Page 71 of My So-Called Perfect Life

“Nonsense,” Cara interrupts. “I don’t know what Evan’s problem is but ignore it. You are most certainly welcome here. We’re all here to help the school and the kids. You two go on, look around, and play some games. Kick Ryan’s butt in blackjack. The tables for those are toward the front of the room.”

Ryan escorts me around, his hand possessively placed on the small of my back. “Forget about Evan and let’s have some fun.” We find a table with only two other people and watch as they finish their hand.

“Well, that’s it for me,” one gentleman says as he stands and knocks on the table. “Thanks.”

We sit, and the dealer deals us in.

The other man at the table has seventeen, and Ryan gets thirteen. And I have a three and an ace—four or fourteen.

The dealer shows a six.

The man on the right of Ryan decides to stay.

Ryan calls for a hit. He draws a five. “I’ll stay.”

“Ma’am?” the dealer asks me.

I tap the table. “Hit.”

It’s a seven.

“Twenty-one.”

My smile stretches across my entire face as I turn toward Ryan.

“I’ll be damned.”

The dealer reveals his base card. A nine. He hits and busts at twenty-three.

“Are you doubting me now?”

We play for a little while, and I walk away with a ton of play money to buy tickets for prizes.

“Why doesn’t your friend like me?” I ask, unable to ignore it any longer.

Evan has barely spoken to us since we arrived, and Ryan came to support him. I don’t like feeling like I’m causing a problem between them.

Ryan sighs. “Honestly, because he’s a judgmental asshole.”

“Huh?” I ask. “But I’ve never met him before. What on earth would he have to base his judgment on?”

Ryan spikes an eyebrow. “The same reason Mercy and Amelia were ready to help you nail my balls to the wall the night you guys all came in.”

It clicks. “Ohhh.”

“He’s being a dick,” he says. “He’s usually not.”

I shrug, trying not to take it personally. “He’ll eventually get to know me and realize I’m not as crazy as he thinks.”

Ryan disagrees. “Regardless, he was rude, and I don’t like it.”

“Let it go,” I say, placing the last of my tickets in different prize buckets. “I’ll just have to win him over.”

Ryan still carried a bit of tension in his shoulders for the rest of the night. I did my best to laugh and make conversation so he knew that Evan’s judginess didn’t affect me.

All in all, the night was pretty great, and I won a few prizes. Mostly things I can use for my class, which makes me happy—a huge basket of Crayola stuff, like markers, crayons, and model clay—and I won another basket filled with books.

Too bad I didn’t win over Evan, but I’ve got time.