Page 34 of Butterfly Effect

Her guffaw makes me smile. “Please,no.”

“I like my balls where they are, thanks.” I emerge from the bedroom to meet her in the living area. “Jaeg would chop ‘em off, slice ‘em up, and force feed ‘em to me.”

“He’s sweet like that.” One side of her straightened blonde hair gets tossed over a shoulder before she opens her arms as wide as they can. Wiggling fingers beckon me into an embrace.

I accept, squeezing her small but solid frame, then nuzzle the top of her hair. The distance created by marriage shrinks, if only for the moment.

Once again, we’re teenage Wade and Sky, frantically rowing across Lac Ste. Anne, in an attempt to evade that curmudgeon Monsieur Bertrand after knocking him out of his rickety fishing boat or diving deep into the lake to see who can hold their breath the longest until our moms shout for us to act our age. Just two best friends getting each other into and out of trouble, time and again.

She hums upon release and sits, patting the spot on the couch next to her.

“You okay?”

Not really. My brain tangles itself in knots, feeling nervous but having to pretend like I’m not, but also that I am. This is probably the stupidest situation I’ve gotten myself into.

“Why would I not be?”

Her polite smile dips in concern. “I wanna preface this with…I am not being judgmental, and I support you fully. Promise. But Gabe?” She pauses while searching my eyes. “You understand why we’re all confused, right?”

“I don’t, actually. I thought you liked her.”

“I do! I think she’s great. Smart, funny,sogorgeous?—”

“Then? What’s the problem?”

“She’s not really…your type.”

“What’s my type? I don’t have a type. I like all sorts.”

“Okay, but they’re flings. You’ve…never dated anyone.”

I sniff. “So? I’ll try anything once.”

“Wade,” she chides. “Don’t make me say it.”

“Say what?”

Skylar makes a throaty, rumbling noise before her arms fly up. “You have daddy issues!”

“I do?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, mister. You’re a sweet, charming guy?—”

“Thank you.” I accept the compliment by bowing my head. “But I knew that already.”

“Hush.” Sky elbows my ribs. “You didn’t let me finish. You’re worse than Doug; you need all sorts of attention from lots of people. And don’t get me wrong, I wholly accept your choices around sex?—”

My lips purse while I let out a whine. “This kinda sounds like you’re calling me a slut.”

“I didn’t say that. You use sex in place of anything real.”

Why she gotta call me out like that?

“Hey, I get exactly what I want from sex.”

Her brow quirks, exasperated. “You’ll do anything to keep your heart safe.”

“My heart’s safe with Gabe.” Safe? She’d keep it under lock and key and have it for breakfast.

---