Watching the two of them banter back and forth for several minutes tests my gag reflex. Maybe Maggie’s just that much more trusting of people, because her intuition doesn’t seem to sound any warning bells. Me, on the other hand? I knew something was wrong with Trent the first time I saw him in fourth grade.
“And what might Maggie be short for?” Trent drawls, gesturing to my friend’s name tag.
She’s not particularly fond of this question (because she’s not particularly fond of her name), so it’s no surprise that she grimaces, unable to hide an eye roll. “Magnolia.”
“Are your parents hippies?”
“No, smartass.” She gives him a playful slap to the bicep. “It’s where my parents met one another. On Magnolia Boulevard, in L.A.”
“What about Red over here?”
I can feel Trent’s eyes on me, but I’m doing everything to not look his way, busying myself with filling complimentary glasses of water.
Maggie doesn’t say anything, and to my disappointment, I see she’s been pulled back to her section to deliver drinks.
I’m not even standing directly in front of the counter. Yet, with his height, Trent has to do little more than lean over toreach me, brushing the hair away from my name tag. And it doesn’t escape my notice that, yes, he’s just brushed the top of my breast.
Mother.
Fucker.
“Alex.” He says it like a statement at first, but his eyebrows furrow after a moment, as if needing the time to digest the two syllables. And—
Oh no.
He’s studying my face.
And studying.
And studying.
And studying.
When recognition finally lands, his eyebrows fly up so high that they might be in danger of leaving his forehead. Trent lets out something caught between a choke and a laugh. “Holy shit!Birdie?”
He doubles over, and everyone’s attention in the restaurant turns to the four of us. “Well, hot damn! Seems someone cleaned up. You actually look doable.”
The fucker keeps laughing as Jase’s focus wanders aimlessly away from me.
Good to see nothing’s changed.
“Hey, you just might actually have a shot now with Rivers here,” Trent continues, wrapping an arm around Jase’s shoulder. “What do you say, man? Probably still a freak, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t worth the tap. Hell, I wouldn’t mind letting her ridemyflagpole.”
“Excuse me?” Maggie definitely overheard that comment, because the girl appears in front of me with the lightning reflexes of a ninja, blocking his view of my body. “The onlybirdieyou’ll be getting is this one.”
Sure enough, she holds up her hand, giving him a middle-finger salute.
“Oh, lighten up, sweetheart. I’m just having some fun,” Trent scoffs with a laugh. Any attempt at a good nature he had is gone, something that always rears its ugly head when I’m around.
Nico comes out from the back and looks over at the counter. “There a problem here?”
“Nah, just sharing a word with Birdie,” remarks Trent.
“Well,Alexis busy. Either place an order or get out. I’d suggest the latter,” instructs Nico. Anytime he’s witnessed Trent and the rest of the Untouchables harassing me, he leans into the cliché as much as he can, just shy of physically removing them.
There’s a very fine line you have to walk when dealing with bratty children who hail from politicians and billionaires. It had been stupid of me to think time had changed anything. Not when it comes to Trent.
I’m still a walking liability.
