Fate's Return (Twisted Fate, Book 2)

Chapter Eighteen

"Are you finished with your appetizer?" Jeff interrupted, and my smile faltered. He set a platter of food down—two prime rib, two Chicken a la King, two king crab, potatoes, carrots, and garlic toast.

It was too much.

I looked back to the ribs. With all the leftovers we had coming, I would never look at them again. But they were boneless, and Scruffy loved human food, no matter the medium.

"Yeah, Jeff, we're done, but box them up, okay?"

I looked back up and smiled, totally busted. "My dog would kill me if I wasted them."

They both laughed, and Jeff left again.

"Dig in," Brenan announced, gesturing to the platter.

"I think your Sweetheart Dinner is meant for clogging hearts."

"Isn't everything that tastes this good?"

"The fact that this is as good as it gets doesn't worry you?" I took one of the Chicken a la King and some of the carrots. "I can't believe you eat here once a week."

"Hmm." He licked his finger from cracking a crab leg. "Just save room for cheesecake. It has real fruit topping."

I groaned, but secretly couldn't wait. At this rate he'd have to cart me into the movie—if I fit through the door. Wiping my hands on a fabric napkin, I asked, "Did you and Rebecca come here a lot?" Did I just ask that? Stupid girl. Stupid mouth. "Never mind. Don't answer that. I'm sorry."

He paused, setting his fork back on his plate, and finished what he'd been chewing. When he looked up, I thought he wasn't going to answer, his eyes were so dark with conflicting emotions. "We came here a couple times."

"Since freshman year? Really? You guys dated since you were freshman and only came here a couple times?" I rolled my eyes. "Right." Why couldn't I shut up?

"Truth, I swear," he said, raising his hands. "But it was probably three times, if you count when we broke up."

"What?"

"Jeff and Rebecca hate each other, so we pretty much never came here." He shrugged and picked up his fork again. "When she knew Jeff was away on vacation, she asked to come here. We started arguing and... I broke up with her."

"That sucks."

He met my gaze with his own serious one. "We were already over. For a long time, really, but neither of us would say it until then."

"Yes, but..." I shook my head. "Breaking up is never easy."

"No, but sometimes it's necessary."

"So, you thought bringing me to the place you guys broke up would be what? A good omen or something?" I watched his face for signs of guilt but found surprise. "I don't know what Deryk and Suzie have said, but I don't want to be anyone's rebound girl. I also don't know what we should try to be with grad and college so close."

"I brought you here because of the food. Nothing says we can't have a good start where there was an end, right? But until you mentioned it, I hadn't thought about it."

"But—"

"Plus, you could never be anyone's rebound girl, least of all mine," he added.

"So, you haven't been comparing us? Because you guys were together a long time, and I think it would only be natural if you did."

"Like you compare me to David?"

I felt myself blush but nodded through the guilt. I couldn't deny it, which made me feel bad about the thoughts I'd been having since we arrived. "Except that David is dead. Rebecca is alive if you ever wanted to go back to her."

He grimaced like I'd slapped him. "There is no going back to her. We've been over for months."

"Suzie told me."

"Okay. I'd be lying if I said that I never compared you to her, but so far you've always come out on top."

Please don't ask me to say the same about you and David, I silently begged. I didn't want to lie. I couldn't. One of the first things Gus had taught me was that lies were for the weak. And I sucked at it. Evasion, on the other hand, was a skill I had mastered.

"How is everything here?"

I looked up at the burly man with a booming voice, grateful. Not because his chef uniform meant it was Dino, or because he had cooked us an amazing meal, but because he saved me from having to reveal something best left hidden. I didn't have to lie.

"Dino." Brennan smiled, waving his fork in my direction. "This is Alyssa Frank."

The man smiled beneath his dark, wiry mustache and shook my hand. "Every bit as pretty as Jeffrey said you are." He winked and leaned forward to speak in a mock whisper. "And then some."

I pulled my hand away and laughed, liking him even more. It was amazing how dissimilar he and Jeff were, both in appearance and demeanour. "Thank you. Our supper was delicious."

"But you hardly ate it." He eyed the plate where one of everything remained except for the crab that Brenan had consumed at my insistence.

"Hey, I did my bit. You should scold Brenan for making me feel like an oinker," I said in my own mock whisper.

"Ha!" Dino bellowed. "You got a hollow leg, girl?"

"She runs," Brenan interjected.

"I run." I nodded and shrugged, rolling my eyes.

"She fights, too," Brenan said.

"Only so I can threaten physical harm to boys who make me feel weird for having an appetite." I smiled back to Dino. "I don't fight anymore, actually. The gym was forced to stop training us."

"You should watch Fight Club," Dino suggested.

"Oh, I've seen it."

"Of course, you have." He smiled again and looked back to the kitchen as a timer rang. "Well, you kids have a good night. Food is on the house."

He walked away before I could thank him, and then Jeff appeared as though they were playing tag.

"Pack it all up, Jeff," Brenan ordered, and we dug into the cheesecake he left behind. It was every bit as good as Brenan had promised, and by the time we left with three containers filled with leftovers, I really did feel like he may have to cart me along, I was so full.

We put the food in the car and walked to the theatre, once again by-passing the new releases for an oldie, A Man Apart. What could I say other than Vin Diesel? It was one of the few he didn't need Paul Walker to make him look hot.

Neither of us suggested snacks.

We barely even talked.

When he walked me to my front door at the end of the night, I received a gentle hug and a kiss on the cheek. Was he really that respectful or just biding his time? Or did he think my parents were watching? They probably were, but still, I couldn't figure it out. When he didn't say anything about another date, I was left to assume one thing: he didn't like me enough for there to be one.

It's funny how these things work.

The moment I thought he didn't like me, I liked him.

Who do you like Aly with? David or Brenan?

Do you think Aly is being too cautious... or not cautious enough?