Chapter 7 Fuck Me, I Was a Goner #2
“I’m a regular Wonder Woman.” She finally took a bite of her sundae.
Meg and Jamie dug into their burgers as Sarah stared down at the table. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to say, or what I wanted Meg and Jamie to tell me about Sarah. The more I found out, the more I wanted to know.
“How’s Camp College Bound going?” Jamie asked Sarah, and her eyes darted my way before returning to Jamie.
“It’s going pretty well. I’m just thankful Mona told me about it. I was scrambling, trying to find a job, so she was a real lifesaver.”
“If you need any references for tutoring, I’d be happy to help. You’ve made me an absolute math genius.”
Sarah chuckled. “Thanks, I might take you up on that when the semester starts. Although trying to manage work, life, and school is going to be rough.”
Meg set her mug down and laughed, flipping her wrist toward Sarah. “It’s hard to strike that balance, especially when you’re paying your own way. Right, Connor?”
“Um.” I wasn’t sure what was happening.
Meg chuckled. “I mean, not all of us have our parents paying rent or tuition. Sometimes I’m surprised I’m able to maintain my grades.” Her tone was light, but her stare was vicious.
Aren’t they friends?
“I’ve been lucky up until this point having my parents help. The last couple of months have been eye-opening for sure,” Sarah responded as if she had heard no barbs, just facts.
“I know what you mean. Connor delayed starting college to make sure Mom and I were good so that I could make it into college myself.” Jamie grinned at me, offering an onion ring that I happily took.
Sarah tilted her head, her mouth pinched as her gaze bored into me. With how hard she was staring, I wondered if she could read my mind.
“You’re a good guy, Connor.” Meg cupped my hand and squeezed. When I expected her to let go, she didn’t.
“We’re family. It’s what we do.” I slid my hand out and took a bite of my burger. Hand-holding was not on my list of activities I did with friends, and it irritated me that Meg wouldn’t take no for an answer.
“McCormick Construction,” Sarah said, lifting her chin toward the logo on the front of my t-shirt. “Are you guys working at Thousand Hills?”
Jamie nodded as he took a drink of his water. “Yeah. We were supposed to be out at the new hotel build, but the whole project’s on hold.” He leaned in. “A couple of weeks ago, someone dumped a dead body at the job site. Now our uncle is dealing with the cops and their investigation.”
Sarah glanced at me, her eyes searching for something.
“This town has gone absolutely bonkers this year,” Meg said, pointing a fry at me. “Ever since Emma died, it—”
“I need to use the bathroom,” Sarah said, scooting until Jamie was forced off the seat.
The three of us watched her go. When the bathroom door shut, Meg said, “One of our sorority sisters fell off the roof of Frattic.”
“That’s where Sarah lives,” Jamie offered when he noticed my frown.
“Some say she slipped, while others say she—” Meg made a slicing motion at her throat.
I was hit with a memory from the night I met Sarah—tripping over a cartoonish tombstone with the name Emma on it.
That’s fucked up. And Jamie wants to join these assholes?
“Damn. That’s rough,” Jamie said.
“The University is still on our ass, and there’s a real chance National might step in to lead recruitment this year. It’s a mess.” Meg finished her burger.
Sarah came out of the bathroom, her face flushed and eyes slightly pink. Jamie hopped up to make room for her in the booth.
“Thank you,” she murmured as she slid past Jamie and back to her seat.
We ate in silence until Meg’s phone buzzed, and she sighed. “Ug. I’ve got to go if I don’t want to be late for my shift at the Wel.”
“Is it cool if I ride with you? I need to grab a book I left at Connor’s and get to campus.”
“Sure.”
Jamie tossed some money on the table. Turning to Sarah, he smiled hard, his dimples on full display. “We still on for tonight?”
She absentmindedly nodded, her mouth full of ice cream.
Jamie frowned and stood. “Hey.”
Sarah’s eyebrows raised as she looked up.
“Be ready to shake it, Ms. Tilney.” He shimmied at her, making her crack a smile. “There she is.”
Jealousy burned hot through me as they smiled at one another, connecting in a way that I could only dream about. Why, out of all the girls in Kirksville, did Jamie have to have a thing for Sarah?
“Let’s get going,” Meg said, grabbing her receipt and heading to the cash register.
“See you, Con,” Jamie said with a wave.
The bell above the door chimed, and they were gone, leaving me with the woman I was desperate to know more about, but who wanted nothing to do with me.
“You’d better watch out.”
“Why?” she asked, her voice quiet.
I scraped the bottom of my bowl, wishing I had more ice cream or something to drag out this lunch with Sarah. “I think Jamie has a little crush.”
She chuckled and wiped her mouth. “I know. It’s ridiculous.”
As much as I didn’t want my brother and Sarah to be involved, I didn’t like her laughing at him. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, we aren’t anywhere near a good fit. It’s ridiculously sweet though.”
“Huh.”
“What do you mean, huh?”
My temperature started to rise, a sure sign that I needed to walk away, but I couldn’t help myself. The silence between us only intensified my desire to fight with Sarah, to get some kind of rise out of her. “I mean, that’s two McCormicks who aren’t good fits, who are mistakes.”
She jerked her head back, blinking rapidly. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t the one who disappeared after asking you to go home with me. So clearly you had some feelings about whether what went down between us was a mistake or not.”
“You don’t know how I feel about that night because you won’t let me explain.” I balled up a napkin and tossed it into my empty bowl.
“Because it doesn’t matter. It won’t change anything anyway.” Sarah jumped up, her purse falling to the floor.
The waitress at the hostess stand fell silent at the outburst. This conversation was getting out of control.
Running a hand down my face, I took a deep breath only to get a lung full of her fucking perfume or whatever the hell made her smell like summer and sunshine, and—fuck me—I was a goner. “Look. Just don’t fuck with my brother, okay?”
Sarah glared at me, and without another word, gathered up her purse and receipt, leaving me alone with our empty plates and the attention of the tables surrounding us.
Not one to be comfortable in the spotlight, I quickly tossed some bills on the table and booked it out of Poppy’s. Lucky me, I was the guy who pissed off Princess Sarah, queen of the sorority girls, goddess of the glacial stare.