Jaded (Jaded #1)(103)

“He did? Why?”

I shrugged. “I think he accused one of the cops of being dirty. I don’t think that goes over too well.”

“Yeah…cops can be pretty quick to defend themselves,” Marcus muttered.

The Party Packs sandwiches still covered the entire table, half eaten.

I sighed and leaned against the counter as Marcus started cleaning off the food.

“You like me, don’t you?” I asked suddenly.

His hands paused, clenched, and he looked up, pale, “Yeah.”

“Why?”

He said swiftly without pause, “Because you’re amazing.” He added, “Why do you think everyone wants you?”

“Everyone doesn’t want me.”

“Chad Yerling. Bryce Scout. Corrigan Raimler. That movie star guy.”

“Yerling never wanted me. He just wanted to piss off Bryce and Corrigan.”

“What about the rest?”

I gave no comment to the rest, but I did mutter, “Corrigan’s my best friend.”

“And…” His jaw clenched as he asked, “Bryce?”

I didn’t comment. I didn’t trust my voice.

“What?” Marcus asked softly. “You guys have a fight or something?”

“What?”

“You look sad.”

I glanced to the floor and tightened my robe.

“But you always look sad…,” he added.

I did?

“You didn’t eat yesterday when you were at the Eatery. You didn’t eat…I noticed that…” He swallowed, jumpy. “Are you hungry? I have some food in my car. I could go and get it…if you’d like.”

“No, I’m okay. Thanks. I just…I don’t eat that often.”

“You should, you know.” He jerked his head up and down, a self-conscious nod.

“You hardly ever eat. Is that…are you, like, anorexic, or something? I…I know someone with that eating disorder and she said she can’t eat because she feels all panicky if she does, like she’s going to fall apart or something.”

“No. I eat when I’m hungry. I’m just not hungry that often.”

“Oh.” He fell silent and returned to cleaning the Party Packs.

“Thanks for noticing, though,” I remarked, kindly.

He glanced back, blushed, and smiled, “Yeah.”

I had taken two steps towards the door when I heard him whisper, underneath his breath, “I notice everything.”

I turned back and asked, clearly, “Why?”

He jumped and whirled to me. “What?” He looked alarmed.

“Why do you notice everything?”

“Because no one notices me.”

“Everyone notices me,” I said flatly.

“I know.” Another flush and his hands jerked.

“I wish no one noticed me.”

His hands stilled and the flush disappeared. “You do?”

“I do. I could breathe a lot easier.”

“I…I feel like that sometimes,” Marcus confessed.

“Why can’t you breathe?”

Call me crazy. Call me out-of-sync or illogical, but for some reason—I was clinging to every word he said. I didn’t have the lash inside to remind Marcus that he was a social defect, but then again—I was always nice to him. I just never understood why or thought about it.

I thought about it now.

“I don’t know.” He glanced towards his hands, which seemed steady and strong now. “Just…there’s a lot of bullies, you know, and girls who are mean. They laugh in your face sometimes and they’re not very nice.”

“I’m sorry.”

He looked up, “Why? You’ve always been nice.”

“I’m not nice to everyone.”

“Those people deserve it, though. You’re nice to who deserves it.”

“No.” I shook my head, numb. “I’m not.”

“You’re not nice to fake people, but…you’re nice to people who are real. You like that. I’ve watched you, I’ve seen you be nice to people who are real, who don’t care about being…popular or laughed at.”

That was true, but I was more surprised that he knew that.

“So, you’ve been watching me, huh?” I joked, but I knew I was waiting for Bryce to ring the doorbell.

I was stalling, biding time. That 49% had reared its ugly head.

It took a little bit, but I realized that Marcus never answered my joke. He froze in place, his eyes glued to mine, and he looked like he was about to jerk into action.

“I was joking,” I drawled. “Relax.”

And that was when the doorbell rang.

I think a part of me had sensed his approach, maybe I felt his footsteps on the front porch, or maybe I just knew how long he would’ve let me leave before he pursued.

Even in madness, I still knew Bryce intimately.

Marcus jumped at the sound.

“You should go,” I murmured as I was turning around.

“Uh…”

“There’s a back door, through the garage. You can get out that way. You shouldn’t go this way.”

I walked into the front hallway and I felt Marcus leave behind me. He ceased being a blip on my radar as I saw Bryce’s shadow looming behind the glass door.