Page 40 of The Leaving Road

Lydia scoffed. “Isn’t that thewholereason you’re back?”

A chair slid out from next me, and the way it ground against the floor sounded like nails on a chalkboard and caused my hackles to rise.

“Shit,” Matt said from beside me, and I looked to see who now occupied the spot.

Cassie.

Chapter 26

Magnolia

“Well, well, doesn’t this look cozy?”

Yup, her voice still sounded like nails on a chalkboard and someone with severe daddy issues…not that I’m judging, we all have our kinks. I’m judging her because she obviously is still a shit person.

My eyes landed on Lydia, who was wearing a ghost of a smile. Clearly, she had let Cassie know I was here.What is her problem with me? I don’t even know her.

Dexter decided the silence was too uncomfortable and spoke first. “Hey Cass.” His slight frown was apparent when he eyed his girlfriend. “Didn’t know you’d be out tonight.”

“Well, that’s okay. Lydia texted me.”

I kept my gaze on Dexter and Lydia on the opposite side of the table. I also slowly angled my body as far away from Cassie as possible so I could keep an eye on her without it being too obvious.

“Great,” Dexter said with a smile that looked like he was being forced to chew glass.

She finally turned her gaze to me, as if finally able to zone in on her intended target. “Magnolia, how…interestingit is seeing you here. Wouldn’t have expected it.”

Matt tensed next to me, and to be completely honest, I had forgotten he was there since my sole focus was trained on Cassie. Never turn your back on your enemy and all that.

“Why would that be interesting?” Matt asked from beside me, moving his forearms onto the table so his head stuck out a bit past my body and he could make eye contact with her.

Where the hell is Lexie? Does it really take this long to get drinks?

Cassie scoffed from beside me. “Didn’t you know? Miss Magnolia M—” She stopped before she said the “Moo,” her gaze coating over me as if to realize that name was no longer applicable. I had to bite back a smile. I wore my curves well now, and I knew it—and nowshe knewit, too.

“Magnolia left years ago, not a clue as to where she might have gone. Had the whole town up in a frenzy for days, itreally wastedious. That was, until someone was able to get a hold of her dad, and lo and behold, she just went away for college and didn’t think to say goodbye.”

My blood was boiling. I felt as though I was a pot of water left on simmer, and if someone didn’t turn the heat downsoon,I was subject to erupt, and there was a chance everyone at the table would be within my splash zone.

What is it with this bar? Last time I had confrontation with Sloan, and this time, Cassie.

Matt let out a slow exhale from beside me, clearly unsure of what to say next. “Well, that’s in the past… Is anyone hungry?”

Cassie waved his question away and kept her gaze firmly locked on the side of my face since I was still firmly refusing to sink down her level of petty and confrontation.

“I guess it worked out for the best, though. I got to comfort Sloan while he thought the worst happened… Imagine hisreliefwhen he found out you just tucked and ran.”

How she managed to make the wordreliefsound sexual in this context, I’ll never know, butthatword—that was the one that set me from a mild simmering rage into a boiled over one.

“Yeah? And how’s thatworking out for you?”I finally turned my head to meet her gaze, this time with a sickly-sweet smile plastered on my face. I didn’t know everything; in fact, I knewabsolutelynothing, but I knew they were no longer together and hadn’t been for a while. Not with all the random remarks he’s made, and considering she’s never once been around him in the time I’ve been home.

The cocky smirk she had been sporting turned into an ugly snarl right before my eyes.There it is, ugly inside and out.I couldn’t help the small chuckle that passed my lips at the rage I could see on Cassie’s face when she realized the small-town girl who used to walk away when getting picked on was nowhere in sight.

I couldn’thelpmyself; I knew I should have, but I couldn’t. I started looking around, all flustered and picking up the menu that lay in front of me, the caddy that was left on the table, looking around in confusion. This caused everyone at the table to eye me suspiciously, wondering what thehellI was doing.

“Uh, Magnolia? You okay?” Matt questioned.

“Oh yeah, I’m just looking for the nice girl mask that slipped off Cassie’s face. I think it must have fallen onto the table or floor…”

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