“I was just asking,” he says, looking wounded.
Claire gives me a brief, nervous smile, then turns away and drinks some water from her glass.
I just sit there like a complete idiot, somehow feeling like saying nothing at all has been worse than saying the wrong thing. Maybe I’ve missed a chance at something, even if that something could be a little dangerous.
Somehow sensing the discomfort, McKenzie steers the conversation to one of her favorite bands, the name of which I barely register, even though I keep nodding and tell her I’ve heard their stuff and like it—I haven’t, but I can’t backtrack now.
Stealing glances toward Claire, I think maybe she’s a little uncomfortable too, and when our food comes and James starts to talk football, I’m grateful. Football is something I can lose myself in a little deeper than a band I’ve never heard of, and he and I go back and forth about our favorite teams, mine being the Denver Broncos and his the Seattle Seahawks—no shock there.
Our conversation veers into football injuries, which leads Claire to tell us about some million-year-old bacteria in a cave that scientists are studying to help understand why certain infectious bacteria become resistant to antibiotics… or something like that. I’m not sure I understand it all, but coming out of Claire’s mouth, it’s fascinating.
“Why don’t you just go into research?” McKenzie asks. “I mean, you’re interested in all that stuff.”
Claire finishes swallowing some food, daintily wipes her lips with a napkin and then says, “I thought about that, but sometimes it takes years and years to find something that can help someone in the lab, and I want to be able to help someone every day, even if I can’t cure them.”
“Plus you don’t want to kill monkeys, huh?” James says somewhat sarcastically.
“That’s true too,” Claire replies with all seriousness. “I can’t tell you the number of experiments I’ve read about where animal use was completely unnecessary and quite inhumane.”
“But if it helps people?” I don’t really want to argue her point but figure all the skin grafts and surgeries I’d had after my attack had been perfected with some kind of animal research.
She turns to me with interest, and a look in her eyes like she’s ready to spar. “I’m not saying all animal research should be aborted, but what I’m saying is that researchers sometimes use animals like throwaway instruments instead of going through an exhaustive analysis about whether the potential benefits will constitute the suffering of their test subjects. Don’t even get me started about the bullshit they do testing cosmetics.”
“That makes sense,” I say, not really finding fault in her thought process, or her passion. “I just wonder if we’d have even come this far without scientists doing all they could and pushing boundaries though.”
“You should tread lightly there,” McKenzie says with a slight laugh.
I might be worried, but Claire studies me for a moment. There’s nothing close to anger on her face, just interest.
“My older sister, Paige, is a vegetarian,” she begins.
“Oh, here we go,” James complains.
“Let her talk,” McKenzie scolds him.
Claire throws him a look too before her attention is back on me. “Anyway, Paige tried to turn all of us too, but Mom just can’t, and Kate tries, but she’s pretty bad about it too, but me, I looked at all of the arguments Paige was making and cut everything out except for fish, sustainably caught being preferable.”
That explains the veggie delight she and McKenzie are sharing.
“Okay,” I say, not sure where she’s going with this, but loving the excitement in her voice.
“There are real issues with animal agriculture, Tyler, just like there are real issues with animal research. But we can’t get caught in this cycle of saying all or nothing because people can’t do all or nothing. They have to meet somewhere in the middle. So, for me, I met Paige somewhere in the middle, and researchers need to do the same when it comes to the way they treat animals while also moving research that will benefit humans forward.”
“You make some good points.” I’m impressed at how much she’s thought this out, even a little impressed with myself for caring and wanting to debate her. And while I’m not sure I’d agree with all of her arguments, at least she’s making them, and that’s kind of hot too.
“I don’t know why you quit debate,” McKenzie says with what I see as admiration in the way she’s looking at her friend.
“Because it was just me and two other people,” Claire says, looking like she’s trying not to laugh. “And I’m not that good anyway. I could never argue anything that I’m not actually passionate about.”
