Page 15 of Loved By The Bad Boy

She ordered fries. No surprises. The urge to steal a fry from her plate grows strong, but I dip my head in a bow and smile at the girl who invited me.

“You’re the new boy, right?” she says. I cringe at the word. It sounds like a plague.

“Yeah.”

She places a hand on her chest and says, “I’m Mira, and that puncher right there is Tessa.”

Gracie’s hands disappear under the table, and she offers Mira a tight smile. I’m curious to know the story behind the title. She fits right here with them, better than at Broadway Heights. I smile for Mira to continue. If I can’t get any info from Gracie, I’ll get it from someone else.

Mira’s brows wrinkle as she whispers, “If you call her Theresa, she will punch you. I learned that the hard way.” Her friend laughs harder than she should have. Gracie doesn’t. I need her to, so I can hear her laughter. I miss it. “The annoying ass sitting over there with Tessa is Calum Dissick.”

Finally. A name to the face. To his stupid face. Calum must have heard my thoughts because he side-eyes me. Yeah, I also loathe him. His name sounds like what I would call a relative I dislike.

Mira nudges her partner with her arm. “And baby face right here is my girlfriend, Imani.”

The fry in Imani’s mouth drops to her plate. “What? No.”

“But you said we were a couple or was that… Imani?” Mira cuts in. Imani frowns.

Mira shoots me a look. I don’t know them enough to have an opinion, and it sounds like a private conversation. Gracie seems to think so. We share an awkward glance, and she turns away. She looks different, not physically. I can’t explain it. The Gracie of Broadway Heights wouldn’t have made new friends this fast. I’m proud of her but also scared she has moved on from her past. Me.

“You girls,” Calum interrupts. “Can you discuss your relationship later? At home?”

Imani shrugs. Mira inches closer to the wall and folds her arms on her chest. I feel bad for her.

“The only couples here are Calum and Tessa,” Imani mumbles.

I don’t think she meant for the table to hear it, but I did. “Come again? What couple?” I ask.

“Them,” Imani answers.

Calum pushes an arm over Gracie’s shoulders as if to support Imani. I count to five, but she doesn’t give him hell for it. Snatching my soda from the table, I squeeze until it pops open, and the liquid trickles down my palm.

“What are you doing?” Imani whisper-yells.

I stare at my tray and the Coke soaking my burger. Different pairs of eyes settle on me, but I don’t look up to the one person I badly want to speak to. Instead, I place the tray on the floor.

“You were saying something about a couple,” I remind Imani. She nods. Mira moves closer. I’m not sure what telepathic conversation they have, but she smiles at Imani. “What about them?”

“Oh, yeah. I think they have chemistry,” Imani resumes. Mira nods in support. Calum grins at the duo. Gracie doesn’t look away from her plate. So, that’s what this is? A setup to buttress Calum’s threats. “Mira and I are still… working on our relationship, but I think Tessa and Calum have a shot.”

“They don’t,” I say before I can stop myself.

Imani stops picking her salad. “Why not?”

“Because she has a boyfriend,” I answer, and Gracie pales. The hand with her fry hangs in the air. Her eyes widen, and she stares at us like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar. “Don’t you? Tell them.”

“Tell them what?” she mutters.

“That you are not single,” I say, enunciating every word.

“Wow, what’s going on?” someone asks. I don’t look to confirm who spoke.

Picking up a napkin to wipe her mouth, she says more to herself than the rest of us, “I’m single.”

The tightness in my chest worsens. I drop a fist on the table. “You’re not.”

“I am,” she says. This time, she cocks her head enough to catch my eyes. “I had a boyfriend back at my former school, but we broke up. He didn’t think me worthy enough to be his girlfriend.”

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