Space (Laws of Physics #2)(43)

I glanced away quickly, fighting against the embarrassment heating my face and telling myself not to look again.

No. I want to look. I want to see him.

Then she’ll see you.

Does it matter?

I couldn’t decide.

“Mona?” Allyn prompted.

“Hmm?” I picked up my fork and knife and cut into the tenderloin on my plate, determined to eat more food.

“Did something bad happen with Charlie?”

I shook my head, shoveling steak, polenta with mushrooms, and the rocket, spinach, goat cheese, and cranberry salad into my mouth. Under normal circumstances, I probably would’ve requested a second serving. But not tonight. Tonight, even mushrooms tasted like unflavored tapioca pudding. Mush.

I felt Allyn’s eyes on me. I also felt someone else’s eyes on me, and I suspected they belonged to she-called-Kaitlyn.

“Hey, you ladies want anything to drink? I’m making cocktails.” Bruce—the guy sitting across from me and next to Allyn—leaned forward and glanced between us. “If I may say so, I make an excellent manhattan.”

“No thanks,” Allyn answered for both of us. “I’m making winter tea later, so cocktails now would be too much, I think.”

“Suit yourself,” he said, giving her a smile, me a single nod, and stood from the table, taking his plate with him. I decided, even though I didn’t know Bruce, I liked him. Anyone who cleared their own plate from the table without being asked was worthy of my respect.

“I like Bruce,” Allyn said, watching him go. “Maybe tomorrow I’ll take him up on his offer to make me a cocktail. This is the third time he’s asked, and he’s always so nice about it. I’ve never had a manhattan.”

“Hey now,” I said around my last bite of polenta, “what about my poor brother?”

Allyn laughed, giving me a look like she thought I was weird. “I don’t like Bruce that way. I—” Realizing what she’d just said, Allyn covered her mouth with her hand and stared at me with big eyes.

JACKPOT!

Pointing at her, I shook my head. “No take-backs.”

Her hand dropped, she crossed her arms. “Fine. Fine. Now you know the truth. Leo is a cutie pie and I just want to wrap him up in rice paper and eat him up like an egg roll.”

“Weird and gross. Nevertheless, I approve.” I’d had similar thoughts about Abram, but instead he was ice cream in a cookie cone.

Grinning, finished with my food, and feeling better than I had in days, of course I glanced down the table again and all the good feelings were chased away.

Kaitlyn was shaking her head at something Abram had said and she hit him lightly on the shoulder. He threw his head back, laughing with abandon, his hands over his chest.

Stop looking.

She’ll see you and know you’re a weirdo. Is that what you want?

Does it matter? He hates you. Look now, because you’ll never be this close to him again.

I still couldn’t decide, and I still hadn’t decided when she caught me spying. Again. But this time? I didn’t glance away.

Try being honest for once.

I held her gaze and allowed myself to just be jealous. I’d never been jealous before, but I knew in my bones that’s what this horrible feeling was. I felt it oozing out of me, jealousy-radiation coming from my pores and eyes, and then the weirdest thing happened.

Kaitlyn blinked. And then she smiled.





10





Circuits and Bioelectricity





*Mona*





She smiled.

Smiled. At me.

And not a mean-person smile, or a villain smile, or even a knowing smile.

It looked genuine, friendly, and—infuriatingly and adorably—cute due to the big gap between her teeth. The next thing I knew, she’d stood from her seat and walked down the length of the table, her eyes never leaving mine. And that’s when I got a good look at Abram’s Kaitlyn. That’s when I regretted eating all my dinner because my stomach now hurt. That’s when I wanted to rage against the unfairness of life.

Ladies and gents, this Kaitlyn person was a bombshell. Her boobs were ridiculous, and her waist was ridiculous, and her hips were ridiculous, a comic book rendering come to life. She was Betty Boop with longer hair and an intelligent spark in her eye.

If she were Abram’s girlfriend or soon-to-be girlfriend, or one of his lovers, I foresaw a lot of jealousy-fueled snow angels in my future.

“Hi. I’m Kaitlyn Parker.” She put her hand in front of me, like she expected me to take it.

I did, giving her a perfunctory shake. “Hello. I’m Mona DaVinci.”

Her grin widened and she glanced at the empty seat next to Allyn. “Do you mind if I sit?”

I glanced at Allyn, hoping to see a frown of disdain. But instead of an expression that mirrored mine, Allyn grinned at me, and then turned her sunny smile to Kaitlyn.

“Yes. Come sit down. You and Mona should be friends.”

WHAT!?

Now I glared at my former friend Allyn, the traitor, and she returned my scowl with a look of innocent confusion. But it was too late, this Kaitlyn person was already on the move, claiming the vacant seat. My fingers closed around the handle of my fork for no reason and I held it under the table. I wasn’t going to stab her with it. I wasn’t.