Page 24 of Bitter Beats

“No problem.” He scribbles down the order.

“For you, sir?” He looks at me, nearly does a double take, and glances back at his notepad.

“Just a Coke.” I close my menu. “And a Margherita pizza.”

“I’ll do the caprese salad and minestrone soup,” Lia tacks on.

“Perfect. I’ll be, um, right back with your drinks.” The server scurries away.

“You made him nervous,” Lia accuses me.

I shrug. “I have that effect on people.”

Lia laughs again like I’m joking. Shit, am I losing my touch?

I frown. Is Lia really becoming more Mckenna’s friend than my fuck buddy? I tug at the collar of my T-shirt. It’s hardly restrictive, and yet, it feels too damn tight.

What is even happening right now?

Save for the fact that Lia is good people, and I enjoy fucking her, I don’t care who she’s friends with.

But Mckenna, damn, I want to know so many things about her. Too many things.

I frown, pressing my lips together. Since Mckenna showed up, she’s invaded my living space, disrupted my social gatherings, and now, she’s stealing my friends.

It’s bullshit. It’s annoying.

It’s fucking with my head, and the fact that I’m more concerned than angry terrifies me.

I think I’m crossing over to the fucking dark side, too.

NINE

MCKENNA

“You brought me dinner?”I ask, confused.

“Lia did.” Mav leans against the stove and crosses his arms over his chest. He stares at me, expectant.

“Uh, thanks.” Lia and I have been spending a lot of time together, and given my lack of friends, we’re hitting it off. She’s even called me Kenny a few times. But I wouldn’t expect her or Mav to bring me dinner when they were on a date.

Shit, does she think I’m a charity project? Did she tell Mav?—

“Why the hell didn’t you tell me you’ve been working at the café?” he interrupts my thoughts, clearly annoyed by my silence.

I sigh heavily. So he knows. Frustration gathers at the base of my throat, but it’s mainly directed at myself. I can’t be angry at Lia for telling Mav something that should be common knowledge.

Still, as my frustration burns into humiliation, I revert to my default position. Angry and snappish. “It’s none of your business.” I don’t mean the words to sound as sharp as they do, but I don’t want to tell Mav how much debt I’m in. Or how my parents are literally arguing over garbage cans in their divorce settlement. Or how, after years of ignoring my father’s infidelity, Mom decidednotto turn a blind eye when the woman he washaving a tryst with two years ago was her sister. And how, since that tryst ended, it burned my entire life to the ground and resulted in everyone in my family forgetting I exist.

The last two times I tried to speak with either of my parents about law school and finances, they circled the conversation back to themselves and their divorce.

Since then, Dad cancelled our dinner plans with his new girlfriend Jeannie and Mom is still in Cabo, taking a break from her socials. Somehow, that also includes me.

For two people who claim to have nothing in common, they sure share common ground where their daughter is concerned.

No, this shame is mine. Allegra, Ivy, and Nova know part of the story. Emily and Robyn know even less. My friends understand snippets, watered-down morsels, of how my family disintegrated. Of how I am barely keeping my head above water, juggling financial burdens I never considered, a law degree I don’t want to give up, and a very unclear future.

Mav narrows his eyes. A muscle twitches in his jaw, and I know he’s not impressed with my response.

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