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She nods. “I agree, and clearly, you’re the right owner for this guy.” She pats him on the head. “I love that you didn’t get his tail clipped or his ears cropped.”
“I didn’t see the point in doing that. He’s my pet. Actually, that’s not true. He’s my best friend.”
Evie puts the back of her hand to her forehead in a dramatic fashion. “Swoon.”
“What?” I laugh.
“I find a man who loves his dog so swoony. I don’t know why, but it gets me in the feels.”
In my head I pump my fist in celebration.
“It’s the same when a man loves his child,” she adds.
Dammit. She had to ruin it.
“So you’re saying your ex makes you swoon?” Even I hear the jealous bite in my voice.
“Sure, but not in the way you’re thinking.”
“What am I thinking?” I challenge.
“That it’s some fluttery feeling.” She clasps her hands in front of her chest and tries to look lovestruck.
“Then what is it really?” I want to know. No, Ineedto know.
“It’s a gentle warmth in my chest, like when you see a puppy and you say ‘aww, how cute.’”
The server passes our ice creams out the window, interrupting us before I can reply. I hand over enough cash to cover the cost plus a generous tip. Most of the kids working here are likely saving up for a car or for college.
We walk over to a picnic table and I straddle the bench, facing Evie. Brutus lies down on the grass near my foot and I set his ice cream cup down in front of him.
Watching Evie lick her half vanilla, half chocolate soft serve ice cream is hell on earth. I want to become one with that ice cream cone. Jesus.Get a grip, man.
I say the first thing that comes to mind. “You really don’t have any urge to be with him in any way?”
“Huh?” She pauses her licking and looks confused.
“Your ex. You don’t ever wish you were still together or want to…” I trail off.
“Want to what?” she prods.
Fuck me. She’s forcing my hand. I’m going to have to be the one to say it.
“Have sex with him.” I spit the words out before I can change my mind.
She makes a face of distaste. “Jesus, Darius. No. Just no.” And then, within a millisecond, her entire expression shifts from displeased to amused. She releases a noise that sounds like a hiccup but it’s really a giggle. And then the floodgates open. She breaks into peals of laughter while I smile, entranced by how fucking cute she is. When she finally settles down, she wipes under each eye with her free hand and licks the ice cream drips from her other hand.
“I’m sorry I lost it so badly.”
“No need to apologize. Besides, you have a great laugh.”
She licks the ice cream running down the side of the cone and wipes her face with a napkin.
“There’s no reason for you to be concerned about Ryan and me being romantically involved. I want to tell you something, but you have to promise not to share it with anyone else.”
“That won’t be a problem.”
“I wasn’t planning to talk about this with you yet, but maybe now’s when you need to hear it.” She spins the ice cream around her tongue until she’s licked the entire circumference.Goddamn.“Ryan and I tried to make things work out for Tillie. We stayed together until she was two years old, but we knew we were fighting a losing battle. Our sex life had been dying a slow death since Tillie was born, and it didn’t take long for both of us to realize we were better friends than lovers. From that point on, Ryan and I were never intimate again and neither of us wanted to be. It took him another year before he confided in me that he thought he might be gay.” She pauses to take in my reaction.
