Page 48 of The Misfit

“Didn’t,” I correct him. “Ididn’tdo relationships, but the past doesn’t matter.”

“Oh really? As many years as I’ve known you, you’ve never had a serious relationship, and now you just expect me to believe you’vechanged?”

“I don’t expect shit, and best of all, I don’t need your approval. Part of me has to wonder if you really know me as well as you think.”

“Don’t I?” His fingers brush my jaw, his curls falling forward as he leans in a little closer. “All of us have watched you bounce between guys and girls at The Mill.Never once have I seen you commit to anyone. Never seen you lay claim. Never seen you throw a punch because someone else showed interest. Then Salem comes along, and suddenly, you’re off the market?”

I catch his wrist before he can touch me again. “Back off, Aries. You’re drunk.” I grit my teeth, the sting in his words far worse than the pain in my knuckles or my face.

“Better to be drunk than lying. Which is what you’re doing. To her. To everyone.” His eyes narrow suspiciously. “Or maybe, just to yourself.”

The darkness in his tone makes me grip his wrist tighter. “What the fuck is going on?” This attitude and behavior are unlike Aries, making me wonder what is going on withhim.

All he does is shrug. “Maybe I’m tired of watching you play games.” He yanks his arm free, muscles flexing. “Tired of pretending I don’t see through your bullshit veil.”

“There’s no veil.” The words come out sharp. “I’m with Salem. That’s all you or anyone else need to know.”

“Right.” He steps back, danger dancing in his eyes like flames in a campfire. “Keep feeding yourself those lies, but we both know the truth. You wouldn’t even know what to do with her if she gave you the chance.”

Fucking asshole.

That’s a low fucking blow that drives a knife of anguish deep into my gut. He’s right. I wouldn’t know what to do. Not that I’ve shared that truth with anyone else, and especially none of my friends.

In a way, it’s embarrassing to admit that I’ve never gone all the way with a woman before. Yeah, I’ve made out with them, sure, and done almost everything else, but never full-on sex.

It’s embarrassing, at least in my mind. I let everyone think whatever they want about me and my sexual prowess. No point in correcting them or drawing more attention to something that I don’t want to talk about anyway.

“Dude, what the hell is going on withyou? Do I need to call an intervention? Because I fucking will. I will get all of us together, and we will fix whatever the problem is.”

Aries runs a hand through his hair, and when he blinks, that dark, dangerous energy disappears. Right before my eyes, he morphs into the familiar warm friend I’ve always known.Weird. What the actual fuck?

“Fuck,” he mutters under his breath while taking a step back. “I’m being an ass, aren’t I?”

The tension in my shoulders eases. “Yeah. An absolute dick. You called me a slut.”

“It’s the fucking vodka.” He slumps against the bedroom wall, sinking to the floor, suddenly looking more tired than threatening. “Makes me dramatic. Next thing you know, I’ll be writing bad poetry and crying about my ex.”

Despite everything, I snort. This is Aries—self-deprecating, harmless, and able to break the tension with a well-timed joke. The linebacker frame seems less imposing and more like the gentle giant I’ve come to know.

“You’re still an ass,” I say, but there’s no heat in it.

“Yeah, well.” He sprawls his legs out in front of him. “When am I not? But in all seriousness, this thing with Salem. Is it really different?”

I join him on the floor, keeping some distance between us but feeling more comfortable than before in his presence. We’ve had countless drunk conversations here—about hookups, friend drama, and the endless pressure of expectation from our families. This isn’t any different, but it feels like it is for some reason.

“It’s different,” I confirm, examining my bruised knuckles. “She’s different.”

“Because she’s a woman?”

“I don’t think it matters if she’s a woman or not. She’s different because she’sher.” The words come out before I can filter them. “She’s a puzzle, Aries. Like no one I’ve ever met. She counts things. Did you know that? Steps and breaths and ceiling tiles. Makes this fucked-up world make sense somehow.”

Aries is quiet, probably thinking up his next asshole retort as he picks at a loose thread on his jeans. “This is surprising. You really like her.”

It’s not a question.

“Yeah.” I let my head fall back against the wall. “There’s only a slight issue. I’ve never… I mean, with women, I’ve done stuff, but never … you implied you knew, but I’d never talked to you about it before. Not this.”

“Wait.” Aries sits up straighter, and I look back at him, meeting his shocked expression. “You’ve never fucked a woman? Dude, I was just pressing buttons until I hit something.”

---