Chapter 22
TWENTY-TWO
Fuck, I desperately need a nap or something. I stretch my neck, rotating my head from side to side. I’m so exhausted that I can’t even think straight anymore.
Would it be unprofessional to ask Sophia for a break?
Of course, it would. Enduring classes was pure torture. And now, Sophia is rambling about her party on Sunday. I can barely keep my eyes open.
Leaning back in my desk chair, I let out a big yawn. The door opens, and Clay chuckles as he walks over to me, placing a to-go mug in front of me.
“Drink up. Looks like you need it,” he says while Josh does the same for Sophia.
“Oh, I love you, Joshy. Thanks,” she says before taking a sip.
I eye the mug skeptically but bring it to my lips. As I take a sip, I realize it’s actually good coffee with just the right amount of sugar.
Josh talks to Sophia about the food for her birthday party while Clay leans in to speak softly to me. “How are you, Karen? Did you tear into your little sister when you got home?” he asks.
I huff. “Not yet, way too tired for that, so thank you for this,” I say, gently shaking the to-go mug. “And thank you again for last night. I still feel bad, but I truly appreciate it.”
He chuckles. “Oh, wow. Who would’ve thought that driving you around the city for a night would make the little kitty cat retract her claws.”
“That’s it. I don’t have the energy to pretend to like you today any longer,” I say, but I need to hide my smile behind my cup.
“Ouch,” he responds, his eyes filled with amusement. “Good, let’s get back to your charming self. It got a bit creepy there for a moment. However, you do owe me a favor for calling me out of bed last night.”
And there it is. I knew he would never just do something like that for me out of the goodness of his heart.
My tone turns icy as I ask, “What?”
“Come eat with us,” he says, his eyes challenging me.
I bite my lip. I don’t have any money to spend on food right now, and I don’t want to eat in front of them anyway. I’m starving. I skipped breakfast because I was in a rush and only had some old crackers left in my backpack. “Come on, Karen, you owe me.”
I push my chair back and stand, but he doesn’t move. I’m now standing right in front of him, having to tilt my head back to look him in the eyes. “Okay, but I’m not going to eat anything. I’m not hungry,” I lie. “I’ll just come and sit with you because you came for me ”
“That’s a good girl,” he says, pushing a strand of my hair behind my ear before turning to Josh and Sophia.
I’m left dumbstruck.
What the hell was that? And why did it turn me on?
“Let’s go eat, guys,” Clay says, and Sophia stands as well.
I grab my backpack and head toward the door when Josh rushes in front of me to hold it open. “You’re joining us?” he asks, smiling warmly as if he’s genuinely happy about it.
“I’m just going to sit with you guys. I’m not hungry, but yes,” I say.
“That’s great,” he says, walking closely beside me. “How are you liking your internship so far? Do you regret accepting my sister’s offer already?”
“Nope, not one bit. She’s great,” I say honestly, maybe a bit too loudly because she chuckles behind me.
“I sure am!”
We make our way to the cafeteria, and I am practically starving. “Thank God,” I mutter as we enter to find only a few people around. No need to wait in line this time. I turn to Carolina, asking, “What are you going to get?”
“Still nothing,” she replies, but I don’t push.
Yet as we navigate toward the food counter, where the aroma of food grows stronger, I hear a distinct rumble from her stomach. Glancing at her, I notice a blush creeping onto her cheeks.
Why wouldn’t she get something if she was hungry?
As she starts to fiddle with her backpack to get out a bottle of water, it suddenly dawns on me. I can’t believe what an idiot I’ve been, and on top of that, an absolute asshole. That fine took all her money over the weekend.
How is she supposed to afford cafeteria food?
“I’m thinking of going for fries. Do you like fries?” I ask her.
She gives me a puzzled look. “Sure, who doesn’t? Get whatever you want,” she says dismissively.
Sophia returns from the buffet with a salad bowl. “Want to wait at the table with me while they get theirs?” she asks Carolina, who agrees, and they head toward the register.
Josh walks over to me, making a face. “I know you told me I should eat more vegetables, but these look like they’ve already been eaten once.”
