Chase was sitting on the table and all his friends were watching him down a glass of milk with a slice of pizza in it.

I gagged before looking away from him

Brennan scooted in the space between Lana and I before he put his arm around the blonde girl and asked, "So are we allowed to sit at your table?"

Lana let out a nervous giggle "Of course you are."

"Ella?" Brennan asked hopefully while glancing behind me.

"Unless you want to sit on the floor." I teased in the nicest way I knew how to discreetly say yes.

"You know what, Ella." Brennan never removed his arm off Lana as he spoke to me "I think we might become good friends."

We reached our normal table which was situated at the very back of the lunch hall. Brennan took Lana's hand and made her sit next to him while Stone sat at the bench on the opposite side of the table.

Everyone was seated except me. I stood up with my arms crossed while glaring at the large body I was expected to sit next to.

My new lunch buddy Lurch was occupying the whole space at the bench and I knew it was going to be a tight squeeze.

"So, I'm guessing I have to sit next to you?" I let out an exaggerated sigh before uttering "Lucky me."

Stone's gruff voice remained deep and monotonous when he challenged "Unless you want to sit on my lap."

I blinked twice.

"I would rather sit on an electric chair." I spluttered out.

My feet done a nervous shuffle on the floor when I noticed that he was at eye level with me when he was sitting down, and I was standing up.

I lifted one leg over the bench and then the other as I took my place next to him.

He claimed the space of the bench we shared. His large thick biceps were touching the side of my face. His knees were hitting the bottom of table and the side of his right leg was touching my left.

I figured that he was uncomfortable, so I slid to the edge of the bench to give him more space.

His response was to relax his legs further until his leg was touching mine again.

Brennan looked shocked yet amused at the scene unfolding as he watched us from the opposite side of the table.

"Ella, don't take notice about the lack of emotion in Stone's voice. The fact that he is talking to someone at all is a rarity." Brennan told me matter of factly "He must like you."

I glanced at Stone before pointing out "He must really like making fun of me."

"He does not go around asking girls to sit on his lap." Brennan replied with a haughty grin.

A wave of surprise hit me, and I glanced again at the owner of the large body occupying the whole space at the table.

Stone never spoke. He just continued to watch me in silence.