Damn it! This is worse than I thought. I should have stayed home. What was I thinking?
"Oh."
"He broke up with her; not the other way around," Tag says, as if that's supposed to comfort me.
"It's no big deal, Tag. It's not like we're a couple. Just friends." I wave at the bartender who finally makes his way over to me. "Martini - extra dirty."
Tag chuckles when I place that order, and I turn to face him. "Just friends? Keep telling yourself that, Raya. I need to go say hello."
"Don't make me walk by myself," I whisper, hating the neediness in my tone.
He lets a devilish grin free and nods before leaning over the bar to take my drink from the bartender. "Put it on my tab," he says.
"I was going to pay," I mumble.
"Come on. You've got bigger things to worry about than paying for a drink. If I know Courtney, she's already scheming. And I do know Courtney."
Kade smiles when he sees me, but I barely muster a half-ass attempt to smile back. I worry it looks more like a snarl. Given his facial expression, I think I snarled.
Tag lets his arm drift across my shoulders, and I let him, trying to see if any jealous emotions stir within Kade the way they have me. He cuts his eyes toward an amused Tag, but that's all. Nothing else. Unbelievable.
"You have to come with us. It'll be so much fun, and it's perfect out there right now. Hurry before we lose daylight," Courtney - the devil in red - says.
Her pristine auburn hair flows like ribbons. You can tell she's prim and proper. Years of etiquette and grace are dripping from her with effortless ease. No wonder he dated her. She's perfect for him. His life. His dreams.
I sag under Tag's touch, and from the corner of my eyes, I see him frown when he studies me.
"Um... actually... Raya isn't too great on the slopes yet," Kade says
, giving me an ounce of hope. "Maybe some other time."
Oh. No hope. Just good manners. I'm his guest, so it'd be rude to run off and leave me.
"No. It's fine, Kade. I'm ready to crash for a while anyhow. I'm a little more out of shape than I realized."
"Your shape looks just fine to me," Tag dares, but his eyes stay on Kade.
Kade scowls at him, but then turns back to me.
"I can head back with you, Raya. We can grab some food from here and hang out."
Now I just look pathetic, as evident by all the looks everyone is giving me.
"I swear I'm fine. Just go ski and have some fun."
He breathes out heavily, looking torn. "Come on, Kade," Courtney urges, wrapping her hand around his forearm and tugging.
Her perfectly manicured nails press into him just barely, and I cringe. She's the kind of girl he dated. I'm not that girl. I was stupid to think there was anything he'd find special about me.
"You want me to hang back and chill with you?" Tag asks, keeping his voice low.
"No. I think you've got some admirers to tend to," I murmur with a forced smile, motioning toward the two girls he was talking to earlier. They're watching me with a scrutinizing eye. I'm tired of making enemies, so I step out of Tag's hold.
"Fine. I'll see you when I get back," Kade says, seeming a little annoyed. Great. I'm being Debbie Downer. I'm messing up no matter what I do.
"Actually, stay out, have fun. I don't need a babysitter. You don't owe me anything. Last I checked, we're roommates. No big deal," I say with a smile, but bile rises to my throat.
His eyes flare with a touch of anger, but I turn away. I realize I might have been a bitch for referring to us as roommates instead of friends, but fuck. I'm human. This sucks.