“You’re such an idiot,” I say.
He looks at me, confused. “Okay, okay. I’ll get the goddamn vegetables.”
“No.” I huff. “I mean, we’re assholes. That fine took all her money over the weekend, and all week, we’ve been urging her to come eat with us. With what money?”
His eyes widen in realization. “Fuck.”
“Yeah, fuck,” I grumble, then turn to the cafeteria lady and ask for two servings of fries. When Josh stands next to me, I throw him a warning look. “Get those fucking vegetables.”
He rolls his eyes but complies, ordering some carrots to go with his chicken nuggets. “You’re worse than a toddler.” I scoff.
I settle down next to Carolina, placing the second plate of fries in front of her.
She glares at me, a frown creasing her forehead. “I told you, I don’t want anything.”
I simply shrug and start munching on my fries. “I know.”
Fuck, I hate that these unhealthy fried sticks taste so good.
Carolina glances at the others, who’ve already started eating. “I’m not going to eat that. I told you, I’m not hungry,” she grumbles, but her protest is betrayed by a loud rumble from her stomach.
I smile, trying to hide it with another bite of a fry. “Just eat them. I’m not going to negotiate with you over three-dollar fries.”
She crosses her arms over her chest, her eyes burning holes into me. “I’m not some charity case,” she murmurs, her voice barely above a whisper.
“I know you’re not,” I say. “It’s just fries. Now shut up and eat.”
Ignoring her, I start a conversation with Josh and Sophia about some movie we watched last Sunday and notice her taking a fry from her plate and putting it in her mouth in my peripheral vision.
Good girl.
After I finish my portion, she shoves her half-eaten plate toward me. I glance from the plate to her, confused. “What?”
“You can finish the rest. I’m done.” She shrugs, avoiding eye contact.
“How can you be done? More than half of it is still there,” I comment, tilting my head to her plate.
Her eyes suddenly meet mine, her gaze piercing. “What? Just because I’m fat, I can’t leave a plate unfinished?” she argues, her tone defensive.
I recoil slightly, taken aback by her implying that.
“No, what the hell? I didn’t mean that at all.
These are practically child-size portions.
No one could be done after eating just half of it, not even the child it was intended for.
” I frown at her. “Why would you think I would say something like that to you?”
She just shrugs and looks away. I thought we were forming some sort of friendship.
Xander always says my sarcasm could come off as crass, but I thought I’d found someone who could give as good as she got in Carolina—a sort of unicorn.
But now it seems as though I might have misread the situation entirely.
If Carolina thinks I would say something so cruel to her, then perhaps I’m not doing as well as I thought.
I had genuinely started to enjoy her company and thought she felt the same. But now, I’m left questioning if I’ve hurt her with my words.
Maybe I need to be more careful with what I say in the future around her.
Carolina digs through her backpack, pulling out the tattoo cream that Xander gave her for aftercare.
Rolling up her sleeve, she squeezes some cream onto her arm.
I’m about to ask about the healing process, hoping to break the uncomfortable silence hanging over our table when Del Moro appears out of nowhere.
He snatches the cream from her hands and squirts all its contents onto Carolina’s chest.
Josh stands up so fast his chair falls over behind him. “What the fuck are you doing?”
“Here you go, Costa,” Del Moro mocks, throwing the empty tube on the plate with the half-eaten fries.
“Now you know what it’s like to have a guy finish on you.
If you ask nicely, I might even let you suck my dick, so your virgin ass could finally get a taste.
Though, I’d have to shut my eyes.” He looks her up and down with a slight tilt of his head.
“Nope, I’d still know you’re a fat bitch. ”
I leap to my feet now too. “The fuck, rookie?”
I’m ready to deck the guy, but Carolina stands as well, raising a finger to my face to stop me, never taking her eyes off the dickhead.
“I wouldn’t even suck your lousy dick if I was suffocating and there was oxygen in your balls,” she says, in her now familiar bored tone.
I almost choke on my own spit before I huff out a laugh.
Del Moro shoots me a nasty look before cracking a smirk. “You can give her lessons, Cooper. I heard you like sucking big dicks.”
