Tyler had been right in college, just like he was right now. I couldn’t be half in each of my lives. Not when one of them was a fairy tale. Colt isn’t mine. The sooner I realized that and focused on being his friend, the better for everyone.
“Thanks,” I mumble when we reached my house. “I’ll text you tomorrow.” I want to bury myself in my blankets and hide for the rest of the night. Maybe take the whole day off tomorrow and use some of my sick time.
“Nope, I’m coming in.” Tyler puts his car in park and gets out of the vehicle when I do. I want to argue with him, but it’s too much work. He follows me up the two steps to the front door and into the house.
“I’m fine. Really.” He crosses his arms and glares at me. “Whatever. Do what makes you happy.” I toss my coat on the kitchen island. Is it too much to ask to fall apart in peace?
“I’ll let you know that it does nothing for my happiness to see you hurt like this.” I throw myself onto the couch in the living room and bury my face in a pillow. “You want to talk about it?”
“No,” I mumble into the pillow. I want to spend the evening sulking and wallowing in my thoughts. Is that the healthiest way to handle things? Probably not. However, it’s my preferred method.
“That’s fine. I’ll talk instead. Or, better yet, you and Colt could talk. Really talk. I’ve listened to you tell me stories for years about how amazing he is, and most of the time, I thoughtyou were lying or seeing him through a pair of rose-colored glasses. No one is that nice or kind. You and he, though? You somehow fit. Even someone as bitter as I am can see that.”
“You aren’t bitter.” I sit up and pull the pillow into a tight hug in my lap. “You just haven’t found the right person.” Tyler is way too cynical about love and relationships.
“Don’t change the subject.”
“He sees me as a friend, nothing more.”
“Are you sure? Have you asked him? Because I see the way he looks at you.” I shake my head. Tyler’s hallucinating. “You’re both complete idiots. That might have been a good excuse when you were fifteen, but you’re both grown men. You kissed him once, and he turned you down. Hell, back then, I thought I liked girls.”
“Is there a point to this rant?” He smacks my thigh.
“Yes, the point is that a lot has changed. I think the answer to the question of whether Colt likes you as more than a friend might be one of those things.”
No response came to mind, so I closed my eyes. I want Tyler to be correct, but I learned years ago that wanting something and having it be true are different things. Tyler has never steered me wrong, though. He’s the first person to tell me that a hook-up is an asshole or that I should break up with someone.
“That’s what I thought. Why don’t you sleep? I think you’ve got a busy day tomorrow. Lots to do. Lots to talk about.”
COLT
I’m notsure if the date is going well or not. At this point, it’s a toss-up. Oliver is sexy and cute, which is precisely how he looked in the photos he sent over. I might not get out much, but I knowthat isn’t always the case with these dates off apps. I don’t care much about his looks, but the honesty is important.
So why am I not feeling it?
“Moving here must be a big change. How are you finding Cardinal Falls?”
“It’s been great. I haven’t gotten much free time to explore yet, but I’m working on it.”
“Well, let me know if you’re up for some sightseeing. I’ve been here a few years now and love taking people to the tourist spots.”
“You get a lot of visitors?”
“My siblings like to come to town and visit. I think they’re spying on me for my parents, but I love getting to see them, so it’s fine.”
“How many siblings do you have?”
A big grin crosses his face. “I’m the youngest of six.” My jaw hits the floor. Six? “I know, it sounds crazy. Both my parents were only children, so they wanted a big family. It’s pure chaos most of the time, but I can’t imagine growing up any other way.”
“I only have one sister, but she pries into my business enough.” She’s part of the reason I moved here. She might be worse than my father a lot of the time. Sometimes, it feels like they’re the same person. I glance toward the table, where I spotted Nathan a few minutes ago. I forgot he and his friends would be here tonight. Once I spotted them, I remembered them saying they came here every Thursday.
When I glance over again, Nathan and Tyler are no longer in their booth. I look around the rest of the bar to see if they’re dancing or getting drinks, but there’s no sign of them. The other two are in the booth, though. I swallow hard when I realize they’re both staring at me. Not in a good way, either.
“Um, so what do you do for fun?” I try to refocus on Oliver. My stomach twists into knots as I pull my gaze back toward him.
“Most people might not call it fun, but I like to crochet. I find it relaxing, and it gives me something to keep my hands busy.”
“Is that the one with the big metal needles?”
