Tender (Book 1 - Complete)

Chapter 30 - Lynn

I can feel Justine eyeing me from the driver's seat, but I keep my eyes glued ahead. I'm not in the mood for her questions, or her observations, so I ignore her... until I can't.

"He's cool," she suddenly says, flicking on her turn signal and crossing traffic as she pulls into the Wendy's parking lot. "But I see what you mean. He's incredibly difficult to read."

"You think so," I can't help but say. "I've always thought he was super obvious. I could always tell what he was feeling before." I scratch at a mosquito bite on my shoulder. "It's just now that things have changed."

"Hmmm," she hums as we all unfold ourselves from her car and make our way to the entrance. "You think it has anything to do with you?"

I shrug, pulling the door open and letting Justine and Rosa file in before me. "I don't know. Maybe he's realized that all his flirting before was only leading me on, so he's backing off now."

"That's very nobel of him," Rosa mutters, pulling a wad of cash from her bra and shuffling through it as her eyes remain fixated on the menu overhead.

"But I don't want him to back off," I grumble, feeling childish. "I want him to want me, gosh dangit!"

"Maybe he does," Justine offers, a smidgen of sympathy weaving itself into her brow.

I bark out a single sarcastic laugh before stepping up to the counter and making my order. Once we've all gotten our food and taken a seat in the furthest corner of the restaurant, Justine pipes up again with more Jamie conversation.

"I dare you to test out our theory."

"What theory?" I ask, eyebrows puckered as I stuff at least eight fries into my mouth at once.

"Oh, right," she chuckles. "I forgot to verbalize my theory." She clears her throat and sits up straighter. "Here it is... Jamie's in love with you but isn't entirely sure if you still feel the same way."

"How could he possibly doubt it?" I roll my eyes.

"Have you told him lately how you feel?" she asks, and then before I can answer with a sharp 'yes', she eyes me quizzically and says, "without humor."

I simply stare at her in confusion as I gnaw on a mouthful of cheeseburger, my jaw movements slow and deliberate.

"You can't flirt with him and then giggle about it to his face," Justine chastises with a heavy sigh. "To him, it looks like you're just being goofy. How could he possibly know that you mean what you're saying if he can't take you seriously?"

"Okay, okay," I concede, lifting my palms in surrender with a fistful of fries in my right hand. "What do you suggest I do?"

"Make it clear," she spits, as if I'm the world's most dimwitted human being ever to breathe air. "Show him you mean it when you say you like him. Let him know that you're not just speaking platonically. Even if he rejects you, who cares."

I'd like to point at that she wouldn't be the one getting her heart shredded into bloodied confetti by being so transparent, but I remain silent.

"I dare you," Rosa mutters from beside me, and I'm shocked to see that she's in on this plot to destroy my heart. Her face is inches from her phone as she scrolls through Twitter feeds while popping fries into her mouth, but somehow she can read, eavesdrop, and offer her two cents all at the same time. Ninja skills. Impressive.

"You guys are awful," I pout, pushing a bite of cheeseburger into my mouth that has my cheeks straining against the pressure. I can barely chew, and some of the bite peeks out between my lips as I try to maneuver the food in my mouth, but I eventually manage to swallow.