Free Laney by Joann I. Martin Sowles Page B

them to yell.

    “You really should stop biting yourself,” I joked, hoping he’d be Oliver again.

    “I only do it when I’m around you.” He shot me a quick smirk.

    I did not expect that! My stomach gave a nervous drop and I managed to ask, “How’s your tongue?”

    “What? Oh, fine. Fast healer.” He sounded withdrawn. “We were talking about this Ashton. I’d like to hear more.” He still didn’t seem like himself. It bothered me, so I just sat there quietly, watching.

    Kiera didn’t seem to notice his change in tone or mood and started to fill him in. Since when was she such a gossip? “He’s rather, well…experienced with the ladies, if you know what I mean,” she said, way too casually for herself. What is with her?

    “Yeah, I get it!” he snapped. He wasn’t looking in my direction at all. It was almost like he was avoiding looking at me. He couldn’t be jealous, could he? No, I’m reading way too much into this .

    “Laney put him out of commission for a while. She went out on a date with him last year; it was over really quick,” Kiera added. I didn’t think it was possible, but Oliver stiffened even more. “She kneed him in the…uh…boy parts,” she said, popping one of my grapes into her mouth.

    He turned to me, his body relaxing.

    “He deserved it,” I said, and he smiled at me with his beautiful smile again. What the hell was that all about?

    “What about you, Kiera?” he asked, his tone back to normal. Did I just imagine all that? “Have your eye on anyone?” I noticed his mischievous hint of a smirk had returned.

    “Oh…umm…” Kiera blushed, looking down at her hands.

    You threw me to the wolves. I can play this game, too.

    “She likes Carter, but she’s always been too scared and shy to ask him out,” I offered. “She’s afraid of pushing the friends limit, having it go wrong, and losing him,” I finished. It was out there now and there was no going back. I felt a little bad.

    Her head snapped up and I think she tried to give me a dirty look, but, if she did, she was not very good at it.

    “Fear will prevent you from living your life,” Oliver told her in his silky, smooth voice. “And I’m pretty sure you won’t be rejected. He’s into you, too.”

    It appeared as if something in Kiera’s mind clicked and she smiled, her eyes sparkling. “Really?” Her smile nearly spread from ear to ear. “He’s as cute as a button, you know.”

    What the hell did she just say? “ Seriously, Kiera? A button? What an odd thing to say. Who says that kind of thing? Other than old people.”

    Kiera’s cheeks flamed bright red against her pale skin, but her smile didn’t fade. Oliver chuckled.

    “I mean, really, have you ever actually looked at a button and thought, ‘Damn, that is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen?’ I know I haven’t.” I was beginning to sound a little irate. “I’m sorry, but that was just lame.”

    Oliver laughed while taking a drink and apparently bit himself again. Covering his mouth with his hand, he jumped up and headed off to clean up, I assumed.

    We sat there in silence for a while and then Kiera asked, “He bites himself a lot, does he?”

    “Third time I’ve noticed. Maybe he’s mental. You can’t be that gorgeous and not have a major flaw, right?” I was still feeling rather irritated. Man, people were seriously starting to get on my nerves today. Must be nerves about tonight.

    Kiera looked thoughtful and then asked, “You ever notice girls checking him out?”

    I looked at her, surprised and still pretty annoyed. “What? No!” I snapped. I searched for Oliver. He was just coming out of one of the stone archways with his water bottle in one hand and the other hand shoved casually into his pocket. He seemed to look down while he walked. I glanced around. She was right. Girls were staring, actually stopping in their tracks and staring, whispering to one another. I felt a pang of jealousy. How had I never