My Least Favorite Person (girlxgirl)

Chapter 8

Somehow, by some stroke of luck, I managed to make it through the meal without any more kisses. Still plenty of Clara clinging to my arm, but I was getting better at handling that. Just so long as she didn't kiss me, I was pretty sure I could handle it.

We finished our meal without talking about a single thing of substance, just fake flirting, which was good, because I didn't really want this to feel like an actual date. I'd probably be sadder if it did. But after we finished the meal, paid and got up out of the seat, Clara grabbed me by the hand and pulled me—and for my part, I was too stunned to really resist as she led me to the bathrooms.

Whoa. This was kinda weird. I didn't think I was up for this.

She pulled me into the women's bathroom and kicked the door shut. Single-occupancy. I gulped.

"Uh—" I started.

She returned to her natural expression, high and mighty. "I think your idea of coming here was a bust," she whispered.

"What? Now it's my idea again?"

"I didn't see a single one of them. I think it was a total waste of time."

I sank. "Great. So we try again next time?"

A smile played over her lips. "Do I look like a quitter to you, babe? We're going all the way."

I frowned about as hard as a person could frown. "Hold on. What?"

"Let's get some dessert. You could use a little fat, anyway. You've got nothing." She looked pointedly at my ass, leaning around me, and I turned to keep it out of view.

"What does dessert or the size of my ass have to do with anything?"

"There's a Baskin Robbins on 23rd Street I think you'll just love, babe."

I narrowed my eyes. Now I saw what she was going for. "That's a little on the nose, isn't it? I mean, it's not even the closest Baskin Robbins."

"Then we hit up the park near it too to eat our ice cream. The one on Clayton only has dirty roads around it. I guess that's Instinct territory for you."

I rolled my eyes. Instinct may not have had all the upscale developments Cave Holdings did, but still—going directly into bear territory? For ice cream?

"Fine," I said. "Let's do it."

She looked away. "And quit hugging me so much."

I raised an eyebrow. "What, you can't handle it?"

"I can handle it, I just don't like feeling trapped by someone like you."

I crossed my arms. "I don't think either of us likes any of this, sweetheart. I don't like hugging you either, but couples do it. And you're the one who pinned me into a corner to cling to me."

She still looked away, and she rubbed the back of her head, fiddling with her snapback. "I didn't think you cared. Just quit hugging me. It feels awful because you're stronger and it's like I can't get away. I'd rather make out with you than have you hug me again, seriously."

I stared. "You really want to make out that badly?"

She snorted. "Right. I bet your kind doesn't even brush your teeth."

I was tempted, seriously. She'd just given me the biggest weapon she could have. I could not believe it. I just had to hug her in public and she'd be powerless, crushed, totally defeated. I'd be able to destroy her just like that.

"Oh, yeah, never," I said. "And we rinse with toilet water. Now, let's go get ice cream."

She muttered something under her breath and stomped out of the room, and I followed feeling light. Maybe I wasn't losing after all. I had a trump card.