Page 45 of Losing Ansley

"Sorry, man. We've been apart for a while, so we have a lot of catching up to do." Lincoln tells him, and I turn to face Dylan. A look of sadness washes over his face for a brief moment before it vanishes just as quickly.

"We can go back to Ansley's. I could go for a nap. It's been a crazy week anyway." Dylan says, but his voice is off. I shake my head.

"No. You and Lincoln go hang out and let me go home so I can start getting ready for tonight. I have to do my hair and makeup. It's going to take me a lot longer than Lincoln." I tell them both. Lincoln cocks his head and glances back at Dylan. Understanding transforms Lincoln's face, and then he nods.

"Yeah. We can tour the baseball stadium. You said you wanted to do that but haven't had a chance yet." Lincoln suggests, and Dylan's eyes light up with excitement.

"Really?!? That would be great." Dylan turns to me. "Are you okay going home?" He asks, and Lincoln turns to me with concern on his face.

"Oh yeah! I'll call an Uber." I tell them, but Lincoln grabs my hand and shakes his head. He pulls his car keys out of his pocket and hands them to me.

"Take my car. We'll take an Uber." He instructs, and I stare down at the keys in my hand.

"Why?" I ask, and he pulls me into a hug.

"It will make me feel better knowing you're not alone with a random person." He explains, kissing my forehead. Dylan nods in agreement.

"Okay." I give Dylan a hug and Lincoln a lingering kiss.

"This isn't over, sweetheart." He whispers in my ear as he releases me, and I smirk at him. I wave at them and tell them to have fun. I head to Lincoln's car to drive back home so I can get ready for tonight. I wonder briefly how many spankings I earned today before pulling out of the parking lot.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

LINCOLN

WE CLIMBinto our Uber and head toward Truist park. The season is over, so there won't be any games. Dylan claps me on the shoulder, and I smile at him.

"It's been a while since we've hung out," Dylan exclaims, making me feel like a complete asshole. "How's business going?" He asks, and I settle back in my seat, giving him my full attention.

"Good. We started working on a new app. It will go live by the end of the year." I tell him, and he smirks.

"So, no more dating apps?" He asks, and I snort.

"No. No more dating apps." I respond.

"You doubled down on that because of Ans, didn't you?" He questions, and I exhale deeply.

"Yes," I admit. "But it turns out I didn't need to worry about it." Dylan scoffs at my comment, and I arch an eyebrow at him.

"That's how she met Zack." He tells me, and my hands ball into a fist. Dylan glances down at them and shakes his head with a big grin.

"You didn't know that you almost set my sister up with her potential future husband." He starts laughing, and I can't help but smile along with him shoving him in the shoulder.

"Shut up. She's with me now, so it doesn't matter." I tell him, and he gives me a sideways look.

"It's so weird seeing the two of you together." He pauses as he glances out the window. "Although, you two always had a weird relationship. You were either at each other's throats or thick as thieves. There was never any in between." He says, and I have to agree with him.

"Not much has changed. We don't argue quite as much, but she's still a brat." I can't help the grin that takes over my face, and Dylan grimaces.

"I don't need to know about how you like that." He blurts out, and I stare at him in confusion. He points at my face. "Your face. It's not hiding anything." I throw my head back and laugh.

"Get your mind out of the gutter." I scold him, and he gives me a look that says he knows exactly what I was thinking. I decide to change the subject because it will make him uncomfortable if we keep discussing Ansley and me.

"So, how's it going for you? Do you like being a camera guy?" I ask him, and he rubs his hands down his thighs.

"Yeah. It's exhausting, though. The hours are crazy. I worked almost sixty hours last week." He tells me, and I can tell he doesn't look like his usual healthy self. He has dark circles under his eyes, and his hair isn't perfectly combed. It makes me wonder briefly about Ansley and if she feels the same way. I turn my attention back to Dylan.

"What are you going to do? Will you keep doing this?" I ask him, and he sighs, looking a little defeated as we pull into Truist park.

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