Page 233 of Irreversible

“Uh-huh. Do I get to be your best man?”

“Do I look like a wedding kind of guy to you?”

“Don’t tell me you’re going to string that poor, smoking-hot angel along. There are millions of men who’d snatch that right out from under you in a heartbeat. Wouldn’t even care if your dick was still wet.”

My blood pressure rises. “You, my friend, are about five seconds away from needing to run.”

“Just saying.” His eyes sparkle at me like a motherfucker. “You need to do right by that girl. She’s a gem.”

“All right, Grandpa. In this millennium, people don’t have to be married to be in a long-term relationship.”

His laugh is fucking triumphant. “All I heard is you admitting it’s a relationship. And the wordslong-term.”

I throw the water bottle at him, forgetting he used to play baseball.

“Must be love.” Tanner’s voice fades into the distance.

“Yeah,” I mumble absently, staring out the window, watching the trees begin to blur.

Maybe I’m the one fading. Maybe some part of me has disconnected. I’m floating away, somewhere past that tree line and out into the horizon, where there’s nothing but blue.

“Wait…” His voice comes from somewhere distant. “I was joking, kind of. Are you?—”

“Hey, can we talk?”

Everly’s voice aims at me from the doorway, and I slam back into my body so abruptly, my wounded shoulder throbs.

Shit.

“Tanner, did you say you were staying at the motel around the corner?” she asks. “How about you check back in with us later?”

“Yep. I’m out.” He excuses himself with a fast wave, disappearing out the bedroom door. “I’m taking the last of these muffins,” he calls, then the front door closes.

And now I’m alone with a woman who wants totalk.

“Looks nice outside.” I push myself up on my elbows, gritting back the strain in my voice. “I think some fresh air would do me good.”

“Absolutely not.” Climbing over me on the bed, she straddles my waist. “I’m not sure who you think you’re fooling, but I’m aware of how hurt you really are.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“I can see the pain in your eyes; that’s why I brought these.” She opens her palm, showing me the painkillers, then grabs the water Tanner returned to the side table after I threw it, gesturing for me to swallow them. “And, by the way, if you get out of this bed right now, I’m marching you straight to the hospital. Don’t test me.”

“Yes, ma’am.” I can’t focus on anything but the warmth of her body pressing into mine, and with no will left to fight, I collapse back onto the pillows.

Her voice shifts to a gentler tone. “Listen, I’m aware it’s not your favorite thing to talk about, but I think it might be time for us to discuss the dreaded subject of feelings.”

“Mmm, I’m definitely having some feelings.” I push my hips up enough to make sure she feels the same thing.

“Stop distracting me.” She smacks my bicep lightly. “I heard what Tanner said. Now I want to know whatyou’rethinking.”

Well, let’s see: five seconds ago, I was thinking I was turned-on, and now I’m back to thinking I want to vomit. “Do we have to figure this out today? We could take it one step at a time. See how we’re feeling tomorrow, or next week.” I swallow. “Maybe we’ll never have to give it a label. We could wake up one day, and it’ll have figured itself out.”

Fuck, why am I still talking?

“Hmm…” She regards me thoughtfully, holding herself far enough away from my groin that I can’t easily shift the subjectto other things. “No, we don’t have to figure this out today, and yes, we can take it one step at a time.”

Oh, thank God.

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