Kiss and Break Up (Magnolia Cove, #1)(17)

I smiled at him, and he smiled back before facing forward when the light turned green.

Ten minutes later, a server at the steak house directed us to a booth in the back, away from the squealing children who were pounding on the jukebox by the bar.

“What are you having?”

I ran my nail down the menu, stopping when I saw the spicy chicken tenders Dash always ordered. I couldn’t stand hot food, but the sight of them made me pause and wonder how long it’d been since we’d eaten here. We used to grab dinner here after or before every movie we saw, but I was sure the last time I’d seen him eat them was earlier that summer.

I shook my thoughts away and shut the menu. “I think I’ll go with the salad wraps. You?”

His lashes crested the tops of his cheeks as he studied the menu. “I think the T-bone.”

He flagged the waitress and we ordered, and then the awkward arrived again.

“So,” I started.

“What’s with you and Dash?”

Startled, I sat back in the seat, the wood biting into my back. “What do you mean?”

He seemed to pick his words carefully, his green eyes bobbing over my face. “It’s like this unspoken thing that no one touches you. But I’d always wondered why. Especially when he won’t date you.”

Whoa. “Excuse me?”

“Wait a second.” His brows furrowed. “You didn’t know?”

I’d thought Daphne had been exaggerating. I never thought it was an actual thing.

I was going to kick Dash square in the junk, then go to his house and empty his Pokémon card collection, mess them all up, and put them back in the folders in the wrong order, and, and … and so much more.

“I’ll take that shocked look on your face as a no.” A harsh breath puffed his cheeks. “Shit, look, I didn’t mean—”

“No, it’s okay.” I had to set him straight. “He’s been my best friend since we were in diapers.” I forced out a dry laugh. “Not even joking, we were potty trained together.” I cringed. “God, um, just ignore that last comment.”

Byron was grinning. “No, please.” He leaned forward, fingers steepled beneath his strong, smooth chin. “Tell me more.”

I laughed, despite feeling like I was close to screaming, and then I did. “Our moms were best friends in college, and they met our fathers at the same time, not long before graduating. They don’t talk anymore, but Dash and me, well, we’re still close.” Though after this, I wasn’t so sure.

All this time, I’d thought if I just got my braces off, wore a little more mascara, maybe a push-up bra for my b-cups, then someone would notice me. I knew I wasn’t hideous, but for so long, I’d wondered if maybe I was missing something.

What an idiot. I clearly had.

Fucking Dash.

“I was surprised, you know,” Byron said, ripping the wrapper off a straw and dumping it inside my Coke when the waitress set our drinks down.

I thanked her as she left. “Surprised?”

“To learn that he’s seriously best friends with you. You’re just so different.”

“Maybe personality wise,” I said. “But we have some things in common, I guess.”

“Like what?”

I groaned. “Can we skip the Dash talk? I’m not exactly happy with him after finding this out.”

He nodded. “You’re going to tell him, aren’t you?”

“What did he do exactly? Warn people off me?”

Byron bobbed his head side to side. “Sometimes. Mostly, it’s just this widely known fact. Don’t fuck with Peggy Newland or Dash will fuck with you.”

Mother trucker.

My hand curled too tight around my glass, slipping and almost losing purchase as I dragged it closer and took a long sip. “Yet you still asked me out.”

His grin had the straw plopping out of my mouth. Green eyes danced over my lips. “I got done with giving a shit. Let him try.”

Our food arrived, and thankfully, the subject changed to less frustrating topics. Such as movies, Game of Thrones, and the return to school the following week.

“What about Kayla?” I felt comfortable enough to ask, especially since he’d pried about Dash.

He twisted his lips, then sighed. “That got complicated for a bit, which is why I didn’t get in touch right after the party.”

What did that even mean? Judging by the sour pinch to his lips, I’d hit a nerve. “Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s done now. For good.”

“You had a fight?” While I didn’t mean to pry, I was here. On a date. With him.

He pushed his plate away, then stretched his arms up and over his head. If he was doing it to distract me, it was working. Muscles gathered and contracted in his arms as his fists opened and closed. He yawned, dropping his hands to his lap. “She’d heard about the party, came over to my place, and tried to start some shit.”

“Oh damn.”

Jerking his head, he grimaced. “She can get a little crazy. I wanted to make sure there was no blowback.”

“Blowback?”

He reached over the table, grasping my hand with his. Fingers warm and rough sent flutters pouncing around in my stomach. “I want to keep seeing you.”