Page 52 of Text Appeal

“You asked me once if I’d dated other people. The answer’s no. I’ve had sex with other people and occasionally hung out with them when I was single. The times when she and I were on a break. But you’re the only other person I’ve dated, and I don’t want to make the same mistakes with you that I did with her.” He exhales loudly. “That’s everything. I am finished talking now. Time for you to take over.”

“Um, Connor. I appreciate your honesty and with all due respect to your feelings—the last time I checked, we weren’t really dating.”

His mouth skews to the side. “But it kind of feels like it sometimes.”

“Okay.” My eyes must be as wide as dinner plates. “I know you said you were done talking, but I’m going to need you to explain that last one to me.”

“Fuck me.” He groans. “This would be so much easier if you could just read my mind.”

“We lack the technology.”

“Yeah. Probably for the best.” He scratches at a hint of stubble on his cheek. “What I’m trying to say, Riley, is that this is the first time I’ve really had to get to know someone on this level. Have had to figure out what they want from me. Outside of bed. You know what I mean…”

“Maybe. Are you suggesting there’s a level of intimacy to what we’re doing?”

He nods.

“Do you talk about any of this stuff with your friends?”

“No.”

“You just bottle it all up inside and let it fester until it’s a toxic mess of emotions, huh?”

He thinks it over. “Pretty much. And hey, it’s worked so far.”

“Has it though? Has it really?”

“Look, I know we’re just friends and we haven’t known each other that long,” he says. “But a minute after I left here this morning, I started worrying about you, and it hasn’t really stopped.”

“You worried about me?”

“Mostly about how I’d put you in another shitty situation. I’m worried you’re going to wind up hating me.”

“Are you referring to the kiss or the thing with your ex and your mom?”

“The second one,” he says. “I thought the kiss was okay.”

“You did, huh?”

“Wait.” He narrows his gaze on me. “Did you not?”

“Let me think about that and circle back to you.”

He frowns. “Okay, well, I was worried you’d definitely had enough of the bullshit this time and wouldn’t want to go with me tonight, which would suck because I like being with you.”

“You do?”

“Yes.”

“Oh. That’s nice.”

“I surprised you,” he says with a smile.

“You did. Your inner workings are frankly fascinating, dude. Bravo.”

“Thank you.” He stands tall. “Communicating with you isn’t so bad.”

“Fake couple goals.”

---