Page 50 of Tasting Innocence
Everyone sits around the table, except Ronan and Zo. Ronan piles food onto plates and Zo brings them to the table.
We all eat and have cross conversations—me and Jay talking about football while Vi talks to Trevor, and Ronan and Zo discuss the party tomorrow.
At some point, Vi sends me a text.
Vi:Think we can wait everyone out and maybe we’ll be the last two left and can tell him?
Me:Maybe. Usually Jay has plans, so I imagine he’ll be the first to leave. Not sure about Trev.
Vi: I really want to touch you and hate that I can’t.
Me: Touch me where?
I lookup from my phone and Vi’s already watching me with a smirk. She shakes her head slightly. My phone vibrates in my hand.
Ronan: Lots of eye-fucking happening at the table
My eyes snap to him,but he already has his phone down and he’s looking at Jay as he talks.
Me: You’re eye-fucking Jay? Wow, disrespectful.
I sendanother message to Vi.
Me: Ronan caught us eye-fucking.
“Hello? Dex?”Renzo shoves me in the arm. “What the hell?”
I put my phone face down on the table, my heart leaping into my throat. “What? Oh, sorry.”
“Jesus Christ, you’re over here acting like Violet.”
“Hey! What the hell does that mean?” she says, putting her phone down.
“Don’t act like you already forgot you were ignoring me at Mom and Dad’s earlier while you were texting your boyfriend.”
Trevor’s eyes widen as he looks at me, and I try my best to give the slightest shake without Zo seeing.
“You have a boyfriend?” Jayden asks, the only one besides Zo who doesn’t know what’s happening between me and Vi. “You know this guy?” He aims the second question at Zo.
Vi sighs loudly, but before she can say anything, Zo speaks up.
“I haven’t met him.”
“Why didn’t you invite him?” Jay asks, but mainly to get under Zo’s skin. I watch as his eyes move to Renzo, his lips stretching into a grin.
“Please,” Zo snorts. “Vi’s never liked me meeting her boyfriends.”
“Well, considering what happened with the last one, I don’t blame her,” Jay jokes.
“You’ve never even given anyone I dated a chance. You hated them off top.”
“Because you pick these guys who aren’t good enough for you. I told you that Kade guy was a douchebag who’d treat you like shit, which he was and did. I warned you that Ben was a player who was only looking to get into your pants, and what happened there?”
Violet crosses her arms, her eyes narrowed at her brother. I mean, as harsh as it sounds, I also remember those guys, and they were pieces of shit who didn’t deserve to even be in the same atmosphere as Vi.
“Oh, I’m sure it’s easy for you to spot since you’ve spent so much time being a douchebag who only tried to get into a guy's pants.”
Jayden chokes on a laugh and covers it with a cough.
Renzo tilts his head. “I just want you to be with someone who knows your worth. I love you, you know that.”
She sighs. “I love you, too. Even though you’re an ass.”
He grins, and just like that, their sibling spat is over. But the tension in my body lingers, and Zo’s words are on a loop in my brain.
I already know, in his head, I’m just like one of those guys he doesn’t want his sister with. The douchebag player who doesn’t commit and only sleeps around. To be fair, it is my rep, and I’ve never really had a serious relationship, but Vi’s different, and I don’t know how I’ll be able to explain that to him.
I won’t be good enough in his eyes, and it’s definitely gonna create an issue with us.