Page 42 of Footlights and Forever

“This isn’t happy time Garrett,” I growled. “Do you know how the shit that you put Dylan through affected him; how much it still affects him, even now?”

“I know!” Garrett came to stand in front of me, resting a hand on my shoulder. “That’s why I need to apologize to him.”

I brushed his hand away from me and stalked across to the other side of the room. All the shit that we were going through at the moment could be traced back to all the nasty bile that Garrett had spewed on Dylan during high school. I knew I couldn’t exactly blame Garrett for whatever was going on between me and Dylan at the moment, but I could place Dylan’s lack of trust of jocks squarely on his shoulders.

“I’m not asking you to ask him to forgive me.” Garrett rested against the end of my bed. “I know I have to do all the work here. I just need a way to contact him. I was going to try his dad, but his sister slammed the door in my face.” I smiled, thinking that was exactly what I would expect of Dylan’s little sister.

I swiped my phone off the nightstand and pulled up the text message thread between myself and Dylan. “I’m not promising anything,” I grumbled.

Me: Hey, I know you asked for space and I’m giving it to you. I’m back home with my parents. I have a small favor to ask you.

Dylan: What do you mean you are back with your parents?!?! Have you dropped out? Why the fuck wouldn’t you tell me something like that? I thought I asked for space, not for you to drop out of college and leave me in New York alone.

Interesting.A small spark of hope bloomed in my chest.

Me: Easy baby, I just went home for a week to clear my head. I’m coming back after the weekend.

Dylan: Oh okay, that’s okay then.

Very interesting.

Me: So yeah about that favor? I have Garrett here with me.

Dylan: I can help you bury his body, sure.

Me: While it’s comforting to know you would help me dispose of a body, it’s not that.

“What are you grinning so hard at?” Garrett mumbled from across the room.

“Dylan’s just offered to help me bury your remains.” I smiled and returned to my texting.

“Sweet?” Garrett laughed nervously.

Dylan: So what do you need help with? And why is he there?

Me: He wants your number.

Dylan: I know I said I wanted some space, but I also didn’t mean we could sleep with other people, and more than that, you can’t pimp me out to your old douchebag friends.

Me: No one gets to touch you but me.

Dylan: Now that you bring that up. I got a lengthy text message from Kyle explaining that Kevin had set you up. Apparently he raked his brother over the coals and got him to admit that he had barred my entry from the party to try and get you alone. This is not me letting you off the hook by the way. You went out into the garden with him alone. We both knew that he had a thing for you, and you let yourself be put in a position for something like that to happen.

Me: I know, and I don’t know what I was thinking, but you have to believe me that I don’t want anyone else.

Dylan: I believe you. But you have to know how toxic Kyle and Kevin are.

Me: Kyle’s my buddy, Dylan. If you want to stay away from Kevin, then I understand that, but I live with Kyle.

Dylan: Listen I don’t really want to get into that right now. When you get back we can go for coffee and straighten this all out. Now what the hell does that D-bag want with my number?

Me: He says that he was make things right between you two.

Dylan: Why?

Me: So he can clear his conscience and move forward with his boyfriend.

Dylan: With his what?!?!

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