“No, but now that you mention it. I want one.” His legs swung back and forth for a second as he leaned back on his hands. “I broke into my ex’s house.”
“Scandalous. So you’re a crazy ex?”
“Before he was my ex. I broke into his apartment so I could decorate for the proposal.”
I didn’t know if I should laugh at the situation or— “Wait, he called the cops on you?”
“Oh, no. I was putting up streamers when the sheriff busted in. One of his neighbors thought I was a thief. I tried to explain myself, but she insisted I was a burglar. So they took me in.”
“Wow. Who says romance is dead?”
He threw his head back, snorting through the laughter. “Then Phil showed up at the county jail to get me out. At that point, the sheriff thought it was hysterical. While Phil stood on the other side of the bars, the sheriff said there was only one way he’d release me.”
“You proposed through prison bars?”
“Yup. I tried to convince Phil to get married in the jail, but he refused.”
The reason he had a prison record might not be worthy of gossip, but the outcome had become a story in its own right. His ability to roll with the punches and make the best out of it reminded me of the library. I’d be fearful of losing my job. Instead, he focused on the here and now.
“Can I ask what happened?”
“It’s a boring story.” I would have let it go. Tyler didn’t owe me an explanation. “We made a great couple while we were dating.” Apparently, being silent gave him the space to carry on. “Our wedding happened, and things changed. He changed.”
In my relationships, I was lucky if there was ever a spark to begin with. “I’ve heard of that happening.”
I didn’t know what else to say. Hearing somebody’s marriage fell apart meant they didn’t get their happily ever after. If I had my way, everybody would meet their somebody and live in domestic bliss, whatever that meant for them. I’d be lying if I didn’t have a moment of relief. His marriage ending meant we had the opportunity to sit here admiring the mountains.
“We went from dates and making events out of everylittle thing to… comfortable. It wasn’t bad. He was still incredibly sweet. It just felt like he lost a little of that spark. I fell in love with that spark. Without it, we were?—”
“Roommates.”
Tyler nodded. “It got to the point where we simply existed together.” He let out a long sigh. I never believed a person had a single love. There were too many people in the world for that. Instead, I preferred believing we had the right person at the right time. Those didn’t always line up. I let out a little chuckle at the thought.
“What?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
“If I’m spilling my guts, I expect you to divulge.”
“I was thinking about how we can meet somebody, and they’re perfect. But the timing might be off. That’s it.”
“That’s it?” He glanced at me. Even in the dark, I could make out his expression. Tyler was less than convinced.
“We’re perfect examples. Right person. Wrong time.”
“Then or now?”
I was about to spit out a reply when I realized that statement might not apply. Back then, it had been right person and wrong time. Right now? Right person. Right time. Bad… I didn’t have an answer. Bad situation?
“Both,” I admitted. “I hadn’t thought about that kiss in years.”
“Ouch.”
I leaned over, bumping my shoulder against his. “That’s not what I meant. Because of that kiss, I finally came out ofthe closet. I liked it… a lot. I wasn’t sure before then. But afterward… it confirmed a suspicion.”
“Same,” he said.
“I don’t need to think about it.”
