Page 75 of Sugar Rush
“Um, well… Yeah. You kind of freaked me out,” I admitted.
He exhaled, looking properly embarrassed by his actions. His apology sounded genuine, but I wasn’t exactly in a forgiving mood. Still, I didn’t want to kick someone when they were trying to be better.
“It was really dumb. I don’t know what I was thinking. Other than… I think you’re really cute. And you’re always helping out at the center, and you’re nice to everyone there. You’re just really special.”
“Ah, no,” I corrected him, trying not to cringe at the description. It was a little too desperate teen romance for me. “I’m not special. I just like helping out because that youth grief group your mom runs really helped me before.”
“Still,” he insisted. “You’re not like other omegas.”
“I am,” I corrected him again. “Really. And um, it’s not personal or anything, okay?” I finally said, just wanting the conversation to be over. I didn’t feel nervous anymore, and it seemed like he felt bad about what he’d done and said to me, but I didn’t want to encourage him or leave him with the idea that I’d warm up to his advances. “I’m seeing someone.”
“Yeah, Dani told me that when I asked,” he said, sounding regretful. “You know, I thought that guy at Kevin’s party was your boyfriend. The one with the tattoos.”
I resisted the urge to clear my throat or look guilty to confirm his guess, but stayed quiet.
“But then some other people told me he’s actually your brother.”
“He’s my stepbrother,” I inserted. A distinction that I wanted to make crystal clear.
His eyebrows raised a little, but he nodded. “He seems pretty… Protective.”
“Yeah. He is.”
Julio’s phone call seemed to end then, and he started heading back toward us.
“Well, anyway. I just wanted to apologize and… I hope things aren’t weird between us anymore.”
“Yeah, okay. No weirdness,” I repeated, hoping it was true. And it seemed like maybe it would be. He hadn’t pressed me forinformation about myboyfriend, if I could call him that. And he hadn’t pressured me to forgive him or tell him it was okay, which I was pretty sure what someone did when they weren’t being genuine. And anyway, I’d be leaving for school soon and wouldn’t have time to volunteer at the center anymore. We’d probably never even cross paths again, so there was no point in holding on to bad feelings.
Julio dropped back down into his chair, sighing. “Assholes can’t do anything without me.”
And then Dani came back out of the bathroom, and all was right in my little world again. Well, almost. Kieran was still acting all emo about my dad almost catching us. Or something. It was still kind of unclear exactly what he’d gotten upset about. But my conversation with Dani in the car had sparked an idea in my brain that I hoped would help bring things into perspective for him.
When we got ready to leave, I asked her to drop me off at Kieran’s work instead of my house.
KIERAN
“THANKS FOR COMINGin,” Barbie called out as what would probably be our last customer for the night waltzed out with a big smile on their face, now sporting a tribal band around one bicep. Simple and basic, but hard to screw up. I didn’t mind those every once in a while, but I’d go nuts if I couldn’t do the creative stuff too. “Good job, kid.”
“Thanks,” I said, trying to keep the glum note out of my voice, but I was already tired from acting professional in front of the customer. At least the day was almost over.
She eyed me for a moment before sighing and leaning her hip onto the checkout counter. “Uh-oh,” she said, crossing her arms lightly over her chest. “I thought we were done with that gloomy shit. You’ve been feeling better since you went on that trip.”
“I’m fine.”
“For once, let’s save some time and you just spill it. I’m tired of riding your ass to get the truth out of you.”
Shifting my gaze to the wall beside us, I let out a long breath. “I just… I fucking suck. I hurt him. Again.”
“Your little boy toy?” She questioned, causing me to give her a wry, irritated look.
“He’s not my boy toy, okay? He’s important.”
“I understand that,” she assured me, raising an eyebrow. “Why’d you hurt him?”
“I didn’t mean to. I’m just so bad at everything.”
“If you didn’t mean to, then just apologize. He’ll understand.”
