Three Drops of Blood by Gretchen McNeil

Author:Gretchen McNeil [McNeil, Gretchen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Disney Book Group
Published: 2023-03-21T00:00:00+00:00

ALFREDO’S WAS A POPULAR SPOT BOTH BECAUSE IT WAS located almost directly across the street from campus and because it was cheap and delicious. Kate and Rowan had eaten there so many times, they didn’t even need to look at the menu to know what they wanted, yet Kate had trailed behind the rest of the group, pretending to scrutinize the menu displayed above the restaurant’s outdoor window. She ordered last, hoping that by the time she got to the long communal table on the outdoor patio, she’d have gotten over her disappointment enough to at least pretend that she was having a good time.

That was the pitfall of being best friends with a hyper-social, emotional exhibitionist like Rowan: A big group meal fueled her soul, while for Kate, it would take every last ounce of her energy to keep from looking as if she wanted to be literally anyplace else on the planet.

Her appetite had mostly evaporated by the time Kate ordered, so she went with her old favorite—rolled tacos—and a soda. She hoped that Rowan would have saved her a seat, but when she arrived at the patio, her best friend was ensconced in the middle of one bench, Jer and Hiroki on one side, Gabby and a white girl she didn’t recognize on the other. That must have been Darla. The opposite bench was full as well, and the only open seats were at one end, directly opposite each other. One for her, and one for Ty when he arrived.

Welcome to hell.

“Hey, Kate,” Luca said, motioning at the open seats with a flick of his teal-blue hair. The last time Kate had seen him, it had been blood orange, which had accentuated his olive skin, and she wondered how many shades of hair dye she’d missed in between the two. “Take your pick.”

“Thanks.” Kate smiled tightly and dropped down beside Imogen.

“It’s really good to see you,” Imogen said, sweeping her thick mane of curly brown hair over one shoulder. She hadn’t cut it since her quinceañera two years ago, and the curly tendrils were so long she could have tucked them into her belt. “I’m dying to hear about the DPT cancellation. Are you traumatized?”

Right for the jugular. Kate knew Imogen didn’t have a mean bone in her body, but the question still felt like a knife to the heart.

“Disappointed,” Kate began, treading carefully, “but I think Belle’s experience was probably more traumatizing than mine.”

Hiroki, less kind than his girlfriend, snorted. “Boning the boss or losing her series?”

“The one that resulted in statutory rape.” She may have hated Belle, but she wasn’t going to let anyone disregard the fact that she’d been sexually assaulted, especially not a dude.

Thankfully, Hiroki had the good sense to realize he’d overstepped. “Right. Of course. Sorry.”

Kate sighed. Thirty seconds into lunch and she was already sniping at people. “No, I’m sorry. It’s been a tough week.”

“I bet,” Imogen said, smiling tightly.

Luca leaned over her shoulder. “Is it true that they’d been having sex since the first day of rehearsals?”

“I don’t know.

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