I try to smile back at Owen, but I hear two sets of growls, one from Reed and the other from Russell. “Thank you, Owen,” I reply, but I’m on edge now, waiting for the next shot to be fired at me.

“Caroline, your dress is so pretty, don’t you think so, Reed?” Candace asks from across the table, but her eyes are still on me.

“Yes. Caroline is pretty this evening,” Reed politely agrees with Candace, while his arm comes up to rest casually on the back of my chair. His hand is very near my back and the proximity is making me squirm.

“Pink looks lovely on you, Caroline,” I agree, but it sounds a little strained because I am trying to leverage Reed’s arm off my seat discreetly with my elbow. It doesn’t work; he’s way too strong for that.

“Thank you,” Caroline replies in a bored tone, then she gives me the I-Know-You’re-The-Ex-Girlfriend smirk.

We order our meals, and I make small talk with Owen, Scott, and Chloe, ignoring the rest of the table, but Candace is determined to bring me back into the conversation. “Evie,” Candace smirks, “we were just wondering how long you and Owen have been dating? I’ve never seen you two together.” Her eyes are on me when she asks the question, but then they dart briefly to Caroline.

“This is our first date,” I reply, trying to keep it brief and not give away any details. I treat it like an interrogation because that’s exactly what it is.

“Oh, that’s so sweet, isn’t it, Russell?” Candace asks, giving Russell a toothy smile. “I think that’s so great, Owen. It’s nice to see you dating again,” Candace adds patronizingly as she directs her comment to Owen.

“Thanks,” Owen says, looking at me uncomfortably. Something is going on and everyone seems to know what it is but me. Looking at Russell, he is angry about something because he is glaring at Candace, but she’s ignoring him and acting nonchalant.

“No, really,” Candace says, taking a sip of her Stoli, “it’s just nice that we can all sit at the table together and not feel awkward at all.”

I almost smile, because as I glance around the table, everyone here looks to be feeling completely awkward. Everyone, that is, with the exception of Reed; he’s cool and removed from all of this.

Candace smirks, saying, “You dated Caroline, for what… almost a year, wasn’t it? That must’ve been hard when you two broke up, but now you’re moving on with Evie, and Caroline’s moving on with Reed.” She pauses to look over at Reed, and then at me before she goes on. “Caroline and Reed look so cute together, too…” Candace trails off when she looks over at Russell, seeing the murderous look he is throwing at her.

“Candace, that’s enough,” Russell says softly, and he seems embarrassed to be seated next to her.

Looking down at my plate, my mind races. Is Candace right? Is Reed ‘moving on’ with Caroline? I wonder as a stab of pain sweeps through me, but I realize in the next breath that Candace couldn’t possibly be right. Reed is immortal while Caroline is human and very, very breakable. Whatever they are to each other, he won’t tell her his secrets; it isn’t allowed. He can never share what he is with her, like he has with me. She’ll never know that he is an angel, but all of my rationalizing doesn’t stop me from feeling jealous of every moment that she gets to spend with him.

Owen addresses Candace as he casually puts his arm around my shoulders. “You’re right, it’s not awkward at all,” he lies glibly. “I’m very lucky to have Evie as my date tonight. I plan to make quite a habit of seeing her from now on.”

I smile up at Owen’s face even as my mind still races. So, Owen and Caroline had dated. I wonder if Reed knew that and had asked Caroline tonight as some sort of strategy. What’s he up to? I wonder with my eyes narrowing because this reeks of strategy.

I am grateful that once Candace let me in on our table’s intrigue, she doesn’t have much left in her arsenal. She isn’t getting the reaction from either Owen or me that she wants, and she is frustrated by it. Reed and Russell, on the other hand, are growing more and more surly as the meal progresses. No one is more relieved than I am when Candace, Caroline, and Chloe excuse themselves to go to the bathroom after dinner is finished.

Then, Owen rises from his seat, saying, “Do you want to go to the bar and get a drink? Scott and I want to check the score of the game.”

“Um, I don’t have a fake ID,” I say, smiling sheepishly, “but you should go. I’ll wait for you here.”

“Are you sure?” he smiles. “I can bring you back something.”

“I’m sure, and I have water,” I say, indicating my glass.

“Okay,” he says, “I’ll be back in a second.” He squeezes my shoulder in a gentle caress before he and Scott leave the table.

Looking around, I realize that this leaves me alone with Reed and Russell. I want to escape to Buns’s and Brownie’s table, but I’m afraid of what will happen if I leave Reed and Russell alone together, so I stay. Their dates will be back soon to chaperone them, and then I can leave and find the girls.

