Sweet Liar (Candy #2)(50)

Ethan was really good, which was no surprise. So was Jonah. Lea and I were both average to awful, and Heather was absolutely terrible.

“This doesn’t mean guys are better at bowling than girls,” Heather was quick to say. “It just happens to be true with this sampling of the population.”

“Uh-huh,” Ethan responded, laughing under his breath.

Each time Jonah took his turn, I couldn’t help watching him. My eyes drank in his long, lean form, but I wasn’t his only admirer. Besides Parker and Ashley, it seemed a lot of girls turned to look each time he was up. When he sat down again, Parker was always there in the seat beside him, taking every opportunity to brush against him or press her leg to his.

“Jonah thinks you don’t want to be around him,” Heather said by my ear. Obviously I’d been caught staring. “I’m pretty sure that’s why he didn’t object to bowling with those two.”

Knowing he was waiting for an answer from me, I had avoided him for most of the day, so I could see why he might think that. It didn’t look like he was reciprocating any of Parker’s over-the-top flirting, but he wasn’t brushing her off either.

My turn came and “Shut Up and Dance” by Walk the Moon came on at the same time. Parker and Ashley got to their feet, whooping loudly as they danced in their alley. Apparently they liked this song and were taking at least half the lyrics seriously.

They tried to get Jonah to join them but he shook his head, although he did watch, and their suggestive moves were putting a small smile on his lips. That smile reached right inside my chest and squeezed.

Trying to ignore the party going on beside me, I reached down to pick up a ball and glanced over my shoulder in time to see Ethan’s eyes go wide. When I turned to see what he was looking at, I spotted Parker straddling Jonah, who was still sitting in his chair. She’d stuck her chest in his face and was about to put her mouth on his.

Pain exploded in my fingers. I yelped, jerking my hand back as I realized I’d left it resting on the bowling ball when another one came shooting up from the ball return. My fingers had been caught between them.

Lea jumped to her feet. “Are you okay?”

Nodding, I cradled my hand to my chest.

“Are you sure? You look like you’re about to cry.”

I was, but not over my fingers. “I’m fine,” I lied. “I’m going to the bathroom.”

“Want me to come with you?”

Embarrassed, I shook my head and left the bowling area, purposely not looking at anyone. I was seconds away from tears.

When I found the bathrooms at the other end of the building, I walked inside the dimly lit ladies’ room and the music faded to a dull roar. I released a heavy breath, thankful for the quiet.

One of the stalls was occupied, but otherwise I was alone as I grabbed a tissue and wiped at my eyes, sniffling softly. My fingers throbbed with each movement, but the pain dulled quickly to a pulsing ache. If this had happened to anyone else, it might not have hurt at all. But my fingers were like open wounds sometimes. If I hit them just right, it felt like fire shooting up my arm.

The toilet flushed, and a tall girl came out of the stall. She flashed a smile in my direction and washed her hands. When she left, I took a deep breath, wondering if everyone had seen what had happened. Had Jonah seen me rush off? Probably not, since he’d been occupied at the time.

I was sure I looked like an idiot to anyone who saw, running away like that. The last thing I wanted when I walked out of this bathroom was for Parker to think she’d chased me off. It didn’t matter, though, because I was finished bowling. I only needed someone to take me home now. Maybe Lea would do it since Heather and I had ridden with Jonah in his Jeep.

I pulled on the bathroom door and walked out into the small hallway, straight into Jonah.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice laced with concern.

I closed my eyes, searching for calm. “I’m fine.”

“What happened back there?”

Sighing, I took a step away to get some distance from him. “My fingers got squeezed in the ball return machine. It was stupid.”

“Let me see.” He held his hand out, waiting for me to place mine in it. I hesitated a moment before laying my fingers over his palm.

“How did it happen?”

“I got distracted.” When I tried to lower my hand, Jonah wrapped his long fingers around my wrist and held on.

“By what?”

I couldn’t help glaring. Was he serious?

He just looked at me, waiting, like we hadn’t all seen Parker practically give him a lap dance out there.

“What was that?” I blurted.

“What was what?”

“Are you kidding me? Parker was trying to feed her boobs to you for lunch, and you didn’t seem to hate it.”

His brow creased. “Is that what distracted you?”

I rolled my eyes. “Yes, it was a little distracting. What are you doing? I thought you couldn’t stand her.”

Jonah smiled. “Are you jealous, Candy?”

I had just opened my mouth to deny it when his satisfied smile caused a light bulb to go off in my head. “Were you using her to make me jealous?”

His smug expression faded. “Maybe I was trying to get your attention. But I didn’t mean for you to hurt your hand.”