Page 70 of It's a Date (Again)

Toby joins us in the living room, lying down directly in front of us. He stares at me, and then at Tyler, and then at me again.

“Ignore him,” Tyler says. “He’s trying to figure out which one of us is most willing to give him scraps.”

I give the dog a sympathetic look. “Sorry, Toby.”

Toby watches Tyler. “He knows it’s me.” He laughs and tosses a hunk of crust. Toby catches it in his mouth and chews happily.

“He’s got you pegged.”

“Yeah.” He smiles. “He knows I’m a big softie. Who could say no to that face?”

Drool hangs six inches in length from Toby’s right jowl.

“Only a monster could.” I chuckle and toss him my crust. He catches it in his mouth and chews. When he’s finished, he barks once.

“What was that for Toby?” I ask.

“That’s him saying he approves of you.”

“Oh really? Because the last bark meant he was hungry.”

“Okay, you got me,” he says, standing from his seat. “His after-dinner bark means he wants to go outside.” Tyler leashes Toby at the front door and tells me he’ll be right back as they leave the apartment with Toby wagging his tail the whole way.

My phone buzzes. It’s a text from Robbie.Hey, just checking when you’ll be home?

I stare at the text for a moment. Do I bring up the night before? Ask him if we’re okay or if he’s okay? No, I don’t want to embarrass him, and I don’t want to push him away or make him feel bad. He already left this morning without telling me. Besides, Maya and Debbie told me my focus needs to be on the guys, not Robbie, so I respond with,Soon.

A message pops up from him, saying,Okay, see you soon,with a smiley-face emoji.

I pocket my phone and set my plate on the coffee table. The apartment door swings open, and Toby comes running in. He leaps onto the couch and lays his head on my lap, nudging his snout into me. I smile and scratch his ears.

“That’s actually his seal of approval,” Tyler says with a laugh.

I run my hand along his soft fur. “Did you train him to do that?” I raise my brow.

“Maybe.” He makes his way to the couch and sits down on the other side of Toby, patting him on his back. “How did you enjoy axe throwing?”

