Page 84 of 10 Rings I Hate About You
“Are we in a period drama now?”
“Yeah, okay maybe I was being a bit dramatic, but just think about it.” She picked her fork back up, signaling we were returning to our normal programming. “Now, tell me about this yoga class, because all I saw was a very chaotic series of social media posts that said it was crazy and lively. I hate that I had to miss it.”
I opened my mouth to answer, but the front door to the diner swung open, and Wyatt Kingsley strolled through.
The temperature at our booth dropped to chilling degrees. I watched Adele’s entire face shut down like someone had pulled a plug. All that warmth, all the open-book expressiveness—gone. Replaced by barely-suppressed anger and narrowed eyes. And a quick flash of sadness and regret.
Wyatt immediately noticed us. His body went completely still, the way a person goes still when they’ve walked into a room and realized too late there’s no good exit.
He stared at Adele.
Adele stared at what was left of her omelet and home fries.
“The ambiance isn’t free,” Matt called from the kitchen. I was beginning to think he had eyes everywhere. “Find a seat and order, Kingsley.”
Wyatt gave a stiff nod, manufactured a smile that didn’t reach anywhere near his eyes, and sat down at a table with a completely unobstructed sightline to our booth. To Adele specifically.
I looked at my friend. Then at Wyatt. Then back at Adele.
“What happened between you two?” I whispered.
“Nothing worth verbalizing,” she said, in the same tone she’d used every single time I asked.
“Adele.”
“How is your French toast?”
“That’s not?—”
“Not now, Delaney.” Her composure cracked the tiniest bit to show the hurt she tried to hide.
Adele, who told me everything, had been tight-lipped about how their friendship ended. And based on how they acted in each other’s presence, it was a fiery crash and burn and not a quiet parting of ways.
I stared at her for a moment. This was the woman who had just performed forensic analysis on my texting habits and strong-armed me into confessing feelings I hadn’t even admitted to myself. And yet she sat there, locked up tight, eyes on her plate, jaw clenched, and eyes narrowed.
“You’re going to have to tell me eventually,” I said softly.
Her shoulders dropped half an inch. “I know.”
I wanted to push. I really did. But with Wyatt sitting close enough to hear if I raised my voice, this wasn’t the time. I made a mental note to rally her other friends. Strategic intervention. Combined forces.
The door opened again, and I groaned when I saw who was striding in like she owned the place.
She probably did, one way or the other. The woman had investments all over town.
“Hello, darlings!” Glamma cheerfully called out as she swept into Matt’s Diner. Grace was right behind her, both of them holding fistfuls of fluorescent pink flyers. Half the patrons called out greetings, and Hank actually waved.
Matt came out from the kitchen with the face of a man bracing for impact. “Don’t even think about it.”
Glamma blinked at him with the most convincing expression of innocence. “The bachelor auction is community engagement, Matthew. We’re simply reminding Main Street that it’s this weekend.”
“You put that monstrosity on my door and I will ban you.” He pointed at her. “You and every other Kinglsey.All of them. Just test me.”
A loud gasp moved through the diner like a wave. There hadn’t been a ban in at least two years. The last one was legendary. People still talked about it.
The whole place went quiet in a way that only happened when something was about to go either very right or very wrong. Everyone was watching Glamma. Waiting.
Glamma looked at Matt. Then she smiled the smile of a woman who had outlasted empires in her past lives.
