going to explode. She stormed across the hall, slammed the door, and never spoke to me again. Anytime we happened to meet in the hallway, she'd just give me this look." Imitating the look , Layla narrowed her eyes and peeled her lips back from her teeth in a sneer.
Cam gave a mock shiver. "Ugh. Scary."
"I know. At least I only had to put up with it till the end of the semester. Then, like I said, she moved away."
"Good thing." Cam nodded at her plate. "Food's getting cold. Let's eat."
They spent the next few minutes chowing down in comfortable silence. Still, Layla wondered. Why had he questioned her about Jessi? Was it really just small talk? Or was there another reason?
It had been childish, maybe, to throw her fling with Cam in the girl's face, but Layla couldn't forget the burn of humiliation at Jessi's arrogant assumption. "It's not like he'd fuck you."
Yeah he did, honey, and it rocked my world. You'll never know what you missed.
But maybe Jessi did know. She had been so pissed that Layla wouldn't have put it past her to try her luck with Cam, even knowing Layla got there first. Jessi would want to prove herself better than Layla. In Jessi's eyes, maybe it had been a contest. And no way would she let the chubby girl win.
Layla sipped her diet cola and eyed Cam as he innocently munched his pepperoni slice. Jessi had a rep for banging bartenders, or so Cam had once said. Had he hooked up with Jessi and ended up as one more notch on her bedpost?
His gaze caught hers. "What's up? I got sauce on my face?"
She had zoned out. "Excuse me?"
"You're checking me out. Something wrong?"
Yes. Did you sleep with Jessi? That was what she wanted to say, but instead she gave a small, embarrassed laugh. "No." She shook her drink cup, now mostly ice. "I'm going to get a refill. You want another soda?"
He gave her a teasing smile. "You mean another pop?"
"Ha-ha." She wasn't going to get into that age-old argument with a native Buffalonian. "Whatever."
"No thanks, I'm good."
When she returned with her refill, she found a girl standing at their table, chatting with Cam. Smiling from ear to ear, the tall brunette barely flicked a glance at Layla as she reclaimed her seat.
"How long has it been?" The brunette caressed Cam's shoulder with turquoise-tipped nails.
"Oh, uh, not that long. How've you been?" Cam's cheeks flushed as he shifted in his seat.
"All right." The girl poked out her lower lip in a pout. "I stopped by the Shamrock the other night, but you weren't there. Tuesday night?"
"Oh, yeah. I was at class." He cleared his throat. "Sorry I missed you."
The brunette was all smiles again. "Oh, that's all right. I'll come by again."
Layla stared at the table's salt and pepper shakers as though they fascinated her. It wasn't the first time she'd been treated as though she were invisible.
Cam gave Layla another look, this time one of apology. "That's great. Listen, you'll have to excuse me now, I'm here with my friend…"
Layla smiled at him, warmth and gratitude flooding her.
"Oh!" The girl blinked in surprise, as if this were the first time she'd noticed Layla sitting there. "Of course, Cammy." She traced her talons around his collar and ruffled the back of his hair. "I'll be seeing you." Her smile dazzled, and the look she threw Layla was nothing less than a challenge: Top that, bitch.
Layla didn't know whether to laugh or roll her eyes in disdain.
Cam sat stiffly until the brunette left. Then he relaxed and let go a sigh. "Sorry about that."
Layla told herself that the burning in her middle was not jealousy, but a reaction to the red pepper flakes she'd sprinkled on her pizza. "That's okay. She a friend of yours, Cammy ?"
His irritated frown warned her not to tease him. "Kind of."
His answer told Layla everything she needed to know. The brunette was someone he'd gotten with in the past.
So what, girlfriend? So are you.
She couldn't help but see the humor in the situation and snickered.
He looked baffled.
Cam gave a mock shiver. "Ugh. Scary."
"I know. At least I only had to put up with it till the end of the semester. Then, like I said, she moved away."
"Good thing." Cam nodded at her plate. "Food's getting cold. Let's eat."
They spent the next few minutes chowing down in comfortable silence. Still, Layla wondered. Why had he questioned her about Jessi? Was it really just small talk? Or was there another reason?
It had been childish, maybe, to throw her fling with Cam in the girl's face, but Layla couldn't forget the burn of humiliation at Jessi's arrogant assumption. "It's not like he'd fuck you."
Yeah he did, honey, and it rocked my world. You'll never know what you missed.
But maybe Jessi did know. She had been so pissed that Layla wouldn't have put it past her to try her luck with Cam, even knowing Layla got there first. Jessi would want to prove herself better than Layla. In Jessi's eyes, maybe it had been a contest. And no way would she let the chubby girl win.
Layla sipped her diet cola and eyed Cam as he innocently munched his pepperoni slice. Jessi had a rep for banging bartenders, or so Cam had once said. Had he hooked up with Jessi and ended up as one more notch on her bedpost?
His gaze caught hers. "What's up? I got sauce on my face?"
She had zoned out. "Excuse me?"
"You're checking me out. Something wrong?"
Yes. Did you sleep with Jessi? That was what she wanted to say, but instead she gave a small, embarrassed laugh. "No." She shook her drink cup, now mostly ice. "I'm going to get a refill. You want another soda?"
He gave her a teasing smile. "You mean another pop?"
"Ha-ha." She wasn't going to get into that age-old argument with a native Buffalonian. "Whatever."
"No thanks, I'm good."
When she returned with her refill, she found a girl standing at their table, chatting with Cam. Smiling from ear to ear, the tall brunette barely flicked a glance at Layla as she reclaimed her seat.
"How long has it been?" The brunette caressed Cam's shoulder with turquoise-tipped nails.
"Oh, uh, not that long. How've you been?" Cam's cheeks flushed as he shifted in his seat.
"All right." The girl poked out her lower lip in a pout. "I stopped by the Shamrock the other night, but you weren't there. Tuesday night?"
"Oh, yeah. I was at class." He cleared his throat. "Sorry I missed you."
The brunette was all smiles again. "Oh, that's all right. I'll come by again."
Layla stared at the table's salt and pepper shakers as though they fascinated her. It wasn't the first time she'd been treated as though she were invisible.
Cam gave Layla another look, this time one of apology. "That's great. Listen, you'll have to excuse me now, I'm here with my friend…"
Layla smiled at him, warmth and gratitude flooding her.
"Oh!" The girl blinked in surprise, as if this were the first time she'd noticed Layla sitting there. "Of course, Cammy." She traced her talons around his collar and ruffled the back of his hair. "I'll be seeing you." Her smile dazzled, and the look she threw Layla was nothing less than a challenge: Top that, bitch.
Layla didn't know whether to laugh or roll her eyes in disdain.
Cam sat stiffly until the brunette left. Then he relaxed and let go a sigh. "Sorry about that."
Layla told herself that the burning in her middle was not jealousy, but a reaction to the red pepper flakes she'd sprinkled on her pizza. "That's okay. She a friend of yours, Cammy ?"
His irritated frown warned her not to tease him. "Kind of."
His answer told Layla everything she needed to know. The brunette was someone he'd gotten with in the past.
So what, girlfriend? So are you.
She couldn't help but see the humor in the situation and snickered.
He looked baffled.
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