Chapter 26
Magnolia
“Well, well, doesn’t this look cozy?”
Yup, her voice still sounded like nails on a chalkboard and someone with severe daddy issues…not that I’m judging, we all have our kinks. I’m judging her because she obviously is still a shit person.
My eyes landed on Lydia, who was wearing a ghost of a smile. Clearly, she had let Cassie know I was here. What is her problem with me? I don’t even know her.
Dexter decided the silence was too uncomfortable and spoke first. “Hey Cass.” His slight frown was apparent when he eyed his girlfriend. “Didn’t know you’d be out tonight.”
“Well, that’s okay. Lydia texted me.”
I kept my gaze on Dexter and Lydia on the opposite side of the table. I also slowly angled my body as far away from Cassie as possible so I could keep an eye on her without it being too obvious.
“Great,” Dexter said with a smile that looked like he was being forced to chew glass.
She finally turned her gaze to me, as if finally able to zone in on her intended target. “Magnolia, how… interesting it is seeing you here. Wouldn’t have expected it.”
Matt tensed next to me, and to be completely honest, I had forgotten he was there since my sole focus was trained on Cassie. Never turn your back on your enemy and all that.
“Why would that be interesting?” Matt asked from beside me, moving his forearms onto the table so his head stuck out a bit past my body and he could make eye contact with her.
Where the hell is Lexie? Does it really take this long to get drinks?
Cassie scoffed from beside me. “Didn’t you know? Miss Magnolia M—” She stopped before she said the “Moo,” her gaze coating over me as if to realize that name was no longer applicable. I had to bite back a smile. I wore my curves well now, and I knew it—and now she knew it, too.
“Magnolia left years ago, not a clue as to where she might have gone. Had the whole town up in a frenzy for days, it really was tedious. That was, until someone was able to get a hold of her dad, and lo and behold, she just went away for college and didn’t think to say goodbye.”
My blood was boiling. I felt as though I was a pot of water left on simmer, and if someone didn’t turn the heat down soon, I was subject to erupt, and there was a chance everyone at the table would be within my splash zone.
What is it with this bar? Last time I had confrontation with Sloan, and this time, Cassie.
Matt let out a slow exhale from beside me, clearly unsure of what to say next. “Well, that’s in the past… Is anyone hungry?”
Cassie waved his question away and kept her gaze firmly locked on the side of my face since I was still firmly refusing to sink down her level of petty and confrontation.
“I guess it worked out for the best, though. I got to comfort Sloan while he thought the worst happened… Imagine his relief when he found out you just tucked and ran.”
How she managed to make the word relief sound sexual in this context, I’ll never know, but that word—that was the one that set me from a mild simmering rage into a boiled over one.
“Yeah? And how’s that working out for you?” I finally turned my head to meet her gaze, this time with a sickly-sweet smile plastered on my face. I didn’t know everything; in fact, I knew absolutely nothing, but I knew they were no longer together and hadn’t been for a while. Not with all the random remarks he’s made, and considering she’s never once been around him in the time I’ve been home.
The cocky smirk she had been sporting turned into an ugly snarl right before my eyes. There it is, ugly inside and out. I couldn’t help the small chuckle that passed my lips at the rage I could see on Cassie’s face when she realized the small-town girl who used to walk away when getting picked on was nowhere in sight.
I couldn’t help myself; I knew I should have, but I couldn’t. I started looking around, all flustered and picking up the menu that lay in front of me, the caddy that was left on the table, looking around in confusion. This caused everyone at the table to eye me suspiciously, wondering what the hell I was doing.
“Uh, Magnolia? You okay?” Matt questioned.
“Oh yeah, I’m just looking for the nice girl mask that slipped off Cassie’s face. I think it must have fallen onto the table or floor…”
“You little bi—” Cassie seethed at me before her sentence was interrupted by a tray of beers being slammed down rather roughly on our table. My grin widened even more as I took in Lexie’s furious features. Now, my best friend was gorgeous with all that red hair, but it’s true what they say about redheads and their tempers…
“What the fuck is this? And who the fuck are you?” She stood ramrod straight, not taking her eyes from Cassie.
“I’m Cassie.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder, clearly not picking up on the rage Lexie was aiming in her direction.
Her funeral.
Lexie’s eyes met mine. “Hell. No . This table is full.”
“Excuse me?” she shrieked, and I giggled, causing her attention to snap back to me. “You think just because you’ve come back into town, you can take my place? That you can take everything from me. Just remember, I had him first.” She licked her lips, and it reminded me of a feral, caged animal.
I stared blankly at her. “I can’t take something from you that you never had.”
“He was mine first, and he will always be mine.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at her. “You act as if I care . You’re still stuck in the past, stuck in high school. I came here to have some drinks with friends, to let off a little steam and maybe grab a bite to eat. And here you are, dredging up things of the past. I can assure you, Sloan not being here with you has absolutely nothing to do with me, and honestly, honey, everything to do with you.”
I reached out and grabbed one of the beers that was threatening to fall off the tray that Lexie had slammed down and tried to take a sip of it, but Cassie tried to grab my hand at the same time and the beer sloshed all over the table and ran down the front of my shirt.
“Touch her again and see what happens,” Lexie said. She still hadn’t sat down and she was rounding over to where we were sitting. I shot her an appreciative look but also one that let her know I’ve got this .
“Do that again, I dare you. You’ll find out exactly how much I really have changed.”
There must have been some unspoken emotion that crossed my face because she backed up from me, and I set my half-emptied beer down, bracing for what might end up coming next.
“Cassie, what the hell are you doing here?”
Sloan’s voice rang from behind us, and I couldn’t help the goosebumps that broke out over my skin.
Perfect fucking timing.