Renzo, and I already feel like shit about it.”

He tilts his head. “Just tell me.”

I go over the whole story, telling him about the flirting, the innuendos, and then the kiss in the garden. I also explain what I said to her last, and how she’s been ignoring me since.

“So, what do you think? Did I offend her?”

“Well, I can’t say for sure, but I’m thinking probably not.”

“So, what? She changed her mind?”

He looks down, chewing on his lip, and I know he’s thinking something but isn’t sure if he should tell me.

“What?” I question.

“Nothing.”

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