Page 172 of As the Rain Falls
He answers, smiling meekly, “I don’t know.”
“Is he like…” I swallow hard, feeling uncomfortable. “Is he badmouthing her?”
I’d hate to see a guy hurt her like that. And while I still want to watch out for her, I suddenly don’t want to know about this anymore. What Caleb is doing, how much of her he gets to see that I don’t. I like her. Maybe. Just a little. It’s not a crush, not totally. It’s justsomething.
Not that anyone needs to know, because it doesn’t even matter anymore. We’re still not talking.
“I wouldn’t say he’s badmouthing her, but nobody takes her seriously, you know?” Mateo explains, keeping his voice low. “She’s his rebound from Maria. Once he’s done with her, he’ll go after someone else.”
I shake my head, finding it all a little absurd. “But she likes him.”
“She told you that?” Antony asks, gaze softening only the tiniest bit. It reminds me of the way he talks about his sisters when they’re doing something he disapproves of.
“No, but I definitely think she does.”
I set my cocktail aside, watching as Caleb yanks his apron off, grabs Cassandra, spins her around, and kisses her.
She’s still wearingmyjacket.
What a funny girl.
“I can’t fucking stand this guy,” I snap.
Antony laughs, “Nobody can.”
“No, like seriously.” I stare him down. “I actually hate him.”
I hear her laugh because ofhim,unaware of what he’s doing behind her back. It seriously makes me want to crush something.
“Mnn, I don’t know.” Mateo eyes me with understanding, a little too perceptive. “You sound more mad at him than at her,” He smiles, nose twitching. “What is she to you?”
I try to brush the whole off with my answer, “A friend.”
“That doesn’t sound right.”
I hear him say, but my treacherous eyes are looking for Cassandra again.Her dark blonde hair is swaying down her back. She’s flushed and embarrassed. Her knees are scraped again, bruises all over her thighs. I hadn’t noticed them before, but my heart squeezes in my chest at the sight.
Why is she always bruised?
Did she just hurt herself again?
“Yeah,” Antony actually agrees. “Do you like her or something?”
I shift, feeling uncomfortable. “It’s not like that.”
Yet.
If we had a proper conversation that day without any interruptions, maybe things would’ve been a little different.
“I swear, it isn’t.”
“It betternotbe,” he emphasizes. “Her brother messed with Lucia, andshetookhisside.” I let my best friend talk, knowing he has a point. She did take his side. I have no reason to believe otherwise. “I need to go to the bathroom.”
He leaves right after that, but Mateo lingers, observing me quietly. Truth is, I don’t hate her. At least, not in the same way Antony does. I’m mostly confused. I don’t understand why Nathaniel would even think we’re together or why he’d feel so threatened by that.
I also don’t get why he would try to joke about Lucia, especially not in the way he did. Out of all the people she went against over the years, I wouldn’t expect him to hold a grudge. I was always closer to Cassandra than they were ever close to each other.Nathaniel never tried to talk to me after Lucia’s death, either. I assumed he didn’t care about it enough to fake niceties with me.
“Hey.” Mateo nudges me, stealing my cocktail. “Is this alcohol-free?”
