We entered the cafeteria, and I immediately felt the eyes on me. The whispers from earlier had followed me like a bad stench. Jessica, always the center of attention, didn't seem to mind. In fact, she looked like she was thriving in it, smiling brightly at anyone who glanced our way. Gabriel, walking beside her, was playing along, laughing at something she said, his hand brushing her back in that annoyingly familiar way.
He had not asked about the Williams issue.
I kept my face neutral, the cold mask I had perfected in place, as I followed them to a table. Jessica, still rambling, took a seat next to Gabriel, while I settled across from them, folding my arms as I watched them with icy detachment.
"Isn't this nice?" Jessica said with a giddy smile, glancing between us like she was some kind of peacemaker. "Feels like old times, doesn't it, Gabe?"
Gabriel nodded, his smile wide. "Yeah, it does. We should do this more often."
