"I thought she already had aboyfriend."
"Hadbeing the operative word."I glance up at him."They broke up."
Mattstabs at the cereal."Nice. Rebounds are the best. No one has any expectations. Maybe you can finally get her out of your system and not have to worry about her getting too attached."
I sigh and take a seat at the table,puttingmy phone down."What if I want her to get attached?"
My brother chews slowly and swallows."Do you?"
I nod."Yeah. Yeah, I think I do."
The spoon clatters in his bowl.Mattsitsback and folds his arms."Shit. After Angela, I thought you wrote all women off."
Hearing my ex's name is a cold, soggy sponge to my head, but I shake it off and picture Palmer's eyes."I thought I did, too. I told you, man, there's something aboutPalmerI can't explain. She lights me up."
"Dude,"Mattlaughs. He picks up his bowl and carries it to the sink."You're pussy whipped already and you haven't even gotten into–"
"Don't.Fucking. Say. It,"I growl, clenching my fist.
"All right, no need to punch me. Again."He rubs the bridge of his nose."So you gonna ask her out or what?"
"We're going outtonight."
"Thought you didn't want to be a rebound?"
Is that what I am? No, not really. A sliver of doubt creeps in, but I brush it aside."It's not like that. All right, look–I shouldn't tell you this, so swear you won't open your big mouth."
"Who am I gonna tell?"Mattrolls his eyes at my glare."Fine. I swear."
"I'm not looking to be her rebound, but we do have sort of a thing. Her ex is a total piece ofshitand he's completely wrecked her confidence."I tell him what happened with the douche and Palmer's cousin, and how it's made her rethink her whole dating philosophy."So now, she thinks she needs to learn how to have a casual fling so she won't keep falling in love with douchebags. She knows I—date—around, we're friends, she trusts me, so she asked me to help her out."
"Wait, wait,"Mattcloses his eyes andholdsup a finger."Let me get this straight. Shewantsyou to teach hersextricks?"
I grimace."More that shewantsto see what it's like to screw around, have a bit of casualfunoutside of a serious relationship. Do something a little crazy."
"But you just said you want an attachment."
"Yeah, I know."Iruna hand through my hair, pushing it back off my forehead."A minor obstacle."
Mattchuckles."Shewantsto get her freak on, then move on. You want the total opposite. How is that minor?"
"She thinks I'm a big player–"
"You are."
"Ok, yeah, I am. But I'm going toshowhere there's more to me. I'm going toshowher how she deserves to be treated and that I'm the man who will treat her that way."I blow out a breath."I've got theseasonto convince her. You were as bad as me until you metBianca. You managed to win her over."
"Yeah, but I'm me and you're you."
I flip him the bird and he laughs."Seriously, bro. How do youplanto do it?"
"Romance her, for starters,"I say."Make her feel like the goddess she is. Cheer her on, listen to her. Make her feel so good she won't be able to imagine ever sleeping with anyone else again."
"What if it doesn't work?"Mattshrugs."What if you do all those things and then at the end of theseason, she says, 'It's beenfun.Thanksfor the memories'?"
The sliver of doubt returns. I try to swallow it, but it cuts on its way down."Not gonna happen."
"But what if it does?"Mattpresses."Come on,Carlito. As your older brother and the one who had a front-row seat to the Angela disaster, the last thing I want is for you spiral out again. You remember how it was."
