Caleb and Reid both laugh out loud at her comment and it’s clear they’ve dealt with her advanced preparation for years.
“Hate to break it to you, babe, but I’m totally the guy who shows up and asks someone what we’re doing,” Reid teases and she smacks him on the arm.
“I know you are and I kinda hate you for it.” Sienna lets out a mock sigh of annoyance and I’m pretty sure we all know she could never hate him for anything. After how hard the two of them were crushing on each other, it was obvious to everyone but them that they were meant to be together.
“And how was your day, Ruby?” Sienna asks me, a singsong quality to her voice as she smiles and returns the question.
“It was fine. One of my professors was an asshole, but you know.” I shrug my shoulders, trying to let the conversation I had with him roll off my back. I’m being too sensitive because I’m sure he’s just trying to make sure I’m working to my full potential.
“Was it that dick Professor Keller?” Reid asks and I can hear the bite in his words. He’s been around long enough to hear me bitch about him, but Reid also doesn’t like the idea of how touchy-feely he is with the female students.
“Was it?” Caleb chimes in and when I look over at him his jaw is clenched so tight I swear he looks like he’ll chip a tooth.
“Shit, you two need to settle down. With so much fucking alpha male testosterone floating around this place, you’re likely to knock Sienna or me up by just looking at us,” I joke, and Sienna laughs out loud.
“Welcome to my life, Ruby.”
We’re both laughing, but the boys don’t seem to find it as funny. I get it though. They don’t like it when anyone fucks with their girls. Even if I’m not Caleb’s girlfriend, he’ll still look out for me just like Reid does.
“It was nothing. I got a D on a paper I worked my ass off on, but after reading his comments and talking with him I probably deserved it. It was just disappointing,” I explain, again realizing I need to get a tougher skin if I’m going to be dealing with people’s lives and their issues.
“I doubt that,” Caleb mutters under his breath, shooting a conspiratorial glare across the table at Reid.
“I’m sure you’ll do better next time,” Sienna says comfortingly and it reminds me how lucky I am to have her and the boys in my life. Even if the boys can be douchebags sometimes.
We talk a little longer, the tension in the room dying down as we finish off the last of the tacos. The margaritas are flowing with a tad too much tequila, but everyone seems to have loosened up a bit now. Sienna and I offer to clean up the kitchen, but the boys insist on doing it while Sienna and I take our drinks out onto the front porch.
“So what really happened today?” Sienna presses, knowing now that we’re out the boys’ earshot I’ll be a little more honest. “You seemed a little off today. What did that dick say to you?”
“It was nothing, seriously. I was just being way too sensitive.” I shake my head trying to clear my thoughts. “A few weeks back Professor Keller said one of my papers was the best he’d ever read and you know his reputation on campus. He’s an impossibly hard grader, so I was kinda riding that high and then I got knocked on my ass when I got a D.”
I don’t go into detail about how he tried to hug me or console me when I was visibly shaken, because it’s just not a necessary detail. And also because a part of me feels like I’m being ridiculous, my thoughts going some place that is so far-reaching. I can’t help but think he built me up just so he could drag me back down, just so he’d have a reason for me to visit his office and spend time with him. The thought almost has me laughing out loud. Who am I to think I’m that big of a catch that a professional like Professor Keller would go to that much trouble to spend time with me. It’s so stupid and I blame Caleb and all his protective tendencies.
“Like I said before, you’ll wow him again. You’re totally killing it and he’s just being a jerk. So typical,” Sienna says, her words in agreement with me. Her eyes wander over to the large window in the front of our house, catching a small glimpse of the boys in the kitchen through the doorway from the living room.
“How do you think Caleb’s doing?” she asks, but her words aren’t prying. They’re laced with worry and I understand her concern. He’s been through a lot and is still avoiding dealing with the trauma. “I think you’re good for him,” she adds, shooting me a sweet smile.
“I think he’s doing okay,” I tell her, but I know what I’ve just said is somewhat of a lie. I have no idea how he’s really doing. I feel like our friendship has barely scratched the surface. “He did tell me he knows he’s dealing with some shit. I can see if maybe he’ll talk with me about it?”
“That would be great. He won’t talk to Reid or me, but I know he needs to talk to someone. Maybe we can even look into a therapist?” She shrugs her shoulders because she’s been down that path a few times and it really just led to the two of them arguing.
“I’ll see what I can do,” I start to say, but Sienna’s attention is drawn away from me instantly when she hears the opening credits to A New Hope pushing their way out the open windows.
“Oh hell no!” she screams. “This dinner was my idea and I’m not watching Star Wars!” She bounds up from her chair, her glass of margarita sloshing around as she scrambles to get into the house.
I hear Caleb’s melodic laugh echo through the house and out the open windows. I’m smiling far too big as I follow Sienna inside, and when Caleb looks at me my heart flutters hard and fast in my chest. I had no idea that just a look from someone could do this, but there’s something about his blue eyes and his mischievous expression that grabs me.
Sienna tackles Reid, who is sitting on the couch, grabbing for the remote. He holds it above his head, his other hand holding her back with ease.
“Caleb cooked dinner and he’s technically a guest so he gets to pick,” Reid says, finality in his tone.
“Caleb isn’t a guest!” Sienna yells, shooting daggers at him. “He’s a pain in my ass!”
“Reid’s got a point,” I say, cringing at my words because I know Sienna is going to lay into me for siding with them.
“And you call yourself my best friend,” she hisses, narrowing her eyes at me, but everything about her tone is playful.
“You’ve never even watched the whole movie,” Caleb shoots back. “You bail just when it gets good because you have the attention span of a gnat.”
“Maybe you’ll like it,” I defend, trying to get her to stick around. “Caleb and I watched Jaws—”
“Oh my god, Caleb. You’re a traitor to all New Englanders!” Sienna yells, throwing her hands in the air, but Reid drops a huge laugh, making all of us laugh along with him.
“Just because you’re afraid of it doesn’t mean I can’t watch it,” Caleb admonishes and Sienna lets out an insulted huff.
“I’m not afraid of it,” she mutters, flopping her head onto Reid’s shoulder. He presses a kiss to the top of her head and leans in to whisper something in her ear as a smile now crosses her face.