Love Denied Vol.1 Of The Love Trials Trilogy

Chapter 17 "Ricky!"

(Tori's POV)

I had watched her expression when she had glanced at my hands, and wondered what her reaction would be if she looked at my whole body...

Would she be disgusted by the sight, or take to pity?

Both answers made me angry. Yet as I felt her snuggle in behind me, I knew I couldn't be angry at her for something like that. After all her reaction would be normal by human standards. Even those in the were, and magic community pitied those very scars. There were scars that were more deeply buried inside my heart that no one would ever have to see.

"Minori, I'm taking you to the Totiao's by SunnyMart!" I yelled over the wind.

"Okay!" Minori yelled back, except it sounded like a muffled 'okey'.

The restaurant was all Mexican food, but it was still good. My friends tended to complain that my taste in food was horrible, but I think they just hated the Latinos for there terrible music. Latino music couldn't beat Japanese music by a hundred miles in their view.

I smiled at the thought, and couldn't help but miss their presence. Though it was probably better that Minori doesn't meet them yet. Although she probably knows all about them, and has probably had a word or two with Arianna. She'll definitely befriend Mizuki...

We finally reached the restaurant, and I parked the motorcycle.

"Thanks." Minori said blushing as she handed me my jacket.

"No problem." I told her with a smile.

I shrugged on my jacket feeling safe inside it as we stepped into the restaurant. A waiter came to us at the entrance...

"Ah, if it isn't la favorita! Y esta vez trajo una amiga!" Ricky, one of the usual waiters said when he recognized me. "I'm guessing you want a booth like usual, huh?"

"Yeah, el normal, porfavor." I said in Spanish with a smile.

Minori looked at me with a startled expression as the young man started leading us to my regular booth. Once we were seated he handed us our menus, and left to get us our drinks. I already knew what I was going to order so I placed my menu on the table.

"You speak Spanish?" Minori asked surprised.

"I'm part Mexican so naturally I can speak it." I said with a smile.

"Ready to order señoritas?" Ricky asked coming over and placing the drinks on the table.

I turned to look at Minori with an inquiring eyebrow, but she shook her head.

"Se parecer que no esta lista para ordenar." I said in Spanish to Ricky.

He nodded understandingly but didn't move away.

"Quien es la muchacha? Una amiga o otra de tu amantes? O posiblemente es tu novia?" Ricky asked.

Ricky was a good friend of my, but belonged to another pack, a neighboring pack in Missouri. He was the only one there in the restaurant who was were, and I trusted him with keeping it a secret about my conquests. I almost growled at his question but held it in check.

After all, Ricky simply wanted to know if he could introduce himself to Minori as a friend of mine or not.

My lovers were normally off limits to talking to my friends since they never stuck around long enough to make it an actual relationship.

"Ella es mi Hembra de la Corazon." I said casually, but he lifted his eyebrows in surprise.

Everyone in the Were Community knew about the story between Baird, Logan, and I. There had even been bets back then on whether I'd kill the two and become a rogue or turn tail and become a loner. Glad to say neither scenarios occurred, I stuck around, and we had split ways...until now.

"Tienes suerte." Ricky said after a glance at her.

"I hope so." I said in English in a manner of ending the conversation.

Ricky gave me a sweet dimpled smile. I couldn't help but catch a flash of jealousy in Minori's eyes as she glared at Ricky. With a hand over my mouth, I hid a grin.

"I'm ready to order sir." Minori stated, her eye narrowed with suspicion.

"Oh, okay." Ricky said with a wink at me, and a flirtatious grin.

I giggled.

Minori made her order, and I did to. Ricky turned away with another wink at me. The cad!

"So you two must know each other well..." Minori started but trailed off as she glared at her drink.

"The water hasn't done anything to you, Babe." I teased lightly.

She glared at me.

"Ricky is a good friend of mine. He also has a fiancée, I should add, and a very jealous one at that." I stated thinking of Jamie who was actually my cousin's mate.

Oh, boy! When Cole finds out that she's engaged he won't be in a good mood. I just hoped I wouldn't be there when that happened.

"Oh." Minori said with a blush.

"He's engaged to Jamie actually." I said casually as Ricky started for our table with our food.

"Jamie Locke, the school's ice princess!" Minori exclaimed with wide-eyes.

I pretended to cough. Ricky had a bemused expression on as he placed our plates in front of us. Well, what Minori had said was true, and that was exactly why Ricky was willing to marry Jamie. Because there wasn't a chance of love in their relationship. They were both friends with issues on love, just like me.

A depressing thought.

"Jamie may be an ice princess, but she has a fine ass!" Ricky said wiggling his eyebrows at Minori.

"That's true." I said with a blissful expression, Minori looked stunned. "Just kidding, Jamie's just a friend of mine, like Ricky."

I grinned, and Ricky grinned.

"It's my break time, mind if I join you guys?" Ricky asked with pleading eyes at Minori.

He knew better than to turn those eyes on me, I was more probable to say no.

"Yeah sure, Tori won't mind, you're her friend after all." Minori said with a grin.

"Thanks beautiful!" Ricky said with a wink at her.

I growled in disapproval.

Minori looked stunned by the action, but Ricky looked rebuffed. He still sat down anyhow, though his manner towards Minori was more gentlemanly than before. Minori just seemed confused, but pleased at the same time.

For a second, I wondered if she had were blood in her veins.

I stopped the thought before it could stick to my head like an unshakable itch, because it simply wasn't possible.

After all, her best friend was a hunter.