Why You Shouldn't Lend A Bad Boy Your Clothes

Chapter 19

"Alright, what's actually up with you?" Nate asked, looking at me with warily narrowed eyes.

I cleared my throat and looked back at him over my cup of coffee. "Hm?"

When we had arrived at school this morning, we had been supposed to have Spanish, but the teacher was sick and the substitute hadn't shown up, so Nate and I had decided to go into town until third period started.

Now we were sitting at Starbucks; I was drinking Caramel Macchiato while Nate was stuffing his mouth with his third Triple Chocolate Muffin in a row. By now I was seriously worried he might get a sugar rush.

"You're brooding. You didn't really talk since we got here," he said, mouth still full of crumbles. "So, what is it? Tell me."

I shrugged and rested my chin in my hand. "You probably won't like it though."

The only reaction I got was an unimpressed eye roll and a flick of his fingers ordering me to go on.

Taking a deep breath, I tried to look calm before I said: "I'm going to break up with Emily. Like, today."

Nate nearly choked on his muffin. When he was done coughing, he just stared at me for so long that I started to shift uncomfortably in my seat. "For real?"

"Yes."

Nate was quiet for a few more minutes. Then he started nodding slowly. "Okay."

"Okay?" I asked, unsure what that reaction meant.

"Okay. I get that. I mean, it's not like I didn't see it coming," he said and toyed around with the cap of his bottle. "And I think it's a good decision. You are both my friends and it sucks to see you hurting just because you're too stubborn to admit to yourselves that this thing between you isn't what you thought it was, even though you both already know."

I nodded, partly relieved, partly surprised that he was completely fine with it. "I know. I'm just not sure if she does."

"She does," Nate said matter-of-factly. "Believe me. She's not stupid, she sees what's going on." He fell silent for a moment. "I only have one question: why now? What made you suddenly come to this decision?"

I stalled by sipping my coffee. Then I said softly, avoiding his eyes: "Hunter asked me on a date."

If Nate had looked shocked before, he looked a thousand times more perplexed now. "He did what?"

"Well, it's not exactly a date," I was quick to say. "He said I could also just see it as partying together. I mean, it's not a big thing, right? Going to a club together doesn't mean dating, does it?"

Nate closed his eyes. When he opened them and pointed a finger at me, his entire expression indicated that he was absolutely done with me. "Jules. We're talking about Hunter Adams here. Do you actually think he's doing this just for the hell of it?" My eyes widened as he leaned closer across the table. "Do you even know what this means? Hunter has never asked anyone on a date."

I scratched the back of my head nervously. "Okay, now you're just making this even scarier."

"What I'm trying to say is: I think he's being serious with this. He wouldn't try so hard if he just wanted you to be another Date of the Week or some shit. So maybe you should decide if you want to do that step, too."

"I already made that decision," I said. "Which is also one of the reasons why I'm breaking up with Em."

Nate studied my face for a moment before he leaned back in his chair, arms folded over his chest. "Okay... So do you like him?"