Page 75 of Good Losers (Lochkelvin Academy)

Danny freezes when he realizes where my attention is. “So you went with the chiefs after all,” he mutters, not sounding at all surprised. “Huh. Are you here for some fancy weekend break?Let’s take in the festival, dahling. That kind of thing?”

I’ve rarely felt as awkward as I do then. “No. Nothing like that,” I mumble, gazing into his brown eyes. “Actually… we’ve kinda run away, too.”

He frowns at me, looking doubtful. “What reason does Rory possibly have to run away from his poncy-arsed country retreat?”

His dad, just like you.

The answer hovers on my tongue but I don’t voice it. Instead, I say, “Why don’t you come with us? You can ask him yourself.”

Danny gives me a look like he’d rather ingest nails.

“Please,” I add, and only then does he waver. “It’d be good to hang out with you again. We can just chill together.”

He gazes across to Finlay and Rory, looking tepid at the prospect. “They’re headcases, Jessa. You shouldn’t be involved with them,” he mutters, but he seems to know I won’t relent. With a sigh, he picks up his backpack and hauls it over his shoulders. He gathers his sandwich close to his chest, taking an angry bite from it as we approach the car.

Rory raises his head, tilting it to the side as he examines Danny. He blows out an unimpressed breath, the soft strands of his blond hair fluttering away from his forehead.

Finlay says nothing at all.

“Danny’s coming with us,” I inform them brightly, and Rory lets out a sardonic laugh.

“Are you joking?” He stares at Danny, part amused, part revolted. “That little git’s getting nowhere near this car. In fact, you’re already too close for comfort. Back off, Danny-boy.”

Danny narrows his eyes and nudges me gently with his elbow. “Maybe I’ll see you at school instead, aye?”

“Absolutely not,” I say, glaring at Rory. I glance over at Finlay to back me up, but his back is turned on the whole thing. “It’sDanny. He’s my best friend. I want him with us.”

Rory shrugs, looking like this isn’t his particular problem. “That’s a shame, little saint, because we sure as hell don’t.”

“Jessa, seriously, I’m fine by myself.” Danny rubs his exposed forearms, looking increasingly uncomfortable as he’s met with rejection after rejection. “I can just call you later—”

But I don’t listen to him. I stare at Finlay, wondering why he’s behaving so out of character. Rory’s being an utter dickhead and Finlay’s just… standing by and letting him? That isn’t like him. Where’s his shrewd persuasion? The quietactually, maybe that isnae the best way tae cheer up the sassenach… in his ear?

Right now, Finlay barely looks part of the group never mind the driver of our car. And then, as my mind flicks through the insanity of the previous few days, I remember.

It hits me like a cartoon anvil.

Oh my God.

The last time these two met, they were drunkenly mashing the faces off each other in a wet, secret kiss.

Fucking hell.

No wonder they can’t look each other in the eye.

“Danny, listen to me,” I say, feeling brave as I place a hand around his wrist. His skin is tanned from all his outdoor traveling and it’s warm to touch. “You’re coming with me whether you want to or not.” I meet Rory’s disgusted gray gaze. “I’m going to bring Danny with me whether you want it or not. And that’s final.”

Rory stares at me for a hard minute, as though checking wordlessly for any chink in my strident defense of Danny. “One moment,” he says, languidly peeling his body away from the car door and sliding inside. He slams the door behind him.

In the distance, Finlay follows suit, and I wonder for a brief second if they’re all going to take off without me. If they’re going to leave me and Danny in the dust of their luxury car.

With the tinted dark windows, I can’t even observe them. I figure they’re talking to Luke, keeping him in the loop. I lean against Danny, trying to console him somehow. He puts an arm around my shoulders and I snuggle my head against him. Together we say nothing, but I look around to examine where we are.

We’re in some kind of secluded cobbled square, with large sandstone townhouses around the perimeter and a lush green space in the center. Between the thick foliage, tall white marquees are propped inside the small park. People are flocking in its direction, a lot of them carrying books. It looks like some kind of event is taking place.

After a long, long couple of minutes, Rory lazily winds down the window. He casts another dismissive glance over at Danny and then turns to me.

“If he’s not coming with me,” I blurt, unable to read the lack of emotion on Rory’s face, “then I’m not, either.”

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