* * *
Burger World turned out to be loud and chaotic–toddlers running around, babies crying, kids throwing fries at each other–so I was more than ready to leave when Nathan asked me. He thanked me for dinner and apologized for picking a rowdy place. I said that was fine and suggested we go to Café Nation. On Saturday nights, they had live poetry readings. I thought maybe we could check it out and have a cup of coffee.
When we got there, I was pleased to see my usual corner table available, solitary from the rest of the tables, and steered Nathan to it.
“I’ll get us our drinks,” he said when I sat down. “What do you want?”
“A vanilla latte would be great.”
He smiled. “I’ll be right back.”
I sat in the chair and relaxed. A blond guy with dreadlocks placed a microphone stand in the center of the room. He tapped it. A sound like nails on a chalkboard erupted. Red-faced, the guy quickly adjusted it until the sound went away. I looked around and noticed the place was half-full with all different types of people, none of them I knew though.
Nathan was standing in line waiting, looking the other way, but as soon as my ears rang, his head snapped in my direction.
He heard it too.
And then I saw Matt and Carrie coming toward me. Carrie cheerfully waved while Matt jerked his chin up. I glanced at Nathan. His eyes were trained on Matt. Matt didn’t seem to be aware of him, and then a thought occurred to me. Did the “old one” know about Nathan? I stared at Matt, my heart thudding against my rib cage. I mean, the dude wasn’t really Matt, and that freaked me out.
“Hi, Paige,” Carrie said, taking the chair beside me. “Are you here alone?” She glanced around the room and spotted Nathan, answering her own question. She turned to me. “He’s so cute.” She paused and slowly licked her lips. “And erotic,” she said in a low voice.
Despite myself, I giggled and elbowed her arm. “Shhhh, you’re not supposed to say anything,” I whispered.
She leaned her head next to me. “I didn’t. Matt doesn’t even know you two are back together,” she said out the corner of her mouth.
As Carrie said that, Matt sat across from me, staring at my ears. They were still ringing, but last week I took on the habit of ignoring it, which I was now grateful for.
“Hi, Paige,” he said, his gaze on me now. “I’m sorry I couldn’t hang out with you last night, but if you want, tomorrow night we could go do something.”
“Paige already has plans with me.” Nathan’s voice was deep with a connotation that said, back off. He handed me my latte and sat on the other side of me, his eyes never straying from Matt.
Matt acted like he didn’t hear him. “That’s fine. We could do it another time,” he said only to me. The corners of his mouth twitched into a slow smile, giving me the creeps.
I held his eyes with mine, telling myself not to think about the spirit who was really talking to me, but my heart was still thudding. “Sure. I’ll let you know.”
Nathan put his arm protectively around my shoulders. “Don’t hold your breath,” he said, staring Matt down. “I’ll be occupying most of her time.”
Matt smirked and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “Most of the time is the key word here”–he tapped his fingertip on the table–“and since you can’t be her shadow 24-7 that will give us the opportunity to spend some much needed quality time together.” He leaned back, challenging Nathan. I knew then the “old one” knew who Nathan was and shivered at the fact this spirit wanted to be alone with me.
Nathan’s body became rigid, his anger rolling off him. I rubbed his thigh, hoping it’d calm him down and clear the air that was thick with testosterone. Thank God for Carrie.
Carrie’s eyes darted between Nathan and Matt, her face tight with irritation. “The two of you need to chill out. I know you don’t like each other, but that doesn’t mean you have to ruin our night”–she pointed to me, and then to herself–“And if you continue with this macho bullshit, Paige and I will leave.”
A smile crossed my face. I tucked my lips in and turned to Carrie. Her eyes fell on mine, and they widened. She covered her mouth, hiding her own smile. I loved how blunt Carrie could be.
Matt rose from the table. “I’m going to get us some coffee. Do you want your usual?” he asked Carrie.
She nodded, still hiding her smile.
“Hello,” a hippy looking girl said. “My name is Bree, and my poem is called, ‘I’m Just a Used Piece of Gum.’”
Carrie and I shared a look and snickered. Nathan, on the other hand, was glaring at Matt. I squeezed his knee and whispered to forget about it. He glanced at me and sighed, turning his attention on the hippy chick. She was wearing a long, flowing gypsy skirt, and her mousey brown hair was in small tangled braids that hung down her back.
Bree held the microphone, and the room fell silent. A few people walked in, but they paused beside the door to listen. The diamond stud in her nose twinkled in the dull light.
