Every Which Way (Sloan Brothers) (28 page)

There was no response to that. And even if she wanted to say anything, she couldn’t, because he walked away. Severine stared at the place he’d stood with anger building up in her body. She asked for his help and even that hurt.

None of this could be let go. The image of him with another girl reared up angrily in her head. It was a record stuck on repeat. One minute it was gone, but the image would reappear to replay again.

Over, and over, and over
.

Severine made her way to Tosha and Emilia and sat down on the frozen seat across from them.

“That seemed intense,” Tosha mentioned lightly. She was dying to hear the details.

Severine nodded at the two of them. “Not much to say about it. Macsen’s a dick.”

Emilia placed her elbow on the table in front of them and propped her chin on her fist. Her dainty body was encased in a dark red coat. The collar was popped up, not for fashion, but to keep the wind at bay. It caused her fish tail braid to wrap around her shoulder and hang in all its caramel glory.

Emilia was her own unique brand. She was a vintage chic. It made Severine envious to see a girl so put together when her own life felt like it was crumbling around her.

“You two have a story.”

Severine raised a brow at Emilia’s probing question. This was how she said
hi
to someone? Severine drummed her glove-clad hands on the table. “Yeah. Doesn’t everyone have a story?”

She raised a brow, and Tosha shoved her face close. “I told Severine you were a people watcher.”

“Severine?”

“No. Seh-vreen.” The correction rolled off her tongue. It was by habit.

“A beautiful name for a beautiful girl.” Emilia’s enigmatic words came out slowly. How much did she see in Severine?

“Mmm...thanks,” Severine said uncomfortably.

“That guy that ran away all coward-like...is he your boyfriend?”

A laugh burst out of Severine’s mouth. It was brittle. “Ah, that’s a big no.”

“So he made a mistake?”

“You tell me, Watch-Woman Emilia. What did you see from our exchange?”

“I saw a guy wanting your attention. I noticed a girl who looked broken, but strong at the same time.” Emilia paused to flip her hood up. “By the way, any girl that can hold her own is a friend of mine.” She held her small gloveless hand out in between the two of them. Severine felt as if she had passed some test. She removed her hand from her coat pocket and firmly shook the girl’s hand.

It seemed stupid. But Severine felt an alliance with Emilia.

Severine shook her head and replied firmly. “Tosha said you’re thinking about going here next year?”

“I’m not thinking about it. I am coming here.” Briefly, she looked around as a tiny smile played on her lips. “This place is going to offer me so much more.”

“Yeah? Bitter temps or better people watching?” Severine teased.

Emilia smiled and her own hidden secrets shown in her light brown eyes. Even observers had their own story.

Chapter Twenty-nine

“What took you so long?”

Severine hurried to where her friend sat and removed Lily’s bag from the chair. “Sorry. I met some new people.”

“New people?” Lily smiled hopefully.

Severine raised a single eyebrow and draped her coat on the open chair next to her. “Relax. They were girls.”

“Still. The word
new
is good!”

Severine nodded, but her concentration was focused on the menu. Lily plucked it from her fingers and placed it on the table. “I ordered for you already,” she explained.

“Was I that late?”

“No. When you decided to change where we eat every day, it cuts my eating time. I have to go clear across campus. So I’m on a slight time crunch.”

“Are you going to quit on me?”

“Please.” Lily rolled her eyes. “I wish I could. I’d save myself some gas money.”

At the front counter an order number was called. Lily hopped up from her seat and scurried over to grab their food. Lily bit into her pickle as she walked back to their table.

“Hungry much?” Severine asked with a smirk.

Lily made a face and placed their tray in the middle of the table. “I’m starving.”

Severine opened up her sub sandwich, stared at the yummy B.L.T. and slammed it down. “Ah! I just want to flip out on something.”

“Please don’t flip out on the sandwich that cost me almost six dollars.” Lily said with her mouth full.

Severine thought briefly of her conversation with Macsen and looked at Lily. “I talked to Macsen before I came here.”

Lily lowered her sandwich. “You did?”

“It was nothing big, I just...”

“You got nothing figured out,” Lily supplied sympathetically.

“Nothing,” Severine confirmed. She bit into her food, pissed that the taste was gone for her.

“What happened?” Lily asked gently.

“I wanted to know why. That’s all I wanted.” Severine looked down at her food. “He couldn’t even give me that,” she said bitterly.

“You’ll probably never get an explanation past ‘Uh, I’m sorry. I messed up,’” Lily projected in her best male voice.

Severine raked a hand through her hair. It wouldn’t leave her brain. Whenever she took one step forward, Macsen came up beside her and she went ten steps backwards.

Just let it go. Move on
.

Her conscience could echo those thoughts as much as it wanted. It was the right thing to do. But her biggest strength was also her weakest flaw. Severine couldn’t walk away from something when she didn’t know the answer.

Macsen had been a first for her on so many levels. Most importantly, he was the first to break her down. She didn’t want to back away.

“I think you need to burn off some stress,” Lily declared. She wiped her hands off with a napkin, and lightly smacked her hands together. “Didn’t you work out with Anne and beat the dummy to a pulp?”

“She told you?”

“No, Ben told me,” Lily supplied. “The dummy looked like Gumby and had to be replaced with a brand new dummy.”

“I didn’t know that,” Severine admitted slowly.“I’m surprised I wasn’t charged for it. How much does one of those stupid things cost? Hundred bucks?”

Lily smashed her trash together in a small ball. “Try a few thousand.”

Severine’s mouth dropped open. “Poor Bill.”

