Page 49 of Under the Weatherman
The Chelsea I knew wouldn’t be caught dead entering this coffee shop. When she crossed herself against demons before stepping in, I knew something was up.
Inside, Chelsea steered us through the crowd to a table where bright shafts of morning sun lit a pair of familiar faces. Bas chewed on his lip, holding in a laugh as Evan’s expression melted into pure unadulterated horror.
No wonder Chelsea had willingly crossed into the devil’s lair.
Son of a bitch.
There was no casual way to extricate myself from this chance encounter Chelsea had so obviously orchestrated. At least I’d cleaned up well. And Evan? He’d come out in a faded sweatshirt that somehow made him look hotter than anyone had a right to be at ten in the morning.
“You better hope you’re up-to-date on your life insurance,” I whispered to Chelsea. Because this coffee shop was about to become the scene of a crime: the death of our friendship.
But then I saw the way she grinned at Bas, like they’d pulled off the ultimate prank together, and I was hit with a weird mix of jealousy and joy. Jealousy because I didn’t want anyone replacing me in Chelsea’s shenanigans, but joy in the simple fact that she’d done something so out of the ordinary for her—and she’d done it withBas.
I elected to fan that flame. With a cheery smile at Evan, I said, “What are the odds?”
Chapter Sixteen
Evan
“Small cheer and great welcome makes a merry feast.”
The Comedy of Errors
The way Bas and Chelsea shot each other congratulatory smirks made it clear this was no coincidental encounter. Just like the night we met, Chelsea had planned this ambush without my knowledge and thought it was funny. And now she’d corrupted my best friend.
“I am going to straight up murder you,” I ground out.
“What? why?” Bas said, not even hiding his laughter.
I stepped toward the door. I didn’t have to stay for this. “I can’t believe you tricked me. Again.”
Chelsea had the gall to say, “Aw, come on. Don’t be mad.”
“I’m notmad,” I said. “I just don’t like being lied to.”
Lied to and misled, manipulated and fooled into spending time with Elizabeth when I’d already explained to Bas exactly why I needed time to sort through my conflicting emotions regarding the stunt she’d pulled. If I’d wanted to ask her out, I could have done that myself. I didn’t need to be handled like a child.
I wheeled on Elizabeth to say as much, but she frowned and said, “I think they were just having fun. No harm done.”
That took some of the wind out of my sails. At least she’d been a victim of this farce as well.
Chelsea elbowed Elizabeth. “You wouldn’t have hesitated to do the same to me.”
Elizabeth yawned. “Can I at least get some coffee? I’m barely awake.”
“We’re not getting coffee at this soulless corporation,” Chelsea said. “We just needed a place to meet.”
“Picnic.” Bas held up a cooler he’d packed this morning when he was outrightlyingto me about the purpose of our outing. “Evan, wouldn’t you like to try those mini pumpkin muffins you were hoping to pinch this morning?”
I shot daggers at Bas as I followed, fully intending on taking a sharp left once I got on the sidewalk.
As Elizabeth slipped out the door, I couldn’t help stare at her. How did she keep getting cuter? I gave myself a mental slap. It didn’t matter how she affected me physically. I couldn’t trust her.
Before I could bail, Elizabeth hooked my elbow, like no time had passed since that first Friday night, and a wave of memories hit me, muddled with the certainty that I’d been with someone else entirely, someone who never existed. I started to pull my arm free, but she latched on and said through clenched teeth, “Listen. I know you don’t want to be here, and I don’t want to be here, but would you stop for a minute and take a gander at that.”
She tilted her head at our friends, walking up the path toward the Rotunda, thick as thieves, probably laughing at their little coup.
“More reason to split. We should let them have their date.”
