Sweet Liar (Candy #2)(32)

Ashley turned to her. “You have a serious issue with negativity today.”

I eyed Parker, who was now denying being negative, and wondered if getting turned down by Jonah again was putting her in a bad mood, since I was fairly sure he had.

“Hey, Candy.” Malcolm smiled at me. I could always count on him to be friendly. “Did you see Jonah’s Jeep this morning? I heard the entire bird population of Glenn Valley declared war on it.” He chuckled as Ethan slid his tray onto the table beside me and sat down.

“We’re talking about Jonah’s Jeep,” Malcolm told him.

Ethan smirked. “Didn’t see it. Heard about it, though. Anyone get a picture?”

It seemed no one at the table had, and I was relieved for Jonah.

Lea arrived then, smiling at me and everyone else the way she always did. Two tiny braids wrapped around the crown of her head in an intricate style, keeping the hair back from her face.

Ashley glanced at me and said casually, “So I hear you and Jonah broke up.”

I tensed, feeling everyone’s gaze on me. “We were never really together, but I guess you could say that.”

“You guess?” Parker said. “It is over. Jonah told me so himself.”

My gaze met hers across the table.

“Did he dump you?” Ashley asked, looking smug.

“It was mutual,” Lea said, sticking up for me. “I already told you both that.”

Parker shrugged, giving me a pointed look. “I think maybe it wasn’t so mutual for Candy. She hasn’t moved on, and he clearly has.”

Malcolm glanced at her. “I think it’s none of your business.”

I angled a grateful look at him. Was Parker insinuating that Jonah was moving on with her? Wasn’t she tired of this? I certainly was. She was singing the same tune she always did, trying to make me believe a lie.

Parker turned to Malcolm. “You’re just in a bad mood because you’re in the doghouse with Marta.”

Ethan chuckled from across the table as Malcolm hunched his head down, looking like a turtle trying to disappear into its shell.

“Why is Marta mad at you?” I asked, happy for the distraction of asinine lunch talk today.

“He took her to the Tiki Theater,” Ethan said.

It took me a second to remember. “You’re still going there? The seedy place in Claymore that plays pornos?”

“They’re not just pornos,” Malcolm protested. “They’re funny too. Marta has a great sense of humor. I thought she’d like it.”

Ethan chuckled and shook his head.

“You can’t seriously be this dumb,” Ashley said. “You probably took her to the Burger Hut drive-through for dinner afterward.”

The rest of the girls laughed, including Lea.

“It will be fine,” I told him. “Just make it up to her.”

“Yeah, next time take her to the *cat Lounge,” Ethan said. “At least that place has some class.” He snorted, and everyone at the table laughed again.

Malcolm scowled in response, his cheeks turning red.

There was a little more ribbing of Malcolm, but eventually the conversation moved back to the upcoming Christmas break. I didn’t have much to contribute since I was likely spending it alone at home.

When lunch ended, I walked out with Lea the way I always did. I hadn’t realized Ethan was behind us until he spoke my name. Lea and I both turned around.

“Is Parker right? Are you and Jonah through?” he asked.

Lea and I glanced at each other. “It’s true,” I said.

“That’s too bad. Are you okay?”

I smiled at his concern and nodded, wondering if there was more to him than I initially thought, because in the beginning, I didn’t think much of Ethan. Maybe Lea’s taste in guys wasn’t so bad.

“So I hear you’re dating our class president,” I said to him, hoping to get information for Lea.

Ethan’s gaze flicked briefly to her before he shrugged. “Where did you hear that?”

Lea stilled beside me.

“The usual rumor mill,” I replied.

He shrugged. “Well, it got it half right.”

“Which half??” Lea asked.

“The dating part. It missed the breaking up part.”

“You’re already broken up?” I asked, noticing Lea’s lack of devastation over this news.

She saw where I live.” He smiled sadly. “I felt the need to take her on a tour of our double-wide when she complained that her folks were giving her a trip to Paris for graduation and making her fly coach. According to her, that’s practically child abuse.”

I snorted at the same time Lea asked, “So she ended it because she saw your trailer? You’re being serious?”

He nodded. “Predictable.”

“But didn’t she know? I mean—”

“It’s no secret where I live. That’s true,” Ethan said, interrupting me. “But hearing about it and seeing it are two different things.”

“I’m sorry,” Lea said. “I didn’t know she was such a snob.”

Ethan looked at Lea. “You wouldn’t hold it against me, would you?”

“I don’t hold it against you,” she replied as if this was something they both already knew.