“Thayer covered for you. You know, after your punch and run.” Lily snickered at her own joke.

Severine stared at Lily like she had two heads. “Thayer?”

Lily shrugged her shoulders. “It’s not a big deal when you know the starting center for the basketball team.”

“God.” Severine smashed her forehead against her palms. The thought of Thayer helping her for nothing in return was a hard thing for her brain to wrap around. “I give up.”

“Why? I’m confused. Where are you going with this?”

“Because I thought I had everything pegged. I could’ve guaranteed you that I knew exactly who Macsen was, along with Thayer...”

“And now?”

Severine looked up at her friend, her trusted companion. It wasn’t hard to admit defeat to her. “I think I fucked it up. I think I had impressions of the two of them before I knew everything.”

“I think you’re completely accurate,” Lily gently stated.

“Not helping.”

Lily smiled weakly. “Sorry. I love you if that makes you feel any better.”

“You have to say that. You’re legally bound with a contract.” Severine joked lightly—anything to keep her thoughts from focusing on Thayer’s kind gesture. It was more than kind.

Lily laughed loudly just as Ben walked up to their table. More and more bodies were starting to fill the small building. Soon there’d be a line practically out the door.

He sat down and immediately kissed the top of Lily’s head. When he glanced over at Severine his expression was almost cautious—like she was contagious. “Hey, Severine.”

Severine nodded and smiled sympathetically at him. He was probably still scarred from her sobbing her eyes out after her breakup with Macsen. “Benji.”

“So, I was thinking...” Lily interrupted quietly.

Both Severine and Ben stared at her suspiciously.

“Why don’t you come stay with me?” Lily asked perkily.

Severine quickly looked at Ben. He nodded his head in agreement. Although, he’d probably agree with everything Lily had to say just to make her happy. “Sure. It’d be cool,” he confirmed with a firm nod.

“Benji, you live with Tim. I don’t think even I could handle him right now.”

“I’m happy to report that he is moving out after this semester. Going to his frat house.”

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Severine added dully.

“Don’t be. I almost did the fucking worm, I was so happy.”

Severine glanced between the two and laughed. “So it’s just the two of you? Aww! You’re like a little married couple.” Even though Severine was kidding, it was fun to see Ben choke on his sandwich. “Relax, I’m just kidding, Benji.”

Ben cleared his throat and chugged down his water before talking. “To clarify, I’m getting a new roommate at the end of Christmas.”

“Cool.” Severine nodded her head, but she had already stopped listening.

Lily and Ben talked quietly to themselves, and Severine polished off the rest of her sandwich. God, it’d be amazing to be one of those girls that couldn’t muster the strength to eat after heartbreak.

There was no better payback than looking amazing in front of your ex. Instead, Severine ate everything in sight. She was an emotional eater. Always had been, always would be. She paid the price by occasionally stepping foot in the gym.

Lily snapped her fingers in front of Severine. “You never answered my question.”

“What? About staying with you guys?”

Lily anxiously nodded her head.

“You don’t think that will be awkward for everyone?” Severine asked. “You guys canoodling in the next room would be the last thing I’d want to hear.”

Lily threw the rest of her pickle in Severine’s direction. “Why do you still call it that? I hate that word.”

“I love that word.”

For a moment, Lily paused and pursed her lips in thought before she flashed her blue eyes at Severine. “Do I need to pack your stuff up?”

“Eh. It would be great not to be stuck alone in the dorms,” Severine disclosed thoughtfully.

“You’d be closer to the gym and all the restaurants,” Lily said in a luring voice.

“That’s great. The last thing I need is the torture of greasy food.”

“The best thing of all? You’d be next to me.”

It seemed like the opposite of what Severine should do. Going to a friend’s house because she was lonely? It was what she wanted, but Severine knew it wouldn’t work in the long run. This whole problem was something she needed to face by herself.

Chapter Thirty

Severine hopped back and forth anxiously. It was seven in the morning, on a weekend. She should be studying for finals, creeping on Facebook, calling her mom. Instead, she was pounding on Anne’s door.

After Severine’s tenth pound, she answered. A blanket was tossed around her shoulder, part of her black hair was sticking straight up, and she had a serious case of morning breath. “What. The. Hell. Do. You. Want?”

“Go to the gym with me,” Severine said anxiously.

Anne groaned and leaned her body against the doorframe dramatically. “Screw you, Severine. It’s what, four in the morning?”

“It’s seven.”

“What’s the difference?” Anne grumbled.

It was time to be in bed, sleeping the morning away. But Severine needed a breather—from everything. “Can you just get dressed and go with me?”

“Why now? Are you Rocky? Are you training for a boxing match?” Anne peered closer, and checked Severine’s eyes. “Did you take speed or something? No human should be awake at this time.”

“I agree, but I finished studying a few hours ago, and I can’t sleep.”

Anne nodded groggily. “You know you’re screwing up my REM cycle, right?”

“Meet me downstairs.”

“Bite me, Severine.”

*    *    *    *    *

Severine had never been a good runner on a treadmill. Was it just her or did everyone feel at some point they were going to fall off the damn thing and bust their ass? It made her nervous.

Next to her was Anne, who was walking as slow as a snail. She said she was walking off her sleep hangover. Severine wholly believed her. But Anne hadn’t complained once the entire two hours they had been there. Anne knew why Severine was up. They didn’t have to say anything; she was just there for her.

The screen flashed:
three miles
. For once while working out, it was a fast three miles. She slowed the machine to a cool down and stared up at the flat screen mounted in front of her.