Page 31 of Please Remember

"After a minute or so, I realized what the hell I was doing, and I lifted her off and set her on the ground. Stood up, shoved everything back where it goes, and I told her I wasn't doing it. She doesn't want to admit it's over even though it was never right."

"You have more willpower than I will ever have, my friend," Benji says and mock-bows. "I'd have taken her to pound town and then broken her heart."

I shove him, and he catches himself on the counter. "Be serious, Benji. I cheated. I cheated on Allie. I've never cheated on anyone before, especially her."

"Okay, okay, before you go into hyperventilating mode, you did not cheat."

"How—"

"You were in a relationship and engaged to marry Laura until three days ago. Plus, you and Allie haven't really defined your relationship yet, right?"

I sigh. "No, but you know I've always belonged to her. She's the one."

"Yes, but she doesn't know that. I mean, she knows because you've told her, but she doesn'tknowbecause she still doesn't know who you are. She's not your girlfriend right now. She will be, but she isn't yet. There was no cheating."

"It feels like it."

"Okay, you've spent a few days with her now. How would she feel if you told her what happened? Would she be upset?"

Tears sting at my eyes, but I refuse to let Benji see. "She wouldn't care."

"At all?"

"She would point out, like you did, that Laura and I were engaged less than a week ago. She probably wouldn't even care if I'd actually slept with her."

His hand on my shoulder makes me sniffle and fight the tears even more. "It's going to be okay. She'll come back to us."

"And then what? Do I tell her then?"

"You tell her never."

My eyes lock with his as I snap my head up so fast I nearly give myself whiplash. "What?"

"You didn't cheat. You basically just put the tip in with the woman you were supposed to marry until the woman you were going to propose to came back. Neither one of them is officially together with you, and no one got off. Again, more willpower than I willeverhave."

"I don't tell her," I say, testing the words. "I didn'ttechnicallycheat."

"I know your heart feels like you did, but honestly, your heart felt like you cheated the past two years. Have you told Allie about all the times you've gotten freaky-deaky with Laura since you hooked up?"

Why the hell would I do that?"No, and I don’t plan to."

"Good. Now, put today's experience into that box with the others."

"Okay, I can do that. I think."

"Now... tell me... is she as much of a freak as she seems? You know, doing all sorts of weird things in bed? Because I bet she likes some weird shit."

Laughing, I put my hand on his shoulder. "She's too adventurous for me. I did it, but it was a little weird."

"Like what?"

"Like—"

"Hey!" Sage calls out as she walks in through the door, making Benji groan. "What?"

"Nothing," I say, shaking my head. "What're you doing here?"

She crosses her arms under her chest and frowns at both of us. "I interrupted boy talk, didn't I?"

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