Sweet (True Believers #2)(40)
Author: Erin McCarthy

“But for whatever reason Jayden and Easton loved it. They must be seeing something I’m not.”

“I never liked the zoo either. It’s a lot of walking to look at dirty and bored animals.”

“See? That’s exactly what I’m talking about. How come you and I are the only ones who get it?”

“We’re an island unto ourselves.” I paced again, suddenly overcome by the urge to call off work and be at the house when Riley got home.

The thought was alien. I had wanted to ditch work plenty of times, but not for the simple reason that I wanted to see a guy. It was scary. I was sharing my feelings with him and wanting to be with him all the time.

I was pretty sure this meant that I was emotionally invested, aka emotionally screwed.

He laughed and it ended in a cough, a real hacking sound that was not normal for a twenty-five-year-old. “Sorry,” he said when it petered out. “The tuberculosis is kicking up.”

“Ha ha. Maybe you should try quitting smoking.”

“Maybe you should try quitting nagging.”

I was nagging. I sounded like a bitchy wife. “Doesn’t mean I’m not right.” Let him argue with that logic.

“I’ll quit someday. Just not today. Besides, I can just about guarantee I’m in better shape than you. I haul roofing materials all day and I go to the gym.”

“You also eat fried foods. And I’m reasonably athletic,” I protested. “I was on the volleyball team in high school.”

“I’m doing a Warrior Dash on Saturday. Want to do it with me?”

“What’s that?” I asked, suspicious. I was fairly certain I was being tricked into something heinous.

“It’s an obstacle course, where you scale a wall and stuff like that. Once you finish, they give you beer. People of all ages and levels of endurance do it, and there are no high speeds or demons.”

He was just a regular Jimmy Fallon. “I could probably do that.” Though I didn’t exactly sound enthusiastic. “I like beer.”

“You don’t have to,” he said. “It requires determination and a willingness to get dirty. But maybe you can come and just cheer me on.”

Hello. Just because I was blond didn’t mean I was going to be relegated to the role of cheerleader in a tight T-shirt. “I can get dirty. I’m determined. Screw you, Mann. Tell me when and where.”

I could practically hear him grinning. “You are so easy to manipulate.”

How amusing. Not. “Dick.” Though I had walked right into that one.

“What?”

“You know. But fine, I’ll still do it. Now I have a point to prove and maybe you’ll stop calling me princess.”

“I already have. Pita.”

“How about no nicknames unless they start with Sexy?”

“No. That shows no imagination.”

Winning. “I’m okay with cliché as long as it references my beauty.”

“We can talk about your beauty later. Right now I have to go to work.”

“Work sucks.”

“Tell me about it. I’ll call you later.” He made exaggerated and obnoxious kissing sounds into the phone.

I laughed. “Oh, God, never make that sound again.”

***

Wednesday night after he picked me up, we went back to his house and played video games in the hot living room. “So who do you normally hang out with?” I asked, thumbs moving fast on my controller.

“I don’t know. I’m either at work or the gym or with my brothers. Sometimes I grab a beer with the guys I work with.”

“Maybe we should invite some people over sometime.”

“You mean, like a party?” he asked, glancing over at me.

“No. I guess we really can’t do that. Not with the boys and social workers and all that. I meant more just like, maybe you could introduce me to your friends.” The minute it was out of my mouth, I wanted to retract the statement. It was so “girlfriend.” So needy.

“I don’t have any friends. I have coworkers I grab a beer with. I have Tyler and Nathan and that’s about it. You’re dating a loser. There is still time for you to bail if you want.”

“Don’t be self-deprecating. It’s not a good look on you.” I dodged a missile on the screen. “I don’t have a lot of true friends either. Just Rory and Kylie and Robin.” The rest were fringe.

“Robin’s the hot one, right?” he asked, voice teasing.

“I will cut you if you say that again.”

“And you were worried about my jealousy? Damn.”

“Maybe we could have a cookout or something for your friends and my friends.” Why was I still pushing this? I wasn’t even sure what I was pushing.

“Why do we have to be with other people? Can’t I just be with you?” He paused the game and tossed his controller on the coffee table. “Come here, weirdo.”

He pulled me into his arms and I settled with my back against his chest. “What are you really asking for, Jess?”

“I don’t know,” I told him honestly. “I don’t really have any idea how to date someone. I haven’t had a boyfriend since my junior year in high school.”

“Well, I’ve never had a boyfriend so you’re one step ahead of me.”

Oh, God. I rolled my eyes even though he couldn’t see them. “Cute.”

Tyler came into the living room from the kitchen. He saw us sitting together and made a face.

“What?” I asked.

“I miss Rory.”

“It’s been two days,” Riley protested. “How much can you miss her?”

“Easy for you to say when you have Jessica’s ass resting on your junk.”

Suddenly Riley stiffened. “Hey, look, man, I know I’m supposed to be all cool with whatever you and Jess did before, but the truth is, I’m not. I’m trying but it’s hard, so just leave my girlfriend’s ass out of our conversations, okay?”

My cheeks started to burn. I wanted to protest that Tyler hadn’t said anything suggestive at all, that he was talking about missing Rory, but my gut said that would make it worse. Instead, I just linked my hand through Riley’s, trying to convey that I was with him and he needed to chill.

“Girlfriend, huh?” was what Tyler said. “I never saw that one coming, but I have to say, the two of you make sense together.”

Now I was really embarrassed. I turned to Riley. “Yeah, girlfriend?”