Page 18 of Lance

“It’s not, Nia! Don’t you get it?” She just looks at me, concerned but clearly more than a little baffled at the extent of my reaction. “Once he realized who I was, everything changed. He went completely still, like…like he washorrified.”

“I’m sure he wasn’thorrified.”

“He looked it! Horrified, and scared too, like he couldn’t believe he had almost made such amistake.”

“Willa, you are totallyoverreacting.”

“I’m not,” I insist, feeling tears threaten. “You weren’t there. From the moment Haylee showed up he barely said five words to me. And that was only to ask why I had told him my name wasWilla.”

“Okay,” she says, her voice turning pragmatic, the way it does when she’s solving some complicated law question. “So he freaked out a little when he realized that you were his friend’s sister. That makes sense, Wills. He was probably thinking about how pissed off James wouldbe.”

“It was more than that,” I mutter. “I couldtell.”

“Well what do you think he was thinking,then?”

He was thinking that he barely escaped from Freak-girl.But I don’t tell her that. It’s just tooembarrassing.

“I need another drink,” I say instead, turning back to thebar.

“Hang on,” Nia says, grabbing my hand. “There’s a waitresscoming.”

“I canjust—”

She stares at me with knowing eyes. “You can just run away from thisconversation?”

“Well, yeah,” I mutter and she laughs alittle.

“Not this time, dearest.” The waitress approaches and Nia orders another round plus a pair of shots. “I think we could use them,” she tells me. Once the waitress has left to get our order, she faces me, hands on her hips. “Talk to me,Willa.”

I sigh, knowing there’s no avoiding her. She’s tenacious when she’s trying to solve a problem, like a freaking bloodhound or something. She’s going to make a greatlawyer.

“It just felt really good, you know? That I could…” I wave my hands around the room, trying to encompass the whole thing. The party, the people, the atmosphere. “That I could deal. With all of this. That I could hold myown.”

“Youcanhold yourown.”

“I was flirting with the hottest guy in the room, Nia. One of the people they threw this whole fancy party for. And I was good atit.”

She raises her eyebrows. “I’m not at all surprised bythis.”

“And then I find out that he was only interested because he thought I was someone else entirely. He wasn’t intome, Willa Nathans. He was into flirting with nameless strangers and he thought I’d be an easymark.”

She closes her eyes briefly, as if drawing up all her strength to deal with my crazy. “Willa.”

“And then, when he figured out who I was, he couldn’t get away fast enough. Nameless groupie? Awesome. Willa Nathans, someone he’s talked to and hung out with—dear God, get me out of here.” I swallow. “He was probably thinking about all those times he’s seen me before. About the way I always act and the way I usually look. James’s weirdo little sister. And he was horrified. You didn’t see hisface.”

“I’m sure hewasn’t—”

I cut her off. “I know I’m not great at the social stuff, but I’m actually pretty smart. And I know what Isaw.”

She sighs. “Then he’s an ass. If he’s really judging you for who you are and who you’ve been, then I’m glad he flaked off. Because you don’t need someone likethat.”

The waitress returns with our drinks and I down my shot before Nia has even lifted hers off the tray. I don’t know how to explain to her how I’m feeling right now. How I’m wishing…hell, how I’m wishing that I could be someone elseentirely.

I speak as soon as the waitress has gone, knowing my friend isn’t going to drop it. “Can we talk about somethingelse?”

She watches me and I can tell she’s trying to gauge what I need right now. She’s always been good at that—at knowing how far to push me and when to back off. “Sure,” she says and I breathe a sigh ofrelief.

The relief is short-lived.