Chapter Twenty-Four

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Dedicated to the lovely @pacifics for the gorgeous cover on the side! 

Quick reminder: The beginning of this chapter takes place two days after the diner incident, which is also the day after Luke's confrontation with Summer and Adam and Jamie's breakup. 

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Chapter Twenty-Four

Jamie Vandeviere

When I get angry or excited, I get hungry, which is why by the time I finished talking to Jonathan, my stomach growled so loudly that I feared Luke had heard me with him standing so close. Thankfully, the hallway was abuzz with chatter and laughter and had drowned out the embarrassing sound completely.

I really, really need that chocolate. Or a cookie.

 

We joined the mob of students trying to squeeze their way inside the cafeteria. As Luke and I made our way to the line to get food, I was greeted by Summer’s shrill voice from our usual table. The monster was giggling over something one of the girls had told her and when she caught me glaring at her, she gave me the stink eye and smiled sarcastically.  

I gently tugged at Luke’s sleeve when he looked like he was about to lunge for her, even though I was picturing wrapping my hands around her throat myself while she oh-so-delicately took a sip of her iced tea. Summer was turning me into a monster. Since when did I have such a violent mind?

This made me even more certain that there was no way I could sit at our usual table with Summer there and act as if nothing had happened. I didn’t trust myself to have that much self control. So I twirled around and asked Luke, who was paying for a peanut butter cookie that he had decided to get at the last minute, if he minded that I sat at another table today. He agreed without any hesitation.

“Umm… What’s going on?” Clara asked, her eyes wide with disbelief when Luke and I plopped down at her and Lucy’s table, the table I hadn’t sat at since the first week of school.

“We’re crashing,” Luke said with a small smile, winking at her as he took the seat across from mine, the one next to Lucy. Clara blushed all the way up to her ears.

“Not to sound rude or unwelcoming, but why?” Lucy inquired, her dark brows arching into an expression of curiosity.

“I can’t stomach nutcase over there,” I said, gesturing toward the demented blonde.

Clara bobbed a nod thoughtfully, as though she was saying, “’Nuff said.”

“Want me to fork her?” Lucy lowered her voice dramatically, and there was a snort of laughter from Luke. “I’d be more than happy to.”

“It’s fine. Let’s just enjoy our meal!” I said, attempting to sound chirpy. I didn’t tell them about what I had persuaded Jonathan to do. Not yet, because I didn’t want them to get their hopes up- Lucy’s hopes up, anyway- if it didn’t work the way I wanted it to.

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