“Parker, are you for real?” Mila sighed. “Why would you say that?”
“Because I know guys.” I shrugged. “You wanted me to give my honest opinion, right?” I looked at them both. “The dude realized he wasn’t going to get laid so he peaced out. It happens all the time.”
“I don’t think Luke is like that.” Lara shook her head. “He doesn’t seem to be about sex.”
“Every guy is about sex.” I was exasperated at how clueless Lara was being and how Mila was trying to make me out to be the bad guy. “Trust me, I’m a guy, I know these things.”
“Every guy isn’t you, Parker.” Mila pursed her lips. “I’m sure there’s a perfectly good explanation as to why Luke left.”
“Okay, so why ask me, then?” I rolled my eyes and I could feel myself growing angry. Why was I wasting my time here in thissituation? I was getting absolutely nothing from it. This wasn’t what I’d come for. This wasn’t what I wanted.
“We thought you could give us a male perspective. Well, I thought that.” Mila sighed. “Lara didn’t really know you were coming.”
“I see.” I looked over at Lara then and watched her face and waited for her to look at me. “I texted you,” I said nonchalantly, like it wasn’t a big deal that I’d texted her several times and she hadn’t responded. Over ten times to be exact.
“Oh?” She looked up at me with a surprised expression.
“Is your phone broken?” I felt some sudden hope. Maybe that was why she hadn’t texted?
“Nope, why?” she answered quickly, and then her face flushed as she realized why I’d asked her the question.
“No reason.” I shook my head. “I suppose you didn’t forget your Facebook password, either?” I said with a smile, though my stomach was churning.
“I’ve just been busy.”
“With Luke? I know.” I looked away from her and I could see Mila looking at me curiously, studying my face, and I stared back at her, wondering what she was thinking.
“I’m going to the bathroom. I’ll be back,” Mila said abruptly and left the room. I stared at the door for a few seconds and then looked toward Lara.
“So how have you been?” I asked her quietly.
“Good,” she said simply.
“That’s good,” I replied. “I’ve been pretty good too.”
“That’s nice.” She nodded and I could tell that she wasn’t even engaged in our conversation.
“I’m sorry.” I stood up and walked over to her and crouched down next to her. “You know that, right?”
“There’s nothing to be sorry about.” She shrugged and looked at me.
“Lara...” I grabbed her hand and she flinched away from me. “Lara,” I said, a little bit more harshly, hurt at her reaction. “Can we please talk?”
“Talk about what, Parker?” She sighed and glanced at me. “If it’s about the sex, it’s fine. We both enjoyed it. I’m over it. I’m not even thinking about it anymore, okay? I’m meeting new guys. I’m dating. I’m focusing on that.”
“Okay.” I frowned at her tone. If she was okay, why wasn’t she acting like she normally did? “You haven’t texted or messaged me back, so I figured something was up.”
“Like I said, I’ve been busy.”
“Too busy to text me back?” I said softly and I touched her face lightly. “Look at me, please, Lara.”
“What do you want me to say, Parker?” She sighed and looked into my eyes. “I’m not sure what you want me to say. You’re confusing me.”
“I’m confusing you?” I stared back at her. “How am I confusing you? You’re the one not responding to my texts.”
“I just can’t do this.” She sighed. “Look, it doesn’t matter, does it? Are you really that upset because I didn’t send you a couple of texts back?”
“It’s rude,” I said with a frown, my heart pounding. “And I was worried about you.”