“Me too,” James says with a smirk. “The only thing I can argue about is McKenzie.” At that, he pretty much dive bombs her neck, holds her tight and blows his lips against her skin.
As impressed as I am with Claire for her deep thinking skills, I’m kind of in awe of where James went with that. If only I could get past what I feel for Laney and get over my own insecurities, maybe I could be just as spontaneous with Claire.
“You really are good with words,” I tell her while McKenzie mock fights her boyfriend off. “Plus now I know that if I ever bring you to my house for dinner, we’ll have to make sure there’s fish on the menu.”
“I’d like that,” Claire says, so easily, before she whips back to her friends and tells James that he’s acting like a five-year-old.
As James is pulling himself away from McKenzie, I’m being hit with a shot of nerves. I think I basically just invited Claire to dinner with my folks, and I’m pretty sure she agreed. Of course I’m already thinking of what could go wrong or how I might be leading her on, but maybe things could actually be uncomplicated and enjoyable.
I’m picturing that, Claire at our big table, fish being served and her impressing the hell out of my parents, when I hear Claire say, “Not again.”
“Huh?” I say aloud, then, you’ve got to be kidding me—not aloud—when I see exactly why the tone of her voice was so sharp.
Austin, the guy who Claire had been escaping from at the bonfire, is standing at our table, a few other guys I don’t recognize milling behind him.
“How the fuck did you find us?” McKenzie whips around in her chair and throws a damning look at James.
“I mentioned this like a few days ago!” he says, going into full excuse mode. “How was I supposed to know he’d show up here?”
“Get over yourself, McKenzie,” Austin says. “We came here for the dirt bike rally.” Nudging James, Austin adds, “You should have come, dude.”
James shrugs and looks like he’s anticipating a serious freeze out by his girlfriend after all of this.
“And you just happened to come here after?” Claire is obviously annoyed, bordering on pissed.
“So, me and my buddies like pizza.” He shakes his head at Claire, as if she’s jumping to some wild conclusion here. “Didn’t I used to take you here when we were in the thick of things?” He doesn’t wait for her reply, just steps around the table, pulls a chair up and attempts to sit between her and I.
“Uh… I don’t think that’s cool,” I say, his presence wedging me out and forcing me to stand, which isn’t so bad because now I can look down on him.
He doesn’t reply to me, his entire body turned to Claire who is recoiling from him.
“No, you never took me here,” she snaps. “You never took me anywhere. And could you please not do this? I can smell beer on you.”
“I’m not drunk.” He leans closer to her.
“Dude,” James says, offering his friend a warning.
“You need to back off.” I clutch his shoulder and pull him back, feeling a little bit of Mr. Hyde coming out in me again.
“No, you need to get your fucking hands off of me!” In an instant, Austin is up and in my face. He’s got an inch on me at least, which isn’t a huge deal. I think I’ve still got him beat with muscle.
&
nbsp; “God, not here,” I hear McKenzie say, and then I can see Claire getting up and trying to pull Austin away from me.
“Leave it be,” she says to him. “You aren’t scoring any points with anyone right now.”
“Do we need to take this outside?” he says to me, oblivious to the girl he’s supposedly trying to impress or just not caring what she thinks of his asinine behavior.
My jaw clenches, my throat dries and my pulse accelerates. When it comes to fight or flight mode, I’ve often times been the guy to fly, to not let a situation escalate. Mom used to tell me to pick my battles, knowing that kids were basically assholes and liked picking on the one thing about you that made you most sensitive. In my case, it was my injury, my scarring. If I fought off every guy who ever said anything sideways to me about it, I’d have a lot more fights under my belt. But sometimes you have to stand and fight, and the anger I’m feeling, anger that is built upon because this guy is fucking with Claire, isn’t allowing that rational voice deep inside my head to remind me this is a mistake, that it’s only going to lead to more trouble.
“If I go outside with you, it needs to be a fair fight.” I look over at Austin’s friends, figuring they look like the types that could be whipped up into a frenzied mob pretty quick. “I’m not signing up to get my ass beat by a group, but I’ll sign up to kick yours.”