A surge of anger hits me. I know he’s just trying to get to me, but I’ve had it with homophobic jerks, having dealt with them my entire life.
Carolina steps in front of me, practically shielding me, and I look down at the top of her head.
“Well, duh, but he sure wouldn’t want to suck any small ones. Oh wait, did that just hurt your feelings?”
He hurls back something before storming off, but I can’t make out what he says. I’m too busy processing what just happened. This firecracker of a girl just stood up for me. Aside from Josh, Sophia, and Xander, no one else has ever defended me.
I wrap an arm around Carolina’s shoulders and give her a squeeze, but she flinches, so I loosen my hold.
“You like me,” I tease, dragging out the words in a singsong voice.
“Get off me,” she says, stepping out of my hold.
“Admit it, you like me,” I push teasingly.
Josh grins. “Let me get you some tissues for that,” he offers, walking toward the counter.
Carolina glances down at the mess on her chest. “Fuck, what an asshole,” she mumbles to herself.
When Josh returns, he stands next to Carolina and starts to clean off the cream. She looks at him, eyes wide, causing him to halt and realize where his hands were just moments ago. He turns bright red, quickly handing her the tissues.
“Here, s-sorry,” he stutters before getting his chair back up and sitting beside Sophia, who’s trying hard not to laugh.
Carolina manages to clean off most of the cream, but her black hoodie is still stained.
“I think I have some spare clothes in my desk if you need to change,” Sophia offers.
Carolina gives her a skeptical look, “Thanks, but I think I’ll have to pass.”
Sophia winces as she realizes her offer wasn’t quite thought out.
So I step in and offer, “I have one of Xander’s hoodies in my locker.
I could lend it to you.” She doesn’t move, and her expression remains the same.
“I mean, since we like each other now, Karen, we can share my boyfriend’s clothes.
I’m good at sharing,” I tease with a smirk, but she just pins me with a blank stare.
“What I absolutely do not like is you calling me that shitty name. But no, thank you, I can manage.”
“You’re right. Friends don’t use fake names. They use pet names.”
I need to think of one.
“Oh Dio, please let this day end,” she mumbles, looking up at the ceiling and placing a hand over her eyes.
Then, I catch a glimpse of her tattoo, where her hoodie sleeve is still rolled up. “Should I ask Xander for some more cream for you? I could bring it tomorrow,” I offer.
She lowers her hand and pulls down her sleeve. “I can’t afford it right now, but thanks,” she responds tersely.
“I’m sure Xander would just give you—” I start.
“Stop talking, or I am going to hurt you.” She glares at me.
“I’m just going to text Xander,” I say, going to pull out my phone, but before I can do that, I feel a sharp pang.
“Ouch! Did you just pinch my nipple?” I ask, completely taken aback, noticing Carolina trying to conceal her smile.
“She just pinched me, Josh! That’s assault on a police officer! ” I pretend to frown at her.
Looking over at Josh and Sophia, I see they’re both smiling.
“In her defense, she did warn you.” Josh shrugs, gesturing with a nugget in his hand.
“I’m not going to let you take stuff from him. He works hard for his money too,” she states, crossing her arms over her chest.
Josh nods. “He sure does,” he agrees, taking a bite of his nugget.
“I bet Xander would rather know that one of his favorite pieces is healing properly than keep an extra tube of cream in his inventory,” I remark, dismissing the issue.
“What? I didn’t think he even liked it,” Carolina comments, looking puzzled.
“No, he loves it. It’s one of the most unique and beautiful pieces he’s done so far,” Josh says, and I notice Carolina’s lips curl up ever so slightly.
Checking her watch, she grabs her backpack. “I have to rush if I want to change before my shift. Is that okay?” She glances at Sophia, looking concerned.
“Of course, no problem. See you tomorrow.” Sophia waves her goodbye, and I watch Carolina hastily leave the cafeteria.
“We have to do something about that asshole. There is no way I’m going to let him treat her like this,” Josh grumbles, taking a sip out of his water bottle.
“Agreed.”