Page 86 of Maybe Yours (Love & Wine)

He looks nervous as shit as he tells me this and a part of me wants to kick his ass for even thinking anything about Penny. But I don’t, mentally reminding myself that it’s me Pen lives with.

“Is that right?”

“Yeah, it is,” he says. “I know I flirt with her and shit, but I promise you it’s just for fun, you know?”

“Hmmm,” I reply, crossing my arms over my chest.

“I swear,” he says, hands up in surrender.

“Okay,” I eventually say, his face visibly relaxing at my acknowledgement. “And you’re telling me this why?”

Dylan motions back toward the cider house and we slowly start walking back as he continues to talk. “I don’t want to create any trouble, that’s all. I know I’m only new, but I really like it here and I don’t want to jeopardize my job or whatever by pissing you off.”

I chuckle. “Good to know.”

“And,” he continues. “I’m actually sorta interested in someone else.”

“Actually sorta interested,” I say with a laugh. “You don’t sound too certain there, Dylan.”

He exhales, brushing a hand across the scuff on his face. I can’t tell if he’s actually trying to grow a beard or he’s just too lazy to shave. I mean I can be too, but I don’t let it get that long.

“It’s complicated,” he eventually admits.

“Complicated how?” I ask, wondering how it is that we’ve suddenly fallen into some kind of relationship counselling session here. I glance at him and notice he’s blushing a little. A laugh falls from me before I can stop it. “Jesus, you haven’t gone and knocked someone up, have you?”

“No, no, nothing like that,” he says, shaking his head. “I was seeing this girl, well seeing her isn’t the right word.”

“You were fucking her?” I suggest.

“Yeah,” he says, giving me a wry smile.

“Fuck buddies?”

“Something like that,” he says with a nod.

“And?” I ask, waving my hand in front of me, as if to tell him to continue.

Dylan runs a hand through his hair as he stares straight ahead. “And she wanted more, but I didn’t, so she stopped answering my texts and now she doesn’t wanna hook up anymore and I…I think, fuck…”

“You think you’ve made a huge mistake?” I suggest.

Dylan shrugs. “Something like that, yeah.”

I laugh, wondering why the hell he’s felt the need to tell me all of this and what he expects me to say in return. It’s not like I’m an expert in relationships by any means. I mean I’m fucking lucky to have landed Penny, but god knows I nearly fucked that up the first time we hooked up.

“What?” Dylan says, interrupting my train of thought. “You’re thinking I’m an idiot right now, aren’t you?”

I chuckle. “Actually, I’m wondering why the hell you’ve told me all of this?”

“I don’t know,” he says, throwing his hands up in the air. “You landed Penny, she’s a catch and you’re like…you know.”

I stop, turning to face him, brows raised in question. “I’m like what exactly?”

Dylan looks at his feet as he mumbles. “You know, old and I dunno, kinda permanently pissed off.”

I burst out laughing, throwing my head back as Dylan looks up at me in surprise. “Oh Jesus Christ,” I say, shaking my head as I scrub a hand down my face. “First up, I’m notthatold Dylan, but thanks for thinking I’m some dirty perv sugar daddy who’s after a much younger girl.”

“No, that’s not—”

Source: www.allfreenovel.com