Put Me Back Together(29)

I would have gladly scurried away at that moment, but Lucas took my hand and gently pulled me back into my seat, and there was something about the feeling of his fingers in mine—and the fact that he wasn’t letting go—that kept me there. Besides, Stabber Girl was still standing in my way.

“Hi, Monica,” Lucas said blandly, his attention mostly remaining with his drawing. “This is Katie.” I plastered a smile on my face as I looked up at her, but she barely glanced at me now. She only had eyes for Lucas.

“When did you start coming to the games again?” Monica said, twirling a finger around a strand of her auburn hair. “You should have told me. I would have saved you a seat.”

From the way she said the word “seat,” I was pretty sure she wanted to find hers in Lucas’s lap. I was wondering how familiar this girl was with Lucas and his lap, when all of a sudden she fell forward and landed directly in it, her short skirt fanning out around her thighs and her arms looping around his neck.

“Oops,” she said perkily as she pressed her ample breasts against his chest. I had to reach up and snap my mouth closed. This girl’s moves put Sally’s to shame, and that was saying something. “I guess I tripped.”

“I guess you did,” Lucas said.

He let go of my hand then, and I couldn’t even blame him. What guy wouldn’t with those long legs and that cleavage and all that hair right in front of him? But I did notice that he didn’t put his arms around her. He was gripping the edge of his seat as she wiggled around in front of him, trying to keep his balance.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come over and sit with Taylor and Danny and me?” Monica said as she smoothed the front of his shirt with her fingers, each of which ended in a perfectly polished nail. “You can share my nachos.”

Share my nachos? That had to be code for something dirty.

“We’re fine right here, Mon,” Lucas said, moving his head to the left so he could see around her pouting face. “Thanks for offering, though.”

I heard the tone of dismissal in Lucas’s voice, but apparently Monica did not. She lingered for a few more minutes, licking her glossy lips and nuzzling Lucas’s neck until she seemed to realize she wasn’t going to get the reaction she wanted. With a hmph, she hauled herself to her feet and folded her arms over her chest.

“Well,” she said before she turned away, “you have my number. Remember you can call me any time you want, day or night. I’m always available.” She gave Lucas one more suggestive look before walking slowly down the stairs on her precarious heels.


I looked over at Lucas as he tore off the crumpled page Monica had sat on and started on a new sketch without missing a beat. I hoped he didn’t think we were just going to go on as if that hadn’t just happened, because, frankly, I wasn’t that mature.

“Old friend?” I inquired, my tone innocent.

Lucas looked away from the court, his eyes following Monica as she moved through the crowd. “No,” he said. “Monica and I were never friends, that’s for sure.”

I guessed it served me right for asking. All of a sudden I was the one who felt like vomiting. The only thing that stopped me was the entirely disinterested look on Lucas’s face as he watched Monica walk away and the memory of his hand in mine.

A few minutes later we both got up to move. I watched Lucas move down three rows and take a seat on the stairs, and then picked a random seat for myself, trying to shake the image of Monica in Lucas’s lap out of my mind.

I was already folding my pad open to a fresh page when I heard the person next to me squeak, “Katie?”

Emily was sitting in the seat beside mine with an enormous soda in her hand, the straw in her mouth. A guy with light brown hair and nice blue eyes sat next to her, looking from my sister to me with a stunned expression I’d seen a hundred times before. Twin sisters tended to attract attention. “What is happening right now?” Emily said, her expression a cross between surprise and suspicion. “Is this a class assignment or something?”

I leaned over my sister and proffered my hand to her date. “Twin sister, Katie,” I said by way of explanation.

“This is Marty,” Em said dismissively, gesturing at him without looking his way.

“Matt,” he corrected, and Em shrugged. I groaned inwardly. It was typical Emily behaviour to get a guy to take her to some event, buy her ticket and snacks, and drive her there and back only for her to forget him before the sun rose the next day. If she had already forgotten his name, Matt here was a definite goner, and here he was looking all starry-eyed. Poor bastard.

“I’m just doing some sketches, for practice,” I explained, holding up my pad. I hoped Em wouldn’t notice Lucas in the crowd, but just then he stood up and moved down a few more stairs. He looked over and gave me a wink before sitting back down. My sister’s eyes widened with delight.

Oh, crap on a stick.

“You’re here on a date with Lucas?” she whispered excitedly into my ear, loud enough that Matt and the entire row of people behind us could hear.

“Wait, Lucas Matthews?” Matt said, giving me a suddenly far more appreciative look.

“Great, Em,” I said. “Thanks so much.”

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me,” she said. “Is he a good kisser? Does he have a long tongue? Tall guys often do, you know.”