Luke won’t leave, so I don’t know what to do.
I look up at Kasey to see what she thinks of all this, and she is looking at Luke with an expression I can only describe as faintly hostile. It throws me, and for a minute, I stop worrying about Carter to wonder what the hell that’s about.
It takes less than five minutes for Carter to make his way over to the table. I have to admit, I didn’t think he would. Our battle is usually a private thing, just between us. I figured he would keep to his side of the cafeteria and maybe message me later to remind me that I’m not allowed to talk to boys.
Instead, he comes over and stops behind me. He plants his hands on either of my shoulders and does the strangest thing—he starts to give me a casual shoulder rub. “Didn’t expect to see you in here,” he tells me.
“I’m full of surprises,” I offer.
“That you are,” he agrees smoothly. “How are you feeling today?”
I frown and twist to look up at him suspiciously. “Fine,” I say slowly.
His voice is warm, convincingly caring. “Good.” Then he leans in, slides his hand down my core until it’s splayed across my stomach, and says, “It’s too soon for you to be causing Mommy trouble, little guy. You better be good in there.”
I actually feel the color drain out of my face. Kasey’s jaw drops, her eyes popping. I am frozen in shock. Since Carter wasn’t quiet or even remotely subtle, and since he draws attention wherever he goes anyway, when I look down at the rest of the table, I see more wide eyes, friends nudging each other with telling glances, and at the table behind Kasey, people glancing back at us unsubtly while others lean in and whisper.
Carter just effectively told the whole senior class that I’m pregnant with his baby. Those who aren’t sitting close enough to hear will have heard through the grape vine before school lets out today.
When I finally have enough composure to speak, I tell him, “I am going to kill you.”
“Oh, don’t tell anyone,” he adds like an afterthought, smacking Luke on the shoulder in a casually pal-like way. “She hasn’t told her mom yet, so—”
“I am not pregnant,” I interrupt, beginning to seethe again.
This is the kind of rumor that stands a chance of lingering, even long past the point of people seeing I obviously am not pregnant. They won’t know without a doubt that I was never pregnant. Not having a baby doesn’t mean I was never pregnant, it could mean I got an abortion. Getting Jake kicked off the football team made me a prude bitch, but if people think I did that… Well, shit. That’s not going to go over well.
“You won’t rest until you’ve completely ruined my reputation, will you?” I demand.
“Hey, you’re among friends here,” Carter returns. “I’m sure they won’t tell anybody.”
“There’s nothing to tell. I’m not pregnant,” I say again, glaring up at him. “Least of all with the spawn of Satan, which is what I would be carrying if you impregnated me.”
Carter smiles. “Now, that’s no way to talk about our baby, Zoey. Those hormones are acting up something fierce, aren’t they?”
“Murder,” I say again, my eyes widening. “I’m literally going to kill you. I thought it would be you who murdered me, but no.”
“Oh, shit. Before I forget…” He takes his hands off me, reaches into his pocket, and a moment later he dangles my panties in front of my face. “You left these in my car the other night.”
Kasey covers her face to hide a helpless grin.
I snatch the fabric out of his hands, turning an even deeper shade of red. “I hate you so much,” I inform him.
“That’s all right,” he says, touching my shoulder. “Makes the sex better.” Before I can say anything else, he fists a hand in my hair, yanks me back, and plants a kiss on me. “See you later, babe.”
Humiliation washes over me as Carter walks away. I swipe a hand across my mouth in a vain attempt to wipe away his kiss, but I can still taste him on my bottom lip, and it wasn’t even a deep kiss. My stomach rolls over. I feel like I might actually vomit, but I know it’s just from the immense stress he just delivered onto my shoulders.
“I’m so sorry,” Kasey says, apparently ashamed of herself. “I know he just dropped you in a pot full of boiling water, I know it’s not funny, but… damn. That was merciless.”
The funny thing is, this is the merciful version of Carter. I don’t bother telling her that. I can’t even look at Luke. His brother’s story about the girl who got pregnant by the former Longhorn and essentially ruined her life springs to mind. I wonder if Luke will run to James and tell him what Carter said. When I show up at church on Sunday, will his whole family think I’ve been knocked up by Carter Mahoney? Will someone say something to my mom? I don’t know if she would be sad for me, or absolutely gleeful that I got a hook into Carter Mahoney for the rest of his life.