Flirting. She’s still fucking flirting.
And now I’m done.
I need to get back to Honey.
I shoulder past Jenni with my fists clenched and my chest tight. I can hear her shuffling behind me and when we get to a crowded section, her hand brushes against mine, but I yank my arm away fast.
Honey’s still sitting at the table smiling, and just like that, my heart calms. This is the first time I’ve really seen her let loose.
Fuck. Why the fuck did she have to become besties with that snake?
When I slide into the booth, her hand finds mine and she squeezes it. “There you are! Sebi was just telling me about that prank you pulled on Covey U last season.”
“Traitor,” I say, shooting Sebi a look. “That was his idea.”
“Was not!” he says, hands in the air. “You’re the one who said, ‘What if we steal their mascot suit—’”
“And you’re the one who actually did it,” I fire back.
“Details,” Sebi says, waving it off with a smirk.
Honey laughs again, and it’s fucking criminal what that sound does to me. It’s light, open and real. Almost as though no one’s ever hurt her and she’s not looking over her shoulder.
“Ready to head out?” she murmurs with this little sexy edge to her voice.
“Yeah,” I say, grateful for the out. “Definitely.”
As we head out of the booth, I bump into Jenni, and her hands rest on my chest as she takes me in with wide eyes. Give me a goddamn break. “Are you guys leaving already?” she asks, all sunshine and fake sweetness.
“Yeah, we’re beat,” Honey answers for us, pulling her into a hug. “Tonight was fun. We should do it again soon.”
Jenni nods. “Definitely. Hopefully next time we can bring Chris along too...”
And maybe next time, I’ll be less polite.
Once we’re in the car, it’s finally calm. I stop at a red light, leaving my indicator on to turn onto campus so I can dropHoney off at her dorm. She’s been quiet for the drive, keeping her head against the window instead of looking at me.
“That was really shitty of you,” Honey says quietly, her voice cutting through the tick of the indicator.
My jaw tightens. I should’ve said something first. “Honeycomb“
“No, Zach.” She turns to face me, and even in the dim light, I can see the exhaustion in her eyes. She’s not angry with me, she’s just tired. “You embarrassed me. You embarrassed her. In front of everyone.”
“That’s because she’s lying to you,” I say, gripping the wheel harder, realizing this is exactly what Jenni wanted. To plant a seed. “I know you like to see the good in people, but—”
“Stop.” She holds up a hand. “I’m not saying you’re wrong to be suspicious considering the track record I’ve had here. I’m saying the way you handled it was shitty.” She pauses, and when she speaks again, her voice is softer. “I’m saying I need you to trust that I’ve done my own due diligence. If Jenni’s playing some game, I’ll figure it out, but you can’t…you can’t do that again. Not in public. Not in front of our friends.”
The light turns green, and I ease off the brake.
“I just don’t want anyone to hurt you,” I mutter.
“I know.” Her hand finds mine on the gearshift, and she squeezes gently. “But I need to handle my own friendships. Can you trust my instinct on this?”
I should tell her about what happened in the hallway. About Jenni and how she openly admitted she flirted with me, but I don’t. Because there’s a tiny part of me that wonders if I did misconstrue this. What if I’m so hung up on Honey, I’m seeing things that aren’t there?
I meet Honey’s eyes and they fucking undo me. She’s asking me to trust her. Not back down. Just to trusther.
“Okay,” I finally say, because what else can I do? “But if she—”