“Do you know her?” Nettie asked, pulling me out of my trance.
“Yeah, she’s my sister’s best friend.”
“She looked a little mad when she saw you. Do y’all not get along?”
My heart ached in my chest. I hated that all Ari and I ever did was fight, but I was the main cause of that. I had started this little feud a few years back as a means to keep my distance from her.
“We get along fine. She’s just a moody little thing.”
Nettie giggled. “I’d say she was more jealous than moody, Jeff.”
Jerking my head back, I turned to look at her. “What?”
She lifted her brows. “Seriously? Men are so stupid. Clearly she didn’t like seeing you sitting here with me. Especially when you shot her that smile that sort of rubbed it in that you were with me.”
“What?” I lost it laughing. “I did no such thing.”
With a half-hearted shrug, Nettie gave me a wink. “Deep down you want her to think we’re together, don’t you?”
I couldn’t argue with her on that one. “Just get your cute little ass up and bowl.”
The next hour was spent trying to keep Casey’s annoying-as-hell voice out of my head and forcing myself not to look Ari’s way every five minutes.
When I saw Casey walking back from the bathroom, I tensed. She had seen Ari and was making a direct path right to her. My instinct was to get up and protect Ari, but like I did four years ago, I just sat there.
They exchanged words, and Ari folded her arms across her chest. Casey took a few steps back, her face shocked by whatever Ari had said. The girls who were with Ari all smiled and nodded their heads as if approving of what was just said.
Casey rolled her eyes and walked away, defeat written all over her face. Ari watched her walk away and then looked at me. She shook her head and snarled her lip as she pulled out her phone and typed something.
When my own phone buzzed, I jumped. Pulling it out of my pocket, I held my breath when I saw her name.
Ari: Some things never change. Casey is still a bully bitch, and you still sit there like a jerk and let her spit out her hateful words. It’s a damn good thing I know how to take care of myself. I guess you couldn’t be bothered to leave your cute little date. dickhead.
Ari wanted me to defend her? My stomach turned thinking Ari thought I didn’t care about what happened to her. Hell, I knew better than anyone the girl could take care of herself. She had a mouth like a sailor and wasn’t afraid of giving her two cents. But she had actually wanted me to keep Casey away from her, and I did nothing.
Again.
“That girl is the biggest bitch on the planet,” Casey shot off as she came and sat back down.
“Who?” one of Casey’s friends asked.
“Some little whore I know from high school. I have no clue what she’s doing down here; she’s still in high school. I hear she likes to give head in exchange for test answers.”
“Shut the fuck up, Casey. You and I both know that’s not true,” I said.
Casey turned to look at me, a snarky smile on her face. “That’s right . . . her best friend is your little sister. How is Ellie these days, Jeff?”
Gunner’s attention was now fully on the conversation.
“She’s doing amazing, Casey. But I seriously doubt you care since you made her life a miserable hell during her freshman year.”
“What?” Gunner asked, now turning to face Casey.
“Oh, don’t listen to him, Gunner. So I made the little girls cry their first day of high school. It toughened them up.” She winked at me, and I balled up my fists.
“I’m ready to leave now! Who else is ready to leave?” Nettie blurted out.
“You were a bully in high school, Casey?” Gunner asked.