Austin laughs, and his eyes are just lazy enough that I can tell he’s had more than just the few beers he’d confessed to. That will make it easier to take him down. Then again, sometimes alcohol only fuels rage, and if he’s as into Claire as I think he is, he might be able to pull something unexpected out of his hat.
“Good enough,” he eventually says, putting a hand up to his friends. “Man to man.”
“Lead the way,” I tell him, hopped up on a blinding desire to pound his face into the concrete. I’d done it before when I’d been pushed too far, and I’ll do it again, damn the consequences.
Claire grabs my arm, hard. “I really wish you wouldn’t, Tyler.”
“I’ll be fine. I’m not backing down.”
She shakes her head. “As if you winning and beating Austin up is going to prove anything?”
Her logic is tinged with emotion, and I can tell she really doesn’t want this to happen. I should probably listen to her and accept she might not find violence, even for her honor, attractive. But I’m unwilling to look like the loser before this has even started, so I follow Austin and don’t look back.
It takes a while to get outside, down an escalator, past a bunch of shops and eventually out through some side doors and into an alleyway where it looks like deliveries are made to the mall tenants. I’m still plenty keyed up, and I know Austin won’t back away now either.
“The girls wouldn’t come down,” James says when I stop and look around, Claire and McKenzie nowhere in sight.
Not that I can blame them. They probably think we’re acting like Neanderthals. But I’m not put off that Claire won’t be here to see me kick Austin’s ass. If anything, I’m glad she doesn’t have to witness it, glad she doesn’t have to see me if I happen to fail.
Taking a defensive stance, I’m waiting for Austin to throw the first punch. I’m pretty confident I’ll be able to block him and then take advantage of his inebriation, but he just watches me angrily.
“What the fuck do you have to do with Claire anyway?” he finally says.
“Dude, just fight,” one of his friends eggs on.
“Shut the fuck up,” Austin snarls to the guy. “Why are you willing to fight me, dude? You and Claire have something going on?”
“They’re just friends, man,” James breaks in, shaking his head, not looking like he wants to see this end in violence either.
“Not what I saw in there,” Austin says, his eyes menacing.
“You going to take a shot at me or not?” I step forward, unwilling to explain to him whatever it is that Claire and I have, maybe a little afraid I wouldn’t say the right thing, that I’d say too little or too much. I’d been much more clear on what to say when I’d fought Heath, when I’d somehow explained to him through my fury that he’d basically shit all over what Laney and I had together.
Austin matches my step, both of us getting closer until we’re pretty much eye to eye again. His fists are both balled up, ready to go, and yet he makes no move.
“Nah,” he finally says, stepping back and loosening his stance. “I’m not going to fight you—you aren’t worth it.”
“What?” I’m so fired up and ready for this that him stepping away is like fresh meat being yanked away from a starving lion.
“I said you aren’t worth it. Besides, I don’t need any trouble—gotta keep my nose clean so I can graduate.”
“You’re seriously walking away from this?” I follow him as he’s turning around and push him forward. He doesn’t quite lose his balance, but when he turns around, he’s pissed. I’ve just made him look bad in front of his buddies.
“Hey, Tyler… no.” James is shaking his head at me. “Just let it go.”
“You want me to let it go?” I’m yelling now, and I don’t care. “That little fuck challenged me, and now I’m just supposed to walk away?”
“You’re rabid,” one of Austin’s friends says, and I charge the guy without hesitation, just catching Claire out of the corner of my eye.
“Stop!” She’s yelling, but I keep going after the guy, connecting my fist to his jaw and knocking him against the wall.
Before I know it, Austin and his friends have all turned on me, and I’m getting pummeled by all of them at once, even if I’m putting up one hell of a fight.
Claire is yelling, and I think I hear McKenzie too. James is actually attempting to pull a guy off of me, and when it’s all said and done, when Austin and his buddies disengage, I’ve got a bloody nose, some pretty sore ribs and an eye that I don’t doubt will be turning black and blue.
