Page 30 of The Love Penalty
“Ugh.” I make a face. “Seriously. Can you think of anything grosser?”
“Banana juice?”
I can’t help a soft snort, my lips breaking into a wide grin as we approach the counter.
“Yeah, hi.” Lani gives the woman a polite smile. “I’ll take a double-shot latte with oat milk, please, and he’ll have…” She points her thumb at me.
“Seriously? You’re buying me a drink?”
“Don’t look so surprised and order something,” she grits out.
It’s hard not to laugh. For some reason, this feels like a win. “Okay, then, I’ll have an Americano and an oatmeal raisin cookie, please.”
“All righty.” The server taps the computer screen. “Anything else?”
“No, that’s it. Thanks.” Lani holds her phone over the machine until it makes a payment ding and then shuffles to the end of the counter to wait for our order.
“Thanks for this.” I smile down at her, everything in me rebelling against the fact that I let her pay. Again. I’m gonna have to make it up to her at some point. I can’t keep letting this woman buy me food. And I’m not being sexist, I’m being fair. She paid for dinner on that quiz night, and it’s really my turn.
But I get the vibe that guys buying her food makes her feel weak or something. I’m seriously gonna have to sort that shit.
Leaning my elbow on the counter, I watch her put her purse back into her bag, then stand tall and try to look anywhere but at my face.
I get that she hates me, but if she really despises me that much, she wouldn’t have bought me anything, so I’m gonna go for it.
“Hey, I don’t suppose you’d want to drink your latte sitting next to me, would you?”
She gives me a little side-eye, then huffs. “Fine, as long as you don’t ask me anything about last night or if I’m okay. Because I’m fine.” She gives me a pointed look that tells me she’s lying, but… you know what, I’m gonna take what I can get.
“Deal.” I nod, then throw in another wink when she eyes me up to check that I’m being serious.
Much to my satisfaction, her lips twitch with a grin that she is failing to hide.
CHAPTER 15
LEILANI
What the hell is my problem?
Why did I agree to this?
I don’t want to sit and drink my coffee with Asher, but there’s something so freaking irresistible about the guy… and maybe I do want to make up for the fact, just a little bit, that I kind of treated him badly last night.
He didn’t do anything wrong.
If anything, he chased me to make sure I was okay, and all I did was stare at him and tell him to fuck off.
Actually, I don’t know if I said the fuck off part out loud or not, but I screamed it in my head because I could seriously not handle talking to anyone. Grace Parker drove me back to Huxley Hall, which was really sweet of her. She’s one of those girls who will do anything for anyone because her heart is made of pure gold. She rabbited on about… I have no idea the whole trip back to the dorm, and it was exactly what I needed. She didn’t once ask me if I was good or who that guy was who shouted my name. And she seemed oblivious to my mood.
Unlike Caroline, who texted me a dozen times throughout the night. I woke up this morning and felt nothing but a heavy dose of guilt. So, I’ve texted her a big apology.
She didn’t come home last night, and I didn’t blame her. Who’d want to hang out with me when I’m such a bitch at the moment? But I don’t know how else to be. I can’t talk about what happened to me, and if people push too hard, my claws seem to come out.
Caroline was really sweet about it, saying it’s all good, and we’re gonna catch up later, but that thought is an anvil on my chest. She’s gonna want to talk, and I need to figure out a way to divert conversation to light, safe topics that I can handle.
“Order for Laney!”
My nose wrinkles as I reach for my cup. “They always say my name wrong.”