Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
I jump when Austin appears beside me. My plate clatters on my tray.
“Powell asked you out?” he asks.
“Huh?”
“For when?”
“Uh. Tonight. Why?”
“Are you going?”
His jaw is tight, his body rigid. What happened? I turn to the table. Levi looks fine. Did something happen with his family?
Even like this, Austin gently takes my tray and sets it on the table for me.
I search his hard eyes. “I thought you liked Davis.”
He rolls his shoulders, as if begging for calm. “Not right now, I don’t.”
“Hey.” I start to reach for his arm but stop myself. “What’s wrong? Is everything okay?”
His voice dips lower. “Just, please don’t go out with him. And especially not tonight.”
Dread settles in my gut as I flash back to Chase. “Why?”
He turns imploring. “Because … we’re gonna be out late tomorrow night.”
My spine stiffens. “Seriously?”
“No. Please, Soph. Come out with us.” He gestures to Levi. “We can do whatever you want. We’ll bring along anyone you want. Except Mia and Haymitch are busy. But anyone else. And you’ll understand tomorrow.” He pulls gently on my forearm, the please heavy in his eyes, like a neglected puppy.
The nerve endings in my arm won’t shut up.
They’re throwing a party down there. I rip it away.
It’s not enough that I pathetically follow him around like a shadow, but now he thinks he can tell me who else I’m not allowed to date?
“Look, I appreciate your help at the party last weekend, but I don’t need your help with this. ”
“Right, but—”
“So I’ll understand what tomorrow?” I spit. “That you can go on twenty dates a month and keep up appearances, but I need to wait longer after Leo?”
“What? No.” He looks desperately to Levi, who sends him compassionate bro vibes.
“What’s happening over here?” Izzy skips over. “You know Davis? Did you convince Austin to come tonight?”
I gape. She invited Austin? And the pieces fall together.
“Mini-golf is a joint-floor thing?” I ask her. “G3 and A2?”
“Yep. Why?”
Austin rubs his eyes with one hand.
“Come with us, Austin.” She flips her hair. Flips. Her. Hair. “I’ll make sure you’re never bored.”
Austin vaguely shakes his head at Izzy and stares at me like I’m going to concede the date any second.
Chill, she mouths to me. You need two dates?
A long grunt escapes as he spins on his heel and aims for the door—until he huffs, pivots, and jerks his tray off the table to take it to the dish return.
Kit glides through the doors and beams at Levi from the line. When she waves to me, her smile dims. Abandoning her empty tray, she beelines for me. “What’s wrong?”
I’m the problem. Me. Kit’s only ever wanted to be a good friend. Gratitude slams into me, and I mash her into a hug like a crazed fan. She hugs me back, rubbing circles on my back.
“Um, hi?” Izzy says. “Coming, Sophie?”
I want nothing to do with Izzy’s casual wrecking-ball energy, but if I’m going to mini-golf tonight, I’ll have to be friendly-ish. “I’ll come find you later.”
“Fine.” She plucks up her tray and saunters to her usual table.
A few minutes later, I get a text.
Austin
I was out of line. I have a good reason for what I asked but you don’t need anyone bossing you around. I want to hang tonight but no pressure
Ugh. I slide my phone to Kit.
“You might want to show that to …” Levi, she mouths, as he listens to Calvin next to him.
I frown. “Why would I do that?”
She grimaces. “I promise I didn’t say a word to him. But he … already guessed. And he’s the best problem-solver in the world.”
I groan and scrub my hands down my cheeks. “Sure, whatever. Pass the phone.” Now that Izzy knows, it’s only a matter of time before the whole school does. All the more reason to go out with Davis tonight. It’ll soften the awkward blow when word leaks to Austin.
Kit achieves Levi’s attention with a simple turn of her head and pushes the phone to him.
He reads the text and looks to me, poker face in place. “How can I help?”
“You’re kinda biased. You love the guy.”
I’m not the only one, he mouths.
I purse my lips. “I’ve heard good things about Davis. And Austin shouldn’t be telling me who to go out with.”
“True.” Levi leans back, cocky as ever. “But I have a much better track record.” He hesitates. “At Mayberry.”
Kit was Levi’s first date here, and they’ll probably go on to have three perfect babies.
“You’re not wrong,” I concede.
He remains quiet.
Fine, mind Jedi. “What do you say, Mr. Perfect College Dating Record?”
“I say not Davis.”
That’s what you said.
Kit squeezes Levi’s arm, like all that was a personal favor to her. Why is everyone so interested in this random turn of events?
I let out a breath. “When you can unpeel your hands from your boyfriend, let’s head to Flooders. I have a grizzly bear to make up with before I head out.”
Levi’s poker face melts as Kit stands from her seat. “Something for you is on my desk.” Like, Pat me on the head and tell me I’m a good boy! How the mighty are brought low by puppy love.
And then her shoulders launch to her ears, as if she hasn’t received dozens of similar dessert gifts from him.
“You two are disgusting,” I mutter.
They both snap to me, and Levi’s hand finds Kit’s.