“So much for fair play assholes,” I groan, standing, leaning against the wall and catching my breath.
“This the kind of guy you’re trying to get with now?” Austin says to Claire.
“Just go,” she hisses.
He shakes his head, angry, then turns to me and says, “You should have walked away ass hat.” Then he and his friends leave the alley and disappear.
I turn to Claire for comfort, some sign she’s not completely disgusted by what I just did. But, with her arms crossed over her chest, she looks pissed, and I know it’s not just at Austin or his crew of morons, but at me.
“Jesus, it’s like watching cavemen,” McKenzie says. “My brother used to do the same kind of shit.”
“It’s not his fault.” James pats me on the shoulder. “You guys saw what happened there, right?”
McKenzie looks hard at her boyfriend. “Austin is all talk. He was walking away. Tyler didn’t have to push him.”
I’m fine with letting McKenzie and James argue this one out because the only reaction I really care about is the one from Claire.
“Are you okay?” She relaxes, uncrosses her arms and walks toward me.
I swallow hard as she closes in on me, thankful, even a little emotional that she appears to care. “I’m fine,” I say, wiping the blood that has dripped down my upper lip and onto my chin.
“I don’t think so.” Her eyes are kind and concerned as she brings her hand up and gently touches the side of my face. “Maybe we should go to an urgent care or something.”
“Nothing is broken,” I argue, bringing my hand up and placing it over hers like I did earlier in the movie theater. This time, the touch means so much more to me.
She shakes her head. “I hate it when guys get violent. Please promise me you won’t ever do that again, even if you’re not the one who started it, okay?”
“Okay,” I say, willing to tell her whatever she wants to hear to keep a frown off of her face.
“I can drive your Jeep if you need me to,” James offers.
“Sure,” I say. “Yea
h, at least until I can get this bloody nose under control.”
“I’ll go in and grab some napkins,” McKenzie says.
James must go with her because it’s just Claire and I that are left in the alley. She eventually takes her hand from my face, but she remains close.
“I’m sorry about Austin. I’m sorry he showed up and that you felt like you had to push back against his bravado.”
“Not your fault,” I offer and put my hand that doesn’t have blood all over it on her shoulder. “He apparently doesn’t know how to take no for an answer.”
“Apparently not. And I should thank you for what you did today. I don’t condone violence, and I don’t want you doing it again, but thanks for having my back as far as Austin is concerned.”
I offer a nod, appreciative.
McKenzie and James return with some napkins and bottled water, and Claire gets right to work helping me clean up the blood on my face. I’m ashamed I’ve put her in a position where she has to do it, but I can’t deny enjoying the kind intimacy.
“That’s better,” she says, tossing the used napkins into a garbage can.
“Thanks,” I tell her, not sure that simple word is quite enough.
James is a good driver, so sitting in the back seat of my Jeep on the way back home, I can focus on Claire. She and I don’t touch again, and we don’t say a whole lot, but every once in a while we turn to look at one another, smiles forming on our lips. I wish I knew just what she was thinking, but in lieu of that I hold on to how things ended in Spokane, how she thanked me and forgave me for giving in to that need I’d felt to fight. It’s not even close to the way Laney reacted after I’d fought Heath. No, the look of horror on her face is still with me, practically burned into my retinas.
CHAPTER TEN
CLAIRE
It’s early Sunday morning, and I feel awful.
After dropping James and McKenzie at James’ house on Saturday, Tyler took over driving and brought me home. He’d been so quiet on the drive from Spokane, and even though we shared some smiles, I was worried that he was pissed off at me for not fully supporting him going after Austin. I did my best to thank him with the caveat I don’t want him to ever do it again. But even if he got all that, I still felt like it happening at all was my fault. Austin is my ex-boyfriend after all, and I’d been the one to invite Tyler to Spokane, inadvertently putting him into a confrontational position with Austin.
Between the Girls (The Basin Lake Series Book 3) Page 10
