Games of Fire (37 page)

“You’re in my spot.”

Face upturned smugly, Maggie swept a strip of sleek hair off her shoulder with a dainty flick of her wrist. “I didn’t see your name on it.”

Wow! Are we five again?
She wondered.

“No, it’s okay,” Spencer said, surprising both of them. He rose up and swung one leg over his seat. He sat back down, straddling the bench. “Here,” he said, patting the V between his legs.

There wasn’t very much room, which meant she would be pressed completely into him. Heat swept into Sophie’s face as she realized his implication, but she set her lunch down on the table and straddled the spot in front of him, facing Lauren, who grinned. She started to return the smile when Spencer’s arm snaked around her middle from behind, dragging her back, closing every inch of space dividing them until she had no choice but to lean into his chest.

“Comfy?” he murmured hoarsely into her ear.

Suppressing a shiver, Sophie nodded, not sure how to tell him she had the best damn seat in the place. Instead, she rested her hand over the one he had on her abdomen and wove her fingers through his.

“I didn’t ask her to sit there,” he told her quietly. “I tried to tell her I was saving the spot.”

“I know,” she said. “I saw.”

“Not upset?”

She chuckled, shaking her head. “I got a much better seat in the end anyway.”

She felt him smile against her temple. “Who is she?” Spencer asked, genuinely puzzled.

Sophie stiffened. She turned her head to peer into his face, certain he was joking. “Serious?”

He looked at her blankly, gave a small, uncertain shrug, followed by the shake of his head.
“I told you, up until you, the female race had ceased to exist to me.”

Sophie laughed, remembering his confusion before when she’d thrown Maggie Chow in his face. He really had never noticed her, Maggie Chow, one of the most popular girls in school.

Out of sheer giddy delight, Sophie kissed him like the world was ending and he was heading off to fight aliens. When she pulled away, his eyes were dark and dangerous, and memories of their picnic in his living room floated through her mind, bringing with it a fresh wave of flush rushing through her. The tremor was harder to conceal this time and she was rewarded by the tightening of his arm and the strategic placement of his other hand on her thigh. She bit her lip to keep from making a sound.

“You better eat your lunch,” he half snarled. The hand on her stomach drifted upwards to rest over her ribcage, just high enough to make every nerve ending in her body whimper.

“Should the rest of us clear out or what?” Lauren said. “Because it’s becoming uncomfortably R-rated at this table.”

Sophie blushed, feeling the heat all the way down to her tingling toes.

Spencer grinned down at her lopsidedly. “I like the clearing out idea,” he murmured just for her ear, but returned his hand to her abdomen and removed the hand on her thigh to reach for a fry.

Sophie had to bottle the whine tickling the back of her throat as she fumbled to open her lunch bag. She raised her head to peer at the figure across from her and jolted in surprise.

“Joe!” Her elated exclamation was met with a dark glower from over the top of his open Math book. His knuckles were white around the battered text. Sophie tried to ignore the weight of guilt crushing her chest. “I brought your favorite today—”

But she never got to give him the egg sandwich. He shot to his feet, slammed his book closed and stormed from the cafeteria as if his life was in jeopardy if he stayed.

Horrified, Sophie turned to Lauren and Jessie, both who were trying so hard to pretend like they hadn’t noticed.

“What did I do?” she demanded.

Jessie’s lower lip trembled and there were red splotches on her face as if she were trying not to cry.

Lauren poked her tiny container of salad dressing with a baby carrot a few times, but didn’t seem overly anxious to eat it. She slammed the unsuspecting vegetable down unexpectedly and turned to her. “Come on, So! You’re not stupid. Think.”

Sophie had no idea what she was talking about.

Lauren exhaled sharply when Sophie just kept staring at her, seemingly waiting for the answer to materialize across Lauren’s face. “Girl
… ” Her gaze shot over Sophie’s shoulder then away. “Never mind.”

“No!” Sophie grabbed Lauren’s arm, stopping her from returning to her celery sticks and baby carrots. “Tell me!”

“It’s fine,” Spencer said from behind her, reminding her he was still there.

Lauren shook her head, rolling her eyes heavenward, silently begging for patience. “Girl, the dude has liked you since like the second grade!” she said, glancing at Sophie’s stunned expression.

“Joe? No!”

“Yes!” Lauren insisted. “Why do you think he even comes to the cafeteria? You know he hates it here.”

Sophie shook her head. “Because he’s our friend? Because he likes sitting with us?”

“Yeah, we’re friends, but the guy loves
you
.”

Sophie turned her head to stare at Spencer. “You knew?”

He looked away. “It wasn’t hard to guess.”

Was she the only stupid one that hadn’t seen it? How could she have missed something like that? The whole thing seemed ludicrous to her. Joe was like a brother. She had never once ever felt a spark for him, never looked at him as anything more. Had she given him some kind of impression that there could possibly be something between them? Had she strung him along? Was she really one of those clueless girls she’d read about and hated?

“I have to go talk to him,” she said, climbing to her feet. She turned to Spencer, who was looking down at her feet. “I’ll see you in Chem?”

He just nodded.

Sophie wanted to tell him more, but she grabbed her untouched lunch and hurried to find her friend.

She found him in the
band room, as she expected. It irritated her that she knew everything about him, his favorite foods, favorite colors, his hobbies, wants and likes and dislikes. She knew everything about his past and knew what he wanted for the future, but she had been completely oblivious to his feelings towards her until she walked into the room and his eyes met hers.

