Part 15 (1/2)

As we approached, Tom jumped from his chair and rushed to me. Crooking his finger, he motioned me down toward him. I leaned over till he could whisper in my ear.

”Just because I'm having dinner with Katie, doesn't mean I don't still like you best.”

I cupped my hand over his ear and whispered back, ”I like you best, too.”

”Really?”

I nodded my head and Tom shot Luke a triumphant grin. Great. If it didn't work out with... anyone, I had my own nine year-old boyfriend in the wings.

”Amy!” Mrs. Parker waved me around the table to where she sat with her husband. ”I'm so glad you stopped by to say h.e.l.lo. This is Mr. Parker.” He looked a little more stern than Mrs. Parker. Of course, Care Bears were more stern than she was. ”And this is Luke's friend Katie.”

Before I'd even pivoted to face her, Katie was bubbling over. ”Hi! The guys have told me all about you! I'm so glad they all have a new friend here before they even start school!”

Luke looked physically pained by all her energy. The new inner me couldn't help but laugh a little at that. Inside of course.

Jared broke in before things could get any more awkward. Yeah, because that was possible.

”We're going with Rachel and Amy.”

Please note-I had already been relegated to Rachel's sidekick. That would be a record eight minutes.

Jared draped an arm around her shoulder before clarifying our evening for all of us. ”Rachel will drive us home.”

”I will?” She rolled her eyes, but the smile she gave him let us all know there wasn't an issue. ”You're not one of those controlling guys are you?”

”Nah. I just knew you wouldn't be able to get enough of me in the time it takes to buy a phone. You're going to need at least the car ride home to feel content.”

Even Justin looked a little ill at this exchange.

Once outside, Justin threw his arm about me, mirroring Jared and Rachel in front of us, before we pa.s.sed the restaurant window. I knew he was teasing, but I gave him the look again.

”Don't mind me,” he said. ”Like I said. I'm just tweaking my brother. Serves him right getting stuck with the wrong girl. I told him she was trouble and to steer clear.”

”You sound like you know her pretty well.”

Justin cleared his throat. ”Uh, yeah.”

”So, she's staying until her parents show up?”

He tugged me around to look up at him. ”Amy, he didn't know she was coming. I saw him the day he broke up with her. Even from a distance anyone could tell that was what was going on. She's nuts.”

”Well, he should have been up front with her from the beginning. She may have painted him into a corner, but he didn't have to hand her the brush.”

”I'm just saying, he isn't a bad guy.”

I stopped, slid out from under his arm and faced him.

”Justin, you've been at this from the first day I met you. You aren't listening. It doesn't matter if he's dating someone.”

”Yeah, Luke's told me about him. That guy sounds like he's about as good a friend as he is a boyfriend.” He threw his arm around my shoulder again and started us down the street. ”You should be with someone who respects you. Not leaves you on your own. Who doesn't let his friends know you're his girlfriend.”

”Oh?” I laughed at him, knowing he was teasing again. ”Like you?”

”Like Luke.”

Okay, maybe not in teasing mode.

”We're just friends.”

”I don't think that's true. You don't either. I've never seen two people hit it off like you guys. When he showed up with you for lunch... It just worked, you know?”

I jerked my head toward his brother and Rachel.

”I amend that. Two sane people.” He gave me that lopsided Parker grin. ”Think about it.”

”I don't need to think about it. I could never date a guy who treated someone the way he treated Katie.”

”Trust me. The Katie thing, not what it appears. And anyway, a guy who pretends he doesn't even know you isn't so bad? ”

”Hey, guys. Wait up,” Luke shouted as he hurried down the sidewalk behind us, Katie clinging to his arm.

”Yeah, Justin. I can see he's really fighting her off.”

Justin's eyes narrowed as they neared. ”I think he just needs a little incentive to step up.”

The arm about my shoulder tightened and he pulled me into his side. ”Even if you aren't interested, you can't blame me for wanting to irk him. A little temper fit wouldn't be such a bad thing, would it?”

The idea of Luke losing his temper in public flitted through my head and was so ridiculous I couldn't even really contemplate it.

”We thought we'd walk with you guys.” Katie studied me, her gaze stopping on where Justin's arm rested on my shoulder, his hand toying with my hair. Her smile brightened, a perfect little sunbeam smile. ”Luke says there's a shopping plaza down the corner and I forgot my cell charger.”

”Well if Luke says-”

I elbowed Justin in the gut. It was becoming abundantly clear he did not like Katie-whether she was Luke's girlfriend or not.

”Justin, there's no need to be rude.” She was actually stroking Luke's arm as she spoke. ”It isn't like you need to entertain me. You aren't the one I came to see.”

”Thank G.o.d.”

Luke shut his eyes and tilted his head back. A maneuver I'd never seen him do.

Justin tugged me away from the nauseating pair. ”Come on, Amy. Let's catch up with the phone-buying duo.”

As we hurried away, I glanced at Justin. ”What was that? Don't like her much, huh?”

”You could say that.”