Page 23 of Floodgates

“We all have other acquaintances we see once in a blue moon, but on a regular every Sunday for brunch, every Wednesday for dinner, and every Friday for drinks basis, when was the last time we were out in a big group?”

Matt opened his mouth.

I cut him off. “Since college.”

He went quiet.

“There, you see? Our normal is you, me, Eric, and Ira having dinner, playing cards, and putting in a movie we never finish because we talk through it.”

“Which I hate, by the way,” Eric chimed in. “I still don’t know what happened at the end of Life of Pi.”

Matt rolled his eyes.

“But really,” I pressed, “we’ve all been friends so long we forget sometimes how to be social.”

“And now that Ira’s found someone, if we want to keep him around, we have to get her to like us too.”

“And it’s good practice for when you get a new guy,” Eric said, and then he took another sip of his drink. “I mean, I like Ira a lot, but I love you. Matt and me, and you and your new guy, will be bonded at the hip for life.”

I looked at him and so did Matt.

“What?” Eric seemed confused at the attention.

“New guy?” I questioned him.

He scowled. “Of course. You’re not going to be celibate for the rest of your life, Trace. That’s ridiculous. There’ll be someone new in our group eventually.”

“Not by inviting the ex along there won’t,” Matt commented.

“What?”

He nodded at his boyfriend. “Yeah. You get to see him tonight if he shows.”

The him could not have been uttered with any more revulsion if he tried.

“Matt—”

“For fuck’s sake, Tracy, you don’t hold on to a guy who lies to you.” Eric’s gaze was back on me, and I saw the disappointment and concern in his bright-blue eyes.

“Eric—”

“No,” he snapped at me. “He slept with that guy and—”

“I didn’t say we were ever going to be more than friends,” I pointed out.

“Why would you even be friends with someone who fucked you over?”

“Eric—”

“And you never really loved him anyway.”

This was new. “I’m sorry?” I said defensively.

“Guys,” Matt began.

“Feelings for, yes. Love, no,” Eric went on. “It was infatuation that got way out of control.”

“What are you talking about?”