The pain and anguish and anger struck her like a fist in the gut. She wanted to kick herself for not seeing it sooner, for not being more careful. She wouldn’t have been so openly affectionate with Spencer if she had known how much it would hurt Joe, because whatever happened, he would always be her best friend. They had too much history for anything else.

“Hey,” she whispered, edging closer to him, hating how hesitant she felt.

He popped the latches on his bass guitar and pulled the instrument from its bed of red velvet. “Hey.”

She swallowed hard. “Can we talk?”

He slung the strap over his shoulder. “What about?”

He wasn’t going to make this easy, she realized. “You know what, Joe.”

His hazel eyes rose up and met hers. “Doesn’t matter.”

“How can you say that?” Tears prickled behind her eyes. “Of course it matters. You’re my best friend! I would never hurt you, you know that. I love you!”

He gave a vicious strum of the strings, making them hum loudly between them. “But you’re not
in
love with me.”

Sophie bit her lip, trying and failing to redirect the tears as she shook her head. “You’re like a brother to me, Joe.”

His laugh was short and brittle, like ice encrusted twigs under careless feet. “Stupid me.”

“No—!”

“It’s my fault,” he muttered, staring down at his guitar. “I’m always too slow. Maybe if I’d made my move sooner, tried harder to show you how I felt, you wouldn’t be making the biggest mistake of your life.”

“Joe!”

He ignored her burst of outrage. “Dad always said I didn’t have the guts to man up to anything. That I was too much of a sissy to take what I wanted. Guess he was right.”

“Don’t say that!” She rushed to him and took his arm, shaking him until he looked at her. “Don’t say that! Your father
… ” She grit her teeth as venom spewed through her at the very thought of that man. “He was wrong! You are a hundred times more of a man than he ever was. You are good and kind and you’ll find someone who will see that.”

He bore into her eyes, his flat and lifeless. “But not the girl I want.” He shook his head. “Go back to your mistake
, Sophie. You’re becoming real good at making them.”

The raw hatred in his voice was like a smack. Her hand was falling away from him even before he turned from her.

Spencer was already in Chemistry when she staggered in, feeling battered, bruised and exhausted. He sat stooped over his books, chewing absently on his thumbnail. She bypassed her normal table and went to his, hoping his partner would take his time arriving to class.

He looked up when she reached his desk. A flicker of surprise passed over his face as he took her in, making her want to cry all over again. Without a word, his fingers curled around her wrist and he guided her into his arms where she greedily latched on, pressing her face into his shoulder.

“I’m so stupid!” she whispered into the soft material of his t-shirt.

He shook his head. “No, you’re not.”

“He hates me.”

His fingers combed lovingly through her hair. “Not possible.”

“How did I never notice?” She drew back, wiping her eyes. “We’ve been friends since Kindergarten. I know everything about him!”

He rubbed her arms gently as she stood between his legs, suppressing another flood of tears. But he didn’t respond.

She looked into his face, searched his eyes, read the sadness he felt for her, but there was something else. He was doing a good job of hiding it, but it kept poking up just along the outer edges.

“What?” she whispered, too mentally drained to guess. “What is it?”

“Nothing.”

She shook her head. “I can see it, Spencer. What?”

He was saved from having to answer when a soft cough alerted her to the person behind her. Spencer’s partner had arrived and wanted his seat. Sophie spared Spencer a final glance before hurrying to her spot on the other side of the room. She set her things down and sat, prepared for a very long afternoon.

And to think, the day had started out so well, she mused, her eyes fixed on the clock.

There was a mint green minivan parked outside Spencer’s driveway when they arrived home after school.

Sophie glanced at Spencer.
“You must have a visitor,” she guessed.

He shook his head, brows furrowed. “I don’t know anyone with that van.”

“Maybe they’re friends of your mom,” she suggested.

He gave a shrug, moving towards the shiny vehicle. “Maybe
… ”

“Spencer?” She called him before he could leave her on her driveway and hurry home. “Are you okay?” she asked. “You’ve been very quiet since lunch.”

He nodded. “Fine.” He gave her a two finger salute. “I’ll see you later, Blondie.” It was so much like something he would normally say that she almost didn’t question him.

“You’d tell me if something was wrong, wouldn’t you?”

He faltered in his escape. His hesitation showed in the uncertain way he avoided her eyes. “Of course.”

She considered calling his bluff, but decided against it. She was just too tired to argue about anything. There was a comfortable bed waiting for her inside and she wanted to get lost in the familiar sheets.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she murmured, turning towards her house.

“Sophie!” he called before she could make it all the way to the door. He waited until she glanced back before speaking. “I’ll understand if you need time.”

If there was even a small chance that he could get anymore cryptic, she didn’t know how.

“What?”

He jostled his bag higher on his back, the movement jerky. “This whole thing with you and Joe, I’ll understand if you want time to sort things out.”

Sophie could only stare at him, too dumbfounded for words.

He cleared his throat. “So if you want to go with him instead to the Valentine’s Day party … ”

“Whoa, wait!” She marched back to him. “You don’t want to go with me anymore?”

“No!” He quickly shook his head. “I mean yes! I do. I do want to go with you. But I just don’t want you to feel like … I don’t know.” He shoved his fingers back through his hair. “I was trying to make things easier.”

“Easier?” She laughed tightly. “We’ve been
dating
for twenty-four hours and already you’re trying to break up with me and—”

“No!” He put his hand up to stop her. “That’s not what I’m doing at all. I meant everything I said last night, but things changed today and I don’t want you to feel like I’m not giving you any options or something.”

Sophie stared. “Do you actually listen to the things that come out of your mouth?”

He blinked, surprised.