Page 26 of Austen Persuaded

“He didn’t notice her,” Rafael said slowly as he turned to me. “Annie, you know what that means?”

“Yep. He’s either crushing hardcore on someone else or having some diarrhea issues,” I said, swirling my drink.

Rainn spit out some of his drink. “I am—” he sputtered. “My digestive system is fine, thank you very much.”

“Then it’s a woman,” said Rafael with a sly smile, nudging me as I nodded distractedly.

Rainn crossed his arms and shook his head. “No. I don’t know … maybe. It’s too soon to tell.”

After a moment of silence, Rafael laughed. “OK, you have your secrets for now, but we’ll expect progress reports, all right?”

“Not agreeing to that,” Rainn mumbled. “I PR’d today, and all you can do is rib me about some girl you don’t even know?”

“A-ha, so thereisa girl!” Rafael said with a gleeful smile at me.

I giggled and then abruptly halted. “Wait … you set a personal record? Was your half marathontoday?”

“I’ve got the sore plantar fascia to prove it,” he said, pointing to his left foot. “But it was worth beating 1:30 finally.”

“That’s amazing, Rainn! Congratulations,” I said, throwing my arms around him and nearly knocking us both off our bar stools.

Rafael sighed, surveying the two of us with a resigned smile. Likely he’d already congratulated Rainn earlier in the day. Unlike me, wallowing in my own drama, Rafael probably hadn’t completely forgotten about our friend’s big race. He had probably been there to greet Rainn at the finish line. “Fine, you’re off the hook for now, man. You’ll tell us about the new girl soon though.”

Rainn flashed us both an enigmatic smile.

“And what about you, Ms. York?” Rafael asked, angling his stool to better face me.

My brows lowered and drew together. “What about me?”

“I know what you’re thinking, girl. How dare he ask me, since I’ve had my heart broken so recently, blah blah,” said my supposed best friend.

So he wanted to push my buttons. I said nothing, not willing to appease him by agreeing.

Why’s my damn glass empty?

I raised my hand toward the bartender.

“Annie,” Rafael said, more gently this time as he put a hand on mine. “I know you liked Brandon, but I don’t think you loved him. I feel like there’s more to this. More than you’re telling us.”

My mouth set in a thin line, I looked away. “Tonight’s not about me.”

“No, tonight’s aboutme, andIwant to talk about you.”

I crossed my arms and then heaved a great sigh. “Well, you know my mother called.”

Rafael squeezed my hand. “And that never ends well.”

“She—she’s coming here. Not to visit me, of course, but to help her latest boyfriend’s med-school daughter get settled into a new place here. Or some crap, I won’t bore you with the details. I tuned out after a while.”

“Did you tell her you’d had some personal struggles, uh, with Brandon, illness?” Rainn asked. He understood my mother less than Rafael, who knew better than to ask that question.

“I did, but she has no sympathy. She’s chronically incapable of it. She assumed Brandon had—had left me because of somethingIdid and then accused m-me of being hysterical and making everything about me. Typical Jacqueline,” I said shakily. I tried to laugh flippantly but croaked instead.

I watched as both men’s expressions turned angry, their fists clenched and faces red—or was it the alcohol and heat of the bar?

Why am I telling them all of this? It’s nothing new, nothing they haven’t heard before.

“Guys, you know this is just how she is. Calm down. Nothing shocking here.”

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