Page 73 of We Are the Stars

11

Carsen

“I’ll have water, please.”

“I’ll have a Coke with two cherries, please.”

The waiter nods and scurries away to fill our drink orders.

Usually we’re full of conversation, but tonight we’re sitting here in an awkward silence. Part of that is my fault. I’m on edge, nervous as fuck right now. I’m certain I’ll find a way to screw this up, and I don’t want to, but I can’t help the dread lodging itself in my stomach.

“This is nice,” Elliott remarks.

I glance around the local establishment, noting the older wooden tables with clean, new cloths over them and the slightly worn vinyl of the booths. “It’s not bad.”

“Have you been here before?”

“Not for a long time. It’s been at least five years.”

“Was the food good?”

“It’s pizza. Pizza is always good.”

“That is almost always true. Thereissuch a thing as bad pizza.”

“Well I hope it’s not bad. I figured this was a safe spot since I know you love pizza.”

She pins me with a hard stare. “They better have nacho cheese.”

I wink. “Guess we’ll find out.”

She mutters something about my balls as she picks up the menu and begins to peruse it.

“You’re buying, right? Good. How about an extra-large pepperoni and black olives, an order of cheesy bread, and some cheese sticks?” She sets the menu down with a smirk. “For me, of course. Then whatever you’ll have.”

“Oh, so you think—” I begin my smartass reply but my words die out when I notice how white Elliott goes.

Her gaze is focused behind me, and I turn to see where she’s staring off to.

It’s Jase.

My blood begins to boil at the sight of him.

“Fancy seeing you here,” he drawls.

“Jase,” Elliott says curtly.

I know for a fact they haven’t spoken since the night he came into Down the Lane drunk and mouthing off. We’ve talked about how toxic their relationship was becoming many times over the past month or so, and Elliott has vehemently declared she wants nothing to do with Jase so long as he is going to continue being the ass he has been lately.

“We’ll take that table right there,” Jase says to a random waitress running around. He’s pointing to the table directly across from ours.

I turn to Elliott. “Do you want to leave? We can.”

“No.” She shakes her head hard. “No way in hell I’m letting him ruin my delicious extra-large pizza.”

I grin at her determination. “I wouldn’t dare let him do so either. Ignore him?”

“Yes, let’s.”

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