I stood there slightly perplexed at what Matt had implied, it wasn’t really my fault this was happening, was it?
I focused back in as I noticed Robbie of course was having none of it. “Of course, both of youagain, I should have known you were friends with this jerk.” Robbie looked really angry.
All I could focus on was that he had just alerted Connor to the fact that both Theo and Matt knew I was here. I was suddenly very on edge again. I saw Theo take a step towards Robbie, now I wasn’t sure who was going to swing first.
Connor glanced at Matt, eyes hard. “Again?”
“Look man, we can explain, let’s just go somewhere and talk,” Matt, still trying to diffuse the situation.
“What, so we can talk about her fiancé?” Connor bit out, that hard stare was trained on me now. Theo snorted.
“She’s not engaged man, she just told this douche she was so he would stop hitting on her.” Robbie took a step back, now he was glaring at me too. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Connor relax somewhat.
“You’re not engaged?” Robbie demanded.
In an instant Connor was in his face again. “Why’d my girl have to lie to you, were you bothering her?”
“I’mnotyour girl!” I half shouted in frustration, “I’m notanyone’sgirl!”
“What do you meanyourgirl?” Robbie was definitely enraged; his attention was back on Connor. Both of them seemed to be itching for a fight.
“Yes Connor, I thoughtIwas your girl?” Came a soft voice from behind me. I turned to see the girl from the library. She flicked her eyes at me, but her attention was all on Connor.
“Corey baby, I didn’t know you had class today.” Connor’s smile was all charm and I couldn’t help it, I snorted. He glared at me briefly and pulled the golden goddess into his arms.
Meanwhile Robbie was still glaring at me and waiting for an explanation. Theo was standing very close to him, ready to stop anything from further developing. Matt had sidled up beside me and his hand was on my lower back.
“What’s happening here Connor?” Corey wasn’t fooled with the embrace and Connor’s easy smile. She looked at me, a quick once over appraisal and she frowned. “Who is she?”
“This is my dear good friend Arielle. An old friend from back home, I haven’t seen her inmonths.” Connor was looking at me too, although the easy smile had vanished and his eyes were hard again.
I flinched at the tone. Robbie moved around Theo.
“So, you’re not engaged?” He demanded, his eyes were confused and I almost wanted to lie again.
“Course she isn’t moron,” Theo laughed “You think a fiancé would let someone that looked like Ari go to college without coming with her?”
Connor’s grin was feral as he turned to Robbie. “Yeah take the hint wanna be lover boy, she’s not interested, run along.” He flicked his hand in a shooing motion to add insult to injury.
“Will you all stop!” I growled. My patience had run out, this was the worst scenario I could have imagined, my nerves were fraught.
“Connor, it was nice to see you, but I should let you get to class or whatever.” I was being lame and a chicken. Connor called me on it immediately.
“No no Arielle, we need to have a nicelongtalk.” He was back to being a jerk again. He turned to the golden goddess in his arms, he kissed her cheek. “I need to chat with Arielle real quick with the guys, I’ll catch you later ok baby?”
Corey took a step back, she looked at me and then Matt and Theo before looking at Connor. “You all need to talk to her?” I could see how she would be confused. It was a little weird. “Have none of you seen her?”
Connor barked out a humourless laugh. “Oh no my guys have been seeing her regularly, but this is the first time I caught up with her.” Theo muttered it wasn’t really regularly, but Connor ignored him.
“Well what are you going to talk about?” Corey asked. Her hands were on her hips. She had on a short denim skirt and a flowery camisole. Her long blonde hair was in a ponytail and really, I don’t know what Connor was thinking letting her go just to speak to me. She was gorgeous.
Her blue eyes flicked to me, as if to say, why areyouso important? I felt Matt run his hand up my back as if to reassure me, I knew he knew I was tense.
“Well we need to talk about old times and I want to know how her dad is, you know how it is babe, catch up.” Connor was trying to placate her.
Robbie snorted. “You’re not that good a friend you don’t know her dad’s dead.”
I gasped. I hated him in that minute, how dare he say it so callously, say it to score a point in a game he was never going to win.