Into the Spiral (The Spiral Defenders Series: Book One)

by Erin Danzer

  Chapter Fifteen

  Ronnie didn’t get a chance to question Gavin. By the time lunch rolled around, she decided he had been messing with her and that it wasn’t important. When she walked into the cafeteria, Ronnie knew she had bigger things to worry about. Shawn already sat at their normal table, but he wasn’t eating and none of his usual friends were around. He stared at her, watching her walk into the room with Gavin and unable to see Andi directly behind them.

  “Remember, he only gets one free hit,” Gavin reminded her. Ronnie stared after him as he and Andi veered off towards the line to get food. Ronnie turned her eyes back to Shawn and continued to her table. They had about five minutes to talk before Andi and Gavin joined them. She frowned when she realized Shawn wasn’t looking at her anymore and sighed because she knew who he was watching.

  “He’s not the problem, you know,” she told Shawn as she slid into the empty chair next to him. Shawn refused to look away from Gavin until Ronnie reached up, put her hands on either side of his face, and forcibly moved his head to look at her.

  “You’re mad at me,” she stated. “We might as well have this out before they sit down.”

  He blinked and looked at her, shaking his head so she would release him. “What are you talking about; have what out?” he asked confused.

  “This morning, you were furious because I hadn’t told you about Rick,” she reminded him and suppressed a shudder. “But I promise you, he’s not a threat to whatever we have left. I never want to see him again.”

  He sighed. “See, lines like that drive me crazy. What did he do to you? Did he force himself on you?”

  Ronnie shook her head and interrupted before he could continue. “No, nothing like that happened. He—He was actually very gentlemanly until last night. He just said some things that were out of line.”

  “Like what?”

  Ronnie’s mind spun as she tried to come up with a good lie. “He didn’t like how young I am and he called me a child. I lied to him when we met last weekend—I don’t know, I thought it was cool to say I was older—and he got mad when he saw me last night and someone let it slip that I’m only seventeen. That’s all that happened. I promise.” She stopped rambling before she said something else that wasn’t true. She hated lying to Shawn but knew he couldn’t handle the truth; she wasn’t able to handle it herself.

  “He didn’t try anything with you?” he clarified. Ronnie shook her head.

  “No, never.”

  He relaxed and finally smiled for the first time that day. “Okay, good,” he said. Ronnie tentatively smiled.

  “So, what did you mean by whatever we have left?” he asked, meeting her gaze. Heat crept into her cheeks.

  “Well, I didn’t know how mad you were,” she admitted. “I was afraid you might want to cancel our date Friday night.”

  “Why would I want to do that?”

  She shrugged, self conscious now that she could see she had nothing to worry about. He bumped her shoulder with his, drawing her attention back to him. She smiled as Gavin and Andi sat down across from them.

  “Everything okay?” Gavin asked as Andi handed Ronnie a strawberry yogurt parfait and a spoon. Ronnie glanced at Shawn and he smiled at her.

  “Everything’s perfect,” Shawn declared and stood up to go get something to eat. Ronnie beamed as she watched him walk away, relieved everything was back to normal.

  “Looks like you’re just going to have to wait your turn,” Andi teased Gavin. Ronnie giggled as she looked away, unable to meet Gavin’s gaze.

  “It’s okay, I can be patient.”