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It started to feel like old times. We made it through dinner without them asking me any probing questions about how I was doing. No encouraging me to talk about my feelings since the accident. Kind of like with Sadie, they seemed to realize it was better if they didn’t push me on that stuff.
Maybe I could do more socializing like this. I didn’t have to be out in public nonstop to spend a little more time around other people. There had to be some middle ground between my self-imposed isolation and feeling like I was out on display for the whole town to dissect.
“I gotta ask…” Ben started.
Shit. Here it comes.
“You banging the travel blogger?”
“Excuse me?”
“Oh god.” Ben laughed. “You are. Don’t let Brody know that’s what brought around this change of heart. We’ll never hear the end of it if he thinks one of his idiotic plans actually worked.”
“That’s not what’s going on.” I unclenched my fist, unsure if I was more upset at the reminder my friends viewed me as someone in need of saving, or because of the cheap label he attached to my relationship with Sadie.
It isn’t a relationship though, is it?
“Really? Because I heard from Tariq that Old Man Turner caught you guys going at it hot and heavy at the Overlook Trail.”
This. Fucking. Town.
“Whatever is going on, good for you, man,” Will said. “You look happier than I’ve seen you in a long time.”
“Happy is a little strong, but yeah, you do look a lot better. Might even say you’re glowing.” Ben smirked. “If we’d known all we had to do to get you back into society was get you laid, we would’ve done this a long time ago.”
“I’ve been getting laid on my own just fine, thanks.”
“Wow. Well, props to you for hiding it from everyone then, because you could’ve fooled us.”
This conversation wasn’t doing my blood pressure any favors.
“Have you guys talked about what you’re going to do when her trip is over?” Ever the peacemaker, Will redirected the conversation from sex, but he was too much of an optimist to realize he was steering us into even more dangerous territory.
“Doesn’t she live in New York or some shit?” Ben asked. “No way her pussy’s so magical that he’s leaving town for her.”
“Enough,” I shouted.
Will checked the time on his phone’s lock screen. “Didn’t even take you an hour,” he muttered at Ben.
Ben’s expression sobered. “Oh shit. You’ve got it bad.” He shook his head. “You’re falling for this girl, aren’t you?”
“It’s a temporary fling.” The words tasted like sand in my mouth, but that was the reality.
“You sure about that?” Will asked. “You seem…different.”
I shook my head then shoved my chair back and stood with a jerky motion. “I’ve got some stuff I need to take care of tonight before I head back home. I think you guys should get going.”
“Yup.” Will stood up and brushed his hands off on his jeans. “Message received.”
Ben stared at me with a serious expression. “You better get your shit figured out before this thing with her is over. I don’t want to have to wait five years to hang out with you again.”
