What the fuck?
�Wait a second.�
Kara�s body relaxed considerably as she probably considered her response. She even got a slight smirk on her face.
�You implied that I was a lesbian earlier. How can I be sleeping with a guy if I�m a lesbian?�
WHAT?!
Kara crossed her arms across her chest, obviously waiting for an answer. This Brittney girl just fumed.
�Hey, I�m just relaying what Marcus told me. He would know, wouldn�t he?�
Kara looked confused.
�Who the fuck is Marcus?�
�God, you�re so f-ing stupid.�
Breathing slowly, Kara balled one of her hands into a fist while the other clung to the chair so tightly that he knuckles turned painfully white.
�You know, Brittney, you�re plenty old enough to say the entire word. Saying �f-ing� just makes you sound more ignorant than you already are.�
I nearly choked as I tried to hold back my laughter.
�And once again, who the fuck is Marcus?�
Yeah I don�t think anyone but Kara has met my bodyguard.
�Ryan�s brother you idiot!�
Wait a second. Wasn�t his brother�s�
�You mean Marc?!�
Birttney rolled her eyes as Angie winced, I guess assuming what was coming next.
�It doesn�t matter what his name is. All that matters is that Ryan told him that you�re his assistant because you�re a quick easy lay.�
No, you�re wrong; slow, very difficult lay is more like it.
�You sure speak a lot of trash for someone who�s spent the past two years trying to get into his pants. You�re just angry that he saw straight through your �innocent� act - which you really need to work on by the way - and realized what a whore you are.�
Silence fell over the table as everyone obviously tried to pretend they hadn�t heard the exchange that just took place.
�At least I�m trying. You�ve never given anyone any reason to believe you�re not a lesbian. God Kara. You could at least attempt to make yourself a little attractive and stop acting like such a fucking boy.�
No way.
She�s beautiful! And what type of fucking boys is she hanging around with? They wear dresses?!
No wonder she was so confused when I told her she was beautiful.
Why isn�t someone trying to stop this stupid bitch?
I�ve never wanted to hit a girl this badly before in my life. Or just pull Kara out of her chair and take her home with me, so we can forget about the wedding and these idiots while I whisper in her ear how beautiful and wonderful and amazing she is.
But Mike gave me a warning look telling me not to get involved.
When I turned, I saw Kara bouncing her head off the back of the chair, and I couldn�t help getting a little involved.
Automatically I stuck my hand behind her head causing her to stop, her eyes shutting tightly as I relished in the feel of her hair tangled in my fingers.
�Don�t do that.�
When she sat up, returning to her painfully correct posture, she looked over at Angie.
�I�m sorry. I couldn�t help it.�
But� but� it wasn�t her fault!
This stupid bitch attacked her. She was just defending herself. And Ryan.
But Kara�s the one apologizing.
�She just knows I�m right.�
�Shut up Brittney.�
The nice one. A little late, but� it�s more than anyone else tried.
Suddenly feeling sick to my stomach, I slouched in my chair before slipping my arm under the table and reaching my hand out to rest it on her knee.
Baby, I�m here. Say the words and we�ll leave.
Damn she�s soft.
*
Don�t cry MacIntosh. Don�t give them the satisfaction of letting them see you cry.
Nick�s not helping.
Well, he is, but I� I don�t know.
Not daring to meet anyone�s eyes, I reached out and placed my hand on top of where he�d put his on my knee, brushing his thumb over my skin lightly enough that chill bumps rose up on my arms.
Thank you.
Dinner continued awkwardly, everyone trying to carry a conversation while Nick and I kept silent. I felt Nick watching me, probably trying to figure out what I was thinking.
Much like how I�m trying to figure out what he�s thinking.
He wouldn�t be voluntarily touching me if he believed Brittney.
Then she did call me a whore. Maybe he believes it and wants me to do him next. It�s not like I�ve given him any proof that I�m not. We basically fucked each other without clothes on that last time.
But finally dinner ended with Mike paying the entire tab, garnering squeals of delight from all the other females.
Standing from my chair when Nick offered his hand, I stood too close to him, feeling his body gently brushing against mine. Capturing my eyes, I couldn�t pull away as his other hand brushed against my hip before reaching for my face. Then his eyes glanced above my head and he pulled away completely.
I wish I could disappear and take him with me.
But I doubt he would want to go.
*
Stepping away from me, Kara turned away and headed towards the front door.
Leaving me to deal with Mike.
�What the fuck are you doing Nick? Did you hear nothing Brittney said? She�s a fucking whore. Get laid, fine, but that look that was just on your face wasn�t one you should if you were just going to fuck her with no strings attached.�
But I love her.
�Mike, I appreciate your �concern�, but I�m aware of what I�m doing. I don�t need your warnings.�
�She�ll crush you Nick.�
That�s funny.
How is she supposed to crush me when everyone else has already crushed her?
�I�m willing to be crushed if it�s by her.�
Mike rolled his eyes.
�Just don�t come crying to me when she disappears again.�
Rolling my eyes, I walked past him towards the door.
�You have nothing to worry about.�
Never cried to you about it anyway.
Walking into the humid air, I found all the girls standing in the parking lot, Angie and Kara separate from the rest. Talking, Kara kept glancing up from where she�d set her gaze on the pavement.
Angie nodded before looking up to see me watching them. Waving me over, I hesitantly approached them, finding myself surrounded by the other girls as well.
�Nick, I was just thinking� A few more girls are coming in to town tomorrow, so we�re going to be one girl too many for our hotel rooms.�
Kara!
I nodded, pretending to not be thinking ahead of her.
�With all the guys at Mike�s, we were wondering if one of the girls could stay with you. That is, if it�s not any intrusion��
No, no intrusion.
Kara!
�Nah, that works. I have room.�
Kara!