“Just friends,” I finished.
“So you’re single then?” the blonde pressed, and I looked over to Tate, who was already looking at me.Did she want to be more?
“Yes,” I said, watching the happiness drain from Tate’s green eyes. I wanted to take it back, but it was too late.
“So you’ll be my date for the party tonight?” she asked, and I started to nod before I heard Tate’s sharp exhale.
“You’re ditching me for a party?” she whispered as all eyes landed on her. “What the hell, Griff?”
She was so hurt, and it was crushing me.
“I didn’t think you’d want to come,” I told her as she handed me back the half-eaten chocolate bar. She’d never done that before.
“You didn’t even ask.” She started to stand from her seat, and I pulled her back down.
“Don’t go.” I found myself begging.
“Let me go, Griffin. You’re embarrassing me,” she gritted through clenched teeth.
“You don’t need to leave. This is our table,” I told her, not letting go of her forearm.
“I don’t belong here anymore. I don’t suit your image. Otherwise, you would have invited me. You are just like my dad and Dustin. Leaving behind something good for the possibility of something better.” Her words, like venom from a serpent, pierced my heart as she stood, and this time, I let her go.
“So, is that a yes?” the blonde asked, not realizing that in that moment, I had just lost my best friend, all because I was trying to fit in with the team and be cool.
“Sure,” I told her as I watched Tate walk away, not even sparing me a glance as she walked out of the cafeteria. She didn’t look over at me again the rest of the day in our classes, and when I tried to talk to her at our lockers at the end of the day, she wasn’t there.
I called her cell three times Friday afternoon before the party. I left said stupid party early, after telling the stupid blonde girl to find another baseball player to grope. I called my mom and asked her to pick me up, and she came without question. I called Tate another two times and even showed up at her doorstep the following morning, where her mom asked me to give Tate some space.
Monday morning, she wasn’t in first or second period, the two classes we shared together in the morning. I heard from Hunter she was in literature, so I figured she’d be at lunch, but no. I had brought two king-size Snickers bars to apologize.
And that was the end of an almost ten-year friendship, but unlucky for her, we were stuck with the same lockers for the rest of high school.
CHAPTER 11
TATUM
PRESENT
This wasn’t happening.I kept repeating that to myself over and over, even pinched myself in hopes of waking from this absolutely absurd dream, but alas, this was my reality.
“Ms. Grace, can you put your hand on his arm like this?”the photographer asked, adjusting my hand to be clasped around Griffin’s toned-to-perfection forearm. At this angle, I was showing off a very sparkly bracelet, watch, and engagement ring.Yes. Engagement ring.
We were expected to look like a newly engaged couple. I had to pretend to be surprised and excited when he got down on one knee.
Mind you, this was the practice shoot. The real shoot would be in a week, where I had to fit into a tiny white dress, and he was supposed to wear some expensive suit.Go figure.
I smiled and did as I was asked, modeled a few different pieces, and had a ring and bracelet sized. Then they took the jewelry away, made us sign some NDA agreement since the pieces hadn’t been released to the public, and then gave us the address of where the shoot would be held. Seemed beyondextravagant to me, but that was coming from a girl who had never been fazed by shiny things. Not to mention, there wasn’t a damn thing in that place I could afford.
Griffin and I walked out of the jeweler, and I sucked in the fresh air greedily. It was so stuffy in that small shop, but really it was Griffin who had sucked all the air from the room, as I tried hard to focus on anything other than my hand on his arm, his hand on my hip.
“What are the odds?” he asked, walking with me toward the parking lot.
“Slim to none. I’ll see you next week.” I went toward my beat-up piece of crap sedan while he walked over to a sleek black BMW.
“No kiss goodbye, fiancée?” He chuckled, and I rolled my eyes, giving him the finger.
“I hate you, Silver.”
