Page 97 of Giving In

“Yes, Luke...B.,” I say so she understands.

She explodes laughing, earning us the looks of many people in the cafeteria and I just want the ground to swallow me.

“Oh God, Jamie W., I think you’ve lost it a little bit since you and Jake W. do stuff. Luke B. doesn’t take pictures, silly!”

I almost choke on her words as Landon elbows her in the ribs.

“What did you say?” I rasp.

“Oh...no nothing sorry,” she quickly replies.

“She didn’t mean to offend you, Jamie,” Landon pacifies as he puts his hand on my free one resting on the table.

It confuses me because he’s not really a touchy-feely person and I don’t exactly like his skin on mine. It’s nothing compared to J–I mean Nathan’s. It’s nothing compared to my boyfriend’s.

“Mila,” I press. I don’t know what to do about Landon’s hand. It would be so cruel to just pull it away but it’s not okay for him to make me uncomfortable either.

“She just said Luke doesn’t take pictures,” Landon smiles and there’s a slight movement of his thumb as if to calm me, except it makes me even more fidgety.

“No, I mean the other thing. About Jake.” Her face falls at my strong voice but I don’t let her reply anyway. “Jake and I don’t do things–anything. Who told you that?”

“I–I don’t know, I just overheard it, I guess. You know how it is...rumors.” She shrugs both her shoulders and I want to stick my fork in her face. What a bitch.

“Nothing happened between us. Ever,” I defend.

It’s a lie but it’s also none of these guys’ business.

“You promise?” Landon asks as he caresses the back of my hand with his thumb again.

This is bothering me so much. Much more than it should. Why does he need to know so bad if something happened between Jake and me? And why is he touching my hand?

I despise when men think unwanted touch is okay. And I despise that us girls feel rude when all we want is not to be touched. It might be innocent, but it doesn’tfeelinnocent and I hate myself a little for not being brave enough to just pull away and for being scared to look bad-mannered.

“I–yes!”

“Right…” Mila trails her eyes behind me, and I don’t miss the smile twitching at her lips.

I jump in surprise when a hand grabs the back of my neck. I recognize Jake’s touch because my skin doesn’t want to crawl off my body like it does with Landon’s.

Aren’t you the one who just ranted about unwanted touch from men?

That’s exactly the problem. Jake’s touch is not unwanted. It never is.

“Baby, tell me what’s the name of that friend of yours,” he sits down next to me, his hand still wrapped around the back of my neck. “You know that nerdy one with glasses that thinks he can touch you, when we both perfectly know I would break his fingers if he ever dared?”

Landon’s hand flies away from mine in record time but I keep my eyes on my plate. I can’t bear looking at them after I just fought that Jake and I weren’t a thing.

He has to make me a liar by showing up with the sole intention to piss on his territory. I hate Jake’s technique, but I can’t help feeling grateful for finally being able to bring my hand back to my side. It feels clammy and, while I don’t want anything to happen to Landon, I couldn’t bear it anymore.

“So?” Jake insists, tightening his grip.

“L–Landon,” I reply reluctantly. My eyes are so fixed on my plate I can memorize it by heart.

“Right,” he exclaims, snapping his fingers as if finally remembering the name we all know he didn’t know in the first place. “You should tell him, next time I find his hand on yours, I’m gonna be forced to rearrange his dentition.”

I shiver at the thought of Jake punching Landon’s face until all his teeth fall out. I glance at Landon who now looks paler than the china on his platter.

“Are you telling him, or should I?” Jake urges.

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