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“Lemme guess. Y’all agreed it was a one-time thing to get your ya-yas out.”
I cut him a look. “Ya-yas?”
“All that pent-up tension. Could feel it a mile away when y’all were setting up for the wedding.”
Well, shit.
“It was a one-time thing,” I say, watching a seagull swoop down low over the water. It’s breezy today, the ocean choppy and loud.
“It’s never a one-time thing.”
“It has to be for us.”
“It does?”
“Yes, Abel, I can’t be fucking my twenty-two-year-old nanny on the regular.”
He holds up his hands. “I hear you. But you’ve been one cranky motherfucker lately, and now I know why.”
“I’m not cranky,” I snarl, and start to walk down the beach.
Abel follows me. “Anyone would be cranky if they had a month-long case of blue balls.” A pause. “Can you work that shit out with someone else?”
“No. I mean, yes, I definitely can. But—” I shake my head and look away.
Truth is, ever since I slept with Maren, I have zero interest in hooking up with anyone else. The casual sex I had before was always fine—good, even—but it wasn’t nearly as fun or as furious as the sex I had with Tiny.
Abel clucks his tongue. “Uh oh.”
“It’s fine. It’ll be fine.” I don’t have the faintest ideahowthings could end up fine. But I’ll make it happen.
I have to.
“Katie is legit obsessed with her,” I explain. “The two of them have this really special bond. For Halloween, Katie wants to be a cheerleader and asked for a Carolina cheer costume. Hasn’t taken it off since it arrived last week. Because, you know, Maren was a cheerleader and has been teaching her all these cheers.”
“That’s fucking cute, man.”
“No shit. I can’t screw it up.”
Abel gives me a funny look. “I know I’m not one to talk about relationships?—”
“Rich, coming from the village bicycle.”
“Nice Austin Powers reference. As I was saying, I know I got no ground to stand on here. But you haven’t mentioned being this hung up on someone in a while. Years, if memory serves.”
My stomach does a somersault. I don’t want to think about the last time I thought about someone this much. Because that someone was Becca.
I shove the thought from my head. We’re getting close to my house anyway. I’m ready to be done with this run and this conversation. “I’m not hung up on Maren.”
Abel laughs. “Would it be so bad if you gave a relationshipa try with her? Might be time, Tuck. You can’t stay locked away forever.”
“Try me.”
Abel’s expression softens. “The story you’re telling yourself—that you won’t get hurt if you stay on the sidelines—that ain’t true. Also ain’t true that if you get back in the game, you’ll get burned.”
I feel a surge of anger. “You need to take your own advice.”
“Self-awareness isn’t my strong suit.” He glances over my shoulder and his expression shifts. Almost like he’s in pain.
