“Hi,” she says, drawing a pattern in the dirt with her tennis shoe.
“What up, Jailbait?” Eros says, walking up to ruffle her hair like they’re old friends and he’s not at all surprised by her presence before grabbing a beer out of the cooler next to her. He cracks the can open and takes a chug as he stands between us, his eyes ping-ponging back and forth between Evan and me as the awkward silence stretches. “Oh. Right. I’m gonna go…over there.”
Subtle.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, breaking the silence.
“I don’t know.”
I bob my head. “Something you want to get off your chest?”
She rolls her eyes. There she is. “I believe you,” she says reluctantly, as if she’s bestowing me some grand courtesy.
“Lucky me. Now I’ll be able to sleep at night. That all?” I flip open the cooler lid, plucking myself a beer from the mostly-melted ice before I sit in one of our folding chairs.
Evan’s mouth pops open. “Are you serious? How can you blame me for not believing you?”
“Because I fucking told you I didn’t. That might be your first clue.”
“No, my first clue was that our hotel was broken into the night my room key disappeared after I dropped my purse. After you helped me pick it up. The very same night you went to jail and blame me for it.”
“First of all, that was your fault—” I start, but she cuts me off.
“My parents tracked my phone,” she snaps, frustration bleeding through every word. Didn’t know that part, but it doesn’t change anything.
“Second of all, you think I’d risk more jail time by robbing your rich daddy? Pass.”
“I said I believe you,” she grits through clenched teeth. Show me your claws, Princess.
“How gracious of you.”
“You know what, never mind. It was stupid to
come here.”
“You’re probably right about that.”
“Fuck you.”
“Okay. You eighteen yet?” I throw back just to get under her skin.
“We’re done here.”
“Oh, I’m just getting started.”
She pushes off the side of the trailer and starts to walk away, but Eros is on his way back over and intercepts her before she gets too far. “Whoa, slow down, killer. You’re leaving me already?” He casually slings an arm around her shoulders, like they’re old friends, leading her back this way.
Evan’s arms are folded across her chest, but I see the way her body relaxes, and the way a small, reluctant smile tries to break free even as she shakes her head. Eros has that way about him. He makes everyone feel at ease. A surge of something rolls through me in a wave. If I cared to dissect the foreign feeling, I’d say it feels a lot like…jealousy.
“I can’t leave you two alone for five minutes.” Eros looks at me. “Cage is already down. Not sure where they ran off to.” He drags another folding chair over. “Evan, sit.”
“I’m not a dog,” she says indignantly, her crossed arms pushing her perky tits together.
“Just sit down,” he insists. After hesitating for a few seconds, she stiffly lowers herself into the chair, her spine ramrod straight, legs clamped together. I lift one foot to rest my ankle on my knee, taking a long swig of my beer as I hold her gaze.
“There. That wasn’t so hard. Beer?” Eros asks. Evan surprises me when she jerks her head in a nod. Eros grabs two more cans and tosses one to her before he closes the lid to the cooler and uses it as a seat.
“You’re not old enough to drink that.”