“Russell, can I ask you a question about football?” Reed asks, leaning back in his chair as his arm casually hitches around the back of my chair again.

Russell eyes him skeptically and says, “Yeah, sure.”

“It is about the team you played in the game this afternoon. I was wondering why their player didn’t pick up the ball when our team fumbled it in the fourth quarter?” Reed asks distractedly, while playing with a piece of my hair that has spilled over his hand.

Russell thinks about Reed’s question for a minute, seeming confused by it. “What game were ya watchin’ ‘cuz I don’t recall…” Russell trails off, and then he looks at me, and then at Reed again. Frowning, Russell replies, “Oh… that fumble. Well, ya see, the ball rolled out of bounds…so the defense couldn’t just pick it up and run with it. And then, y’all should’ve seen the ball, it looked like someone smashed it to pieces,” Russell says in anger.

A strange expression crosses Reed’s face and he is just as short when he replies, “I thought the other team would try to keep the ball and fix it, not give it to the water boy to play with.”

Russell’s eyes narrow dangerously. “They tried fixin’ it, it just takes time,” Russell says curtly. “They have a game plan, and it was bein’ executed. It shouldn’t matter ‘cuz it was the fourth down so the ball won’t go back to the team that fumbled it,” Russell says passionately.

“Hmm, football is an interesting game. You never know what may happen next,” Reed replies casually as his thumb brushes softly up against my shoulder, making me shiver.

“Yer date is on her way back to the table,” Russell says quietly, eyeing Reed’s close proximity to me. “You might want to stop playin’ with Evie’s hair.” Reed sighs heavily, releasing my hair.

Buns’s musical voice replaces the heavy silence at the table. “Wow, I don’t mean to breakup the party here, sweetie, but we’re going over to the ballroom to set it off,” Buns says, assessing the table. “This looks about as much fun as a dentist appointment,” she continues, scanning our faces gravely. “Brownie and Pete are already in there. JT is pulling the other guys away from the game as we speak. Unless you’d rather stay here…” Buns trails off as I shoot out of my seat, not giving her an opening to leave me behind.

“No, no…hold up, I’m going with you. I’ll see you guys later. Have fun tonight,” I say to them, linking arms with Buns.

“Wicked, let’s bounce,” Buns says, and then turns to Reed and Russell, “gentlemen, enjoy the rest of the evening with your dates!”

The ballroom is just off the main hotel lobby. I walk with Buns from the restaurant and through an impressive atrium to get to it. Soft lighting from elegant chandeliers make the ballroom appear much more upscale than I had been expecting. We spot Brownie and Pete immediately. Brownie hugs me when she sees me and says she is sorry that I had gotten separated from them. The music starts, so Brownie and Buns drag me out on the dance floor with them.

After a few songs, JT, Pete, and Owen join us. I see Russell on the dance floor with Candace. Russell is…well…Russell is hot. He has a natural grace. He moves his body effortlessly. Just watching him free style is amazing. The music slows down, and we all leave the dance floor to get some water. Owen is on his way back from the bar with our drinks when Reed bumps into him. Reed says something to Owen that I try to hear, but I’m having trouble tuning out the music that blares from the speakers. Owen looks a little confused as Reed lifts the water glasses from his hands.

While Reed walks away, Owen passes right by me, heading over to where Caroline is sitting with Candace and Russell. After Owen bends down to whisper in Caroline’s ear, I see her nod. A slow, triumphant expression spreads over Caroline’s face while my date leads her to the dance floor and begins slow dancing with her like they’re lovers.

I frown, watching them as Caroline’s arms wrap tightly around Owen’s neck, like she has been waiting for this moment for a while. Then, I understand what is happening. Reed persuaded Owen to ask Caroline to dance. Pawns, to be manipulated and played… is that what we all are? Is that what I am? Reed has already left the ballroom, so I follow him out, catching up to him near the coatroom. He has just given his ticket to the coat check attendant as I approach him.

“You crossed the line…does that matter to you?” I ask quietly, not looking at him, but raising my chin a bit higher while I watch the attendant search the racks.

“You pushed me over it,” Reed replies, and he is so close his breath tickles my neck. My body reacts to the closeness, but my mind is all fury. “What are you doing with Owen?” Reed asks in frustration.

“Whatever I want to. I’m not a puppet, Reed. I get to choose who I will love and who I will be with—you don’t get to decide,” I try to say this evenly, but anger leaks into my tone.

“You don’t love Owen,” he says as a justification for his actions.

“No. I love you,” I reply in a soft tone. “I’m not a military exercise, Reed. Whatever this is…whatever you’re trying to accomplish, just stop.”