Lorelie vs the Life of Summer Rose

Chapter 11

 It's unnerving how they watch me. Their eyes track the movement of my mouth as I inhale the skewers they just bought me from one of the stalls, still smoky from the barbeque they were sizzling on only seconds ago. I never knew eating could be so mesmerising, and I still don't— but the way they look at me, smugly satisfied with the consequences of their actions, makes me feel like I'm doing something magical.

"Do you want some?" I ask. Beck shakes his head.

"Nope."

"Gray?"

"Nah."

"But it's weird when I'm the only one eating," I say. "I don't want to be the only one eating."

"Well," Beck starts, leaning forward, "if you insist. I'd hate to disappoint."

"Don't disappoint me then," I say, and tilt the stick his way. My heart jumps at the flash of teeth sinking into a disk of meat, slowly and artfully dragging it up the length of its slender body. I look away and clear my throat. There it is again. Calm down. I try not to scream, infuriated with myself and my body's reactions, when his hand closes over mine to hold me still.

"Oh, that's good."

"Uh-huh," I say weakly.
"Maybe we should've gotten some for ourselves. Actually, I might. Be back soon."

Do I laugh or cry? Both, maybe? I watch Beck leave with a slight, unexplained hint of irritation, clenching the stick of my half-eaten skewer in my hand. It's completely irrational, but I feel dejected for some reason, petty because he didn't just steal the rest of my food like I expected him to and maybe even wanted him to. Am I not enough for him? Why am I asking these bloody questions! What's happening???

Across from me, Gray smirks. He catches my ankle between his and drags me to the edge of my seat, stealing a squeal from my mouth. "What's that look on your face, Seashell?"

"What look?"

"This look," he says, and then frowns faux-cutely. Inwardly, I cringe.

"I do not look like that." I refuse. "Do I really look like that?"

Gray chooses to snatch a bite off my skewer instead. "Are you still upset that Summer ditched you for James?"

"Uh... Totally."

He runs his hands through his hair and sighs. "I can't believe she's still in love with him. You know, she's had the hots for him since we were babies and that. I mean, I wasn't there too often. But they were attached at the hip, playing marriage together and what not— didn't matter if I was there everyday or just one, it was pretty obvious to anyone who looked."

"It's still obvious," I lament. "I've known her for one day and it's so obvious. That was my first time seeing them together but it was bad. I can't believe she ditched me."

"He's not even good company," Gray agrees. "She can do so much better than him."

"Are you saying that because you don't like him or because you genuinely think that?"

"Probably both." Gray shrugs. "I don't like the guy for personal reasons."

I smile. "That much is obvious."

"Whatever." He rolls his eyes. "But Summer's smart. I don't know if you know, but she's super, super smart. One day she's going to go out there and change the world, and James is going to stay here because this is where he's comfortable. This is where his dreams are. They don't align."

"But you saw the way she looked at him," I insist. "Do you think... Do you think she'd pick him and stay?"

His lips slant at the corners. "As I said, I'm not around them both enough to tell you."