on earth doesn’t own a teacup Pomeranian.
I’m quiet when the boys come back that night. I know it freaks them out — I’m many things, butintrospectiveisn’t typically one of them. They don’t say anything, but I feel their eyes on me as we eat dinner at the kitchen island — Nate on the stool beside mine, Parker straight across from us.
“You feeling okay, Sweet P?” Parker asks.
I nod and take another bite of mashed potatoes.
“I only ask, because the last time you were this quiet was when we picked you up from the Sadie Hawkins dance with the purse-puker. What was his name, again?”
“Duncan,” Nate mutters quietly.
I glance at him, surprised he even remembers that night let alone my date’s first name. He stares searchingly at my expression and I know he’s trying to figure out what’s wrong with me. I force my gaze back to my plate so he can’t read the emotions in it.
“Right. D-bag Duncan.” Parker shoves another hunk of steak in his mouth.
“He’s not a d-bag. Even if he did puke in my favorite clutch and fail to ever call me again.”
“Well, it’s not exactly a surprise he didn’t call you,” Parker says.
My eyes lift to shoot daggers at my brother. “What the hell does that mean? It’sno surprisea guy wouldn’t call me back? Are you saying I’m not worthy of common courtesy? That any guy wouldn’t beluckyto date me?” My voice is icy.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Sweet P,chill. That’s not what I meant at all.” Parker looks from me to Nate and back again. “I just meant I’m not surprised he didn’t call you, considering Nate gave him a black eye the day after the dance and told him to stay the hell away from you.”
My eyes widen. “What?”
He nods.
My gaze moves to Nate, who’s scowling at his plate. “You didwhat?”
“Shut the fuck up, Parker.” Nate’s voice is cold. “Why are you digging up ancient history?”
“How did I not know about this?” I ask.
Parker shrugs. “I don’t know. Could’ve sworn you knew. Lila never told you?”
“No.”
“Maybe she doesn’t know either, then.”
I shake my head, torn between awe and mortification. “But…” I stare at Nate. He ignores me. “Why the hell would you do that?”
There’s a long pause before his eyes finally flicker over to meet mine. “He deserved it.”
“It was just a purse,” I whisper, voice shocked.
“It wasn’t just a purse.” Nate’s jaw clenches. “The next day I heard he was bragging about how he was going to be the first to….”
My eyebrows go up when he trails off.
He sighs. “The first to nail Phoebe West.”
I glance at Parker.
“It’s true,” he confirms. “Believe me, if Nate hadn’t gotten there first, I would’ve beaten the shit out of him myself.”
I sit there in stunned silence. “What a dick,” I murmur finally. “He never even danced with me, you know. Notonce. Which was bad enough. Then he puked in my purse, which just added insult to injury. And now you tell me he was bragging in the locker room aboutnailing me?”
“It wasn’t actually in a locker room—” Parker starts.