Page 9 of Reviving Kendall

“Sorry,” he says quietly, “I didn’t mean to say anything to upset you again.”

I shoot him a sad smile, “It’s ok really. I’ve just had a bad couple of days.”

“Does it happen to have anything to do with us?” he asks.

My turn to shrug, “Maybe in an off-hand kind of way, but not really.”

Judy runs two waters out to our table and says the food’s going to take a little longer before disappearing again.

Lucas takes a long drink of his before he says, “You know, Teagan didn’t mean for all of that to go down the way that it did last night. He has never been the super serious type, so sometimes he comes off as an offensive asshole.”

Thinking back on my reaction, my face turns pink, “I may need to be the one apologizing. I overreacted a little. I just didn’t feel right taking his money like that.”

He lets out a short laugh, “You know, honestly, I think that very reason is why Maverick took a liking to you.”

I snort softly, “Right.”

“No, it’s true. He’s rough around the edges and a bit harsh sometimes, but he’s a good dude. Trust me when I say that he wouldn’t have let just anyone get in the Rover drenched with soda like you were. I’m pretty sure he’d probably go to jail for attempted murder if one of us tried it,” he says.

I think on his words for a minute, “Speaking of which. Why am I here? Why did you bother to come to the school Lucas? Especially after I showed you where I live.”

He sighs, “Because you were wrong.” My eyebrow goes up again and he says, “What? You think that just because we go to a prep school that we’re snobs? That sounds a lot like stereotyping to me.”

Shit. I don’t want them to be, but his words are true. My actions are no better than Derrik’s toward me and I never even thought about it like that, “I’m sorry.”

One corner of his mouth quirks up in victory, “No reason to be sorry. I’m sure it’s what you’re used to at that school and probably in life period.”

Before I can say anything, Judy drops plates covered in french fries and two of the biggest burgers I’ve ever seen in my life in front of us. “Y’all let me know if you want anything else.”

Lucas thanks her as I attempt a half-assed thanks. I know my eyes are as big as saucers, “You actually eat all of this?”

He laughs and rolls up the sleeves on his button down, “At least once a week.”

As he eloquently digs into his plate, I admire the way that his muscles flex in his forearms. Tattoos run from his wrists all the way up his arm underneath the rolls in the shirt.

I am completely entranced trying to pick apart the different designs, “How far do those go up?”

Looking up I see that he’s been watching me the whole time as he’s taking bites, “Eat some and I might tell you.”

Unladylike, I stuff three fries in my mouth at once and look at him expectantly. He almost chokes on a drink of his water and it makes me smile. After wiping it off his mouth and the little specks that landed on his shirt, he says, “These go all the way to my shoulders, but I have more across my back and chest.”

I narrow my eyes at him, “Wait, how old are you?”

He points at my food and waits until I take a bite of burger before he answers, “Nineteen.”

My mouth falls open in shock. Thankfully, there’s no food in it, “But those must have taken hours to do. What do you go and get new ones every weekend?”

Laughing he says, “No, I actually started some of them when I was sixteen.”

“How?” I ask

“Richie from Suburbiaville, remember?” he says with a smile.

Damn, he’s never going to let me live those words down and if I’m honest, I don’t really deserve to. I try to bring the conversation back to my curiosity, “Can I see the rest of them?”

This earns another laugh, “You better be glad you’re asking me that question and not Maverick or Teagan.”

“Why?” I ask suspiciously.

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