BROKEN AND SCREWED(Broken_Part One)(42)

Her face sagged and horror flared in her eyes. She caught my shoulders with her hands and stopped me. “I’m so sorry, Alex. I really am. If you need anything at all, call me! Seriously. Hey, my mom is making lasagna tonight. Come over for dinner?”
“Hey, guys.” Eric approached now, his voice was cheerful.
Angie ignored him. “What do you say?”
“Say to what?” He moved closer and lowered his head.
I sighed and then relented. “Sure.”
“Great!” Her smile was radiant before she bounded off. She hollered back from the door, “Come at eight. We’ll go bowling with Justin and the gang afterwards.”
I gave her a thumbs-up in response, but it was weak. My smile wavered.
Then she was out the door and I gave Eric the same weak smile as I’d given her. “Hey.”
“You’re going bowling tonight?”
He sounded cheerful, too cheerful. After Jesse’s last text message, I’d been able to evade Eric most of the time. There’d been almost no alone time with us and I knew he wouldn’t pursue a date with me through a note so I figured I was in the clear. Until now. We were alone.
“Hey, girlfriend!” Marissa smacked my butt and bounced to a halt beside us. Her eyes went from eager to sultry as she scanned Eric up and down. “What are you doing tonight, Eric?’
His eyes widened a fraction and his hands gripped his book bag tighter. “I’m…” His eyes darted to me with a question in them.
I relented. “He’s going bowling with me and Angie and the gang.”
His grin grew and two dimples appeared.            
Marissa melted at the sight. “Great! Pick me up at nine, Eric?”
“Uh.” He looked stricken as his eyes skirted from me to her. “I’m, uh, sure.”
“See you later!” She winked at him before she was grabbed from some of her cheerleading friends. They led her away, but their giggling grew in volume after she whispered something to them. When all of them stopped and looked at us, Eric staggered back a step.
Then they disappeared around a corner.
“What just happened there?” He scratched the top of his head.
I chuckled and started forward. “You have a date with Marissa if I’m not mistaken.”
He groaned, but fell in step with me. “How did that happen?”
“She set her sights on you and down you folded. Good luck with that one.”
“She’s your best friend, right?” He watched me from the corner of his eye as we turned towards my car.
“Yep. Hurt her and die.”
He groaned again. “I meant to ask you out and instead I’m being threatened by you. I don’t think I’ll ever understand girls.” Then he grew serious and stopped us. “I can’t ask you out now, can I?”
I shook my head.
His head tipped back. Frustration flared across his features as he pinched the top of his nose. “I have horrible luck with girls. I’m cursed. That’s it. I have to be cursed.”
I patted him on the arm. “Well, if you’re not serious about her, Marissa has the attention span of a bee for guys. She’ll be buzzing around someone else in a week. I’m sure of it.”
“A bee, huh?” He relaxed a little.
“Don’t let her know I told you that.”
He shot me a grin. “I won’t. And I’ll see you tonight.” He pretended to bow before he turned towards his truck and I went to my car. As he went, I watched how he continued to scratch the top of his head and I couldn’t hold back a grin. For once, I was glad for Marissa’s man eating ways. She stepped in without being asked and did me a favor.