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was needed for him to digest her words. I huffed because I was being pretty bitchy about this situation, when I shouldn’t care at all.
    “You’re out drinking on a school night?” Brayden asked, his dark gaze pinning me.
    I felt like I couldn’t move, like altering from this position would set things into motion that I wouldn’t be able to control. It was weird having Brayden standing so close to me, while my date was even closer. There seemed to be this invisible tug-of-war going on and I didn’t like the feeling of beingjerked in both directions. It was the story of my life and I was beyond tired of it.
    “I’m having one drink, with my date. And you’re about to leave with your date,” I said tightly, looking directly at Brayden so he’d know I wasn’t really feeling this confrontation he’d started.
    “I worry about you,” was Brayden’s next remark. One that totally threw me off guard. Not because of the words, because he’d said that to me before and I worried about him too. But the way he was looking at me and the way Daniel’s hand tightened on my arm, and the quicker-than-light flash I saw in Brayden’s eyes was like a volcano waiting to erupt.
    “There’s no need to worry,” I told him just before there was a shift in the atmosphere.
    I think Brayden noticed it too because his shoulders visibly tensed, his gaze traveling to the entrance.
    “It’s nothing,” I told him, trying like hell to convince myself of that fact as well. But deep down I knew I was wrong. There was something here, had been for a few weeks. If I felt it, I was positive Brayden did too.
    His gaze was hot, his brows furrowed as he turned back to face me. “It’s here,” he said, barely moving his lips, his tone so low I know I was the only one to hear him.
    I shook my head quickly, adamantly. “No. Not now. Not here.”
    “Lidia.” He said my name, reaching for my arm at the same time.
    “Baby, let’s get us a table over there,” Kyra interrupted, her hand rubbing along Brayden’s chest.
    The chest that looked as if he’d been working out more and buying smaller, tighter T-shirts to show off that fact. She saw me looking at Brayden’s chest and she smiled in triumph. I wanted to slap her but that would seal the whole jealousy thing as tightly as a Ziploc bag. But that would be wrong, I wasn’t jealous of Kyra, not at all. I was suspicious.
    “You and your date can join us,” Brayden said, looking around the bar once more—not seeming to really notice Kyra was there and touching him at all.
    “No.” I shook my head quickly.
    It was past time for us to go, for me to get away from here and all these eerie feelings stalking me. I slipped off the bar stool, reaching for my purse and turning to Daniel. “I changed my mind. I don’t want a drink. Can we go?”
    Brayden frowned. Kyra pouted. And Daniel looked confused. My head was spinning even though I hadn’t gotten my drink. I felt like I was on a roller coaster, one where Brayden was in charge of the speed, the ups and downs, and the plummeting in the pit of my stomach. I needed to get away from here and fromwhatever was causing this unsettled feeling at the base of my spine.
    “Yeah, I’d like to sit down, Bray,” I heard Kyra say from behind.
    Brayden looked like he wanted to shake her off his arm, but he didn’t. He stood there staring expectantly at me, his eyes widening as if he were trying to tell me something, trying to warn me of something. I had nothing to offer him so I looked to Daniel.
    “I mean, I really have a lot of homework to do so it probably isn’t smart to have a drink now and then go home and try to do some work. You understand, right?”
    Daniel nodded, but I knew the end half of this date wasn’t working out as well as the beginning. “Yeah, sure.”
    I gave him my brightest smile and waved over my shoulder without looking back at Brayden or his arm candy.
    “So that was your ex?” Daniel asked when we’d pulled up in