“Jackson was his name. He became my world.” She dropped her voice and touched her chest, observing the room. “I was in love with him and delighted when he said I was his girl. We had a lot of fun together and shared the same interest.” She paused, then raised her voice. “Or, so I thought. But after I gave myself to him, I later found out he was sleeping with another girl whom I call a skanky crotch.”
People around the room laughed, including us. Matt gave Carrie her coffee, laughing as well.
Bree raised her voice even higher. “I’m just a used piece of gum. That’s all I was to him. A piece of gum that he chewed and spit out.” She spat at the floor in disgust, then lowered her voice. “He broke my heart, and I may never be able to trust another guy again.” She paused, then raised her voice once more. “The other day my friend Hannah said to me, ‘Bree, Jackson doesn’t just like girls … He also likes men.’ I couldn’t believe it, but in her face there was no doubt. I was a used piece a gum that he spit out.” Her voice dropped to a high whisper. “Just a few hours ago he came to my house wanting me back. But I told him I’m not his used piece of gum, not anymore. He asked me why I won’t take him back.” She raised her fist and pulsed it in the air and yelled, “Because you’re a man whore!”
Everyone clapped.
She put the mic back. “Thank you.” She crossed the room to the guy with the dreadlocks, lounging on the patchwork couch. He raised his coffee cup and smiled at her.
Matt slung his arm over the back of the chair and turned to Nathan. “Are you a man whore?” His voice was antagonizing.
Nathan shook his head in disbelief and blinked. He leaned forward. “What was that?”
“You’re being an asshole,” Carrie said, glaring at Matt.
People in the room were laughing and visiting with each other while several cappuccino machines were running, muffling the chattering. I watched as a long line formed in front of the counter, and bit my lip when a powerful ache threaded through my stomach. I shivered and broke into a cold sweat. But before I could say anything, Matt continued with his stick poking.
He touched Carrie’s arm. “No, I’m not. I’m only looking out for Paige.” He looked at me and winked.
Carrie pulled her arm away. “How’s that?”
Nathan’s eyes were tight on Matt, his bright red ears signaling the anger inside of him.
“Because Nathan is older than we are, and I want to know how many girls he took to bed. I think Paige needs to be aware that if she ends up sleeping with him”–he stuck his hand out at Nathan–“how many other people she’ll be sleeping with.”
Nathan shot out of his chair, knocking it backwards with a loud bang. He went to lunge at Matt, but I managed to grab his hand in time. He looked down at me with blazing eyes. I didn’t know what he saw on my face, but they suddenly became disturbed.
He knelt beside me, placing his hand on my forehead. Carrie hopped out of her chair and moved close to my side. Nathan’s cold hand felt wonderful against my
hot skin. I grimaced when a sharp pain ripped through my stomach.
“What’s wrong?” Carrie asked.
I looked up and saw Matt talking to a blonde-haired girl behind the counter.
“You’re burning up,” Nathan said, moving his cold hands on my cheeks.
“I don’t feel good,” I groaned. My head fell forward, and my arm flung to my stomach as another piercing pain went through it. I bent over, groaning again, cursing at myself for eating that damned burger.
Carrie touched my forehead. “You feel like a furnace.”
“If that’s the case, you better go break the fever before it’s too late,” Matt said behind me, in a flat tone of voice.
“Get away from her,” Nathan said.
“I was just going to give her some water.” Matt reached over Carrie’s shoulder and placed the glass on the table.
“I’m taking you home.” Nathan stuck his arm beneath my knees, and before I could protest, he was already heading for the door with me in his arms.
A few people stopped us to ask if everything was okay. I hid my face in Nathan’s chest while he told them I was sick. Carrie and Matt followed us outside, and she told me if I needed anything to let her know. I gave her a weak nod, and then flinched when another sharp pain ripped through my stomach. Nathan held me tighter, rushing across the street past a group of rubber-necking people.
“How are you doing?” he asked.
“Not so good,” I moaned. I couldn’t believe how awful I felt.
He opened the pickup door and carefully placed me in the seat. I lay in a fetal position, clutching my stomach. In no time, we were pulling out of the parking lot. Nathan rested his hand on the side of my face.
“Does anything else hurt?” He was worried. I could hear it in his voice.
“My head and body.” I closed my eyes when he stopped at a red light. “But I don’t feel nauseous.” The pain in my stomach came in violent waves, causing me to curl into myself.
“You’re running a high fever, and that concerns me.”
I didn’t say anything, and we remained quiet the rest of the way home. All I wanted to do was crawl into bed, pull the covers over me, and try to sleep it off. But unfortunately that wasn’t what happened.
Chapter Eight
Sickness