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“So, let me ask you somethin’…”
“Ugh. Nothing good has ever followed that sentence starter.”
“It’s truth time. Ready?”
“Oh, here we go,” she mumbled. ”Do I get one next?”
“Sure. You know I’m an open book, babe. But you can’t lie, OK? You gotta tell me the truth, even if it sucks and you don’t wanna.”
“I don’t lie to you, Tyler. I have zero reason to.”
“Alright then. Truth time: what’s your ideal situation look like?”
She made a face. “I’m not sure I understand the question.”
He turned over towards her, propping himself up on one elbow. His other hand still draped across her stomach, he dragged his fingertips lightly in circles around her hip. “I mean, with me, with Rook, with whoever else. If you could build the perfect situation for yourself, what’s it look like?”
She shook her head. “I still don’t follow.”
“Jesus, sometimes you’re just as dense as he is!” he complained. He reached his hand up to her face, forcing eye contact. “Is this just sex, or do you maybe feel something else?”
She looked away, letting go of his hand. “I can’t answer that…”
“Uh uh. Nope. You agreed to tell me the truth.”
“Then I decline to answer. Lying by omission…”
“Is still lying!” he interrupted. “Spill it, woman.”
“Fine. Ugh, I hate you. Fuck. My ideal situation? You’re about 10 years older, and I’m about 10 years younger. OK? But since that’s impossible, then yes, this is just sex. Really, really hot sex.” She shook her head. “But that’s all this can ever be.”
“I keep tellin’ him it’s just sex with you. And I know it is because that’s what it has to be. It’s just, sometimes, I don’t know, I like to think about if things were different.”
“But they’re not, Ty.”
“I’m not him, you know. Maybe me and you...”
She sat up abruptly, running her fingers through her hair. “Don’t. Don’t even finish that sentence. You’re 20 goddamn years old.”
“Be 21 in two weeks.”
“Yeah? And I’m twice your age. Just…don’t even go there.”
“Fine,” he grumbled, turning onto his back and folding his hands behind his head.
“So, alright. Truth time? There’s one more part to it. Ry’s older, too, and it’s…perfect situation? Alternate universe scenario? It’d be the three of us. No jealousy, no drama. I’d sleep every night between both of you if it was possible. But it’s not, so it doesn’t matter.”
He nodded, then went silent for a bit. “So what’s your question for me? Truth time.”
She looked up at the ceiling fan, turning slowly and humming. “You have to answer honestly.”
“I know that.”
She took a deep breath through her nose and asked him the question to which she was pretty sure she already knew the answer. “Ty? Do you maybe have some feelings for Ryan that go beyond just friendship?”
He smiled, shook his head, and sat up next to her. His smile faded, and he stared down at his hands in his lap. “It’s that obvious, eh?”
“Totally. For what it’s worth, I’m…pretty sure it’s not one-sided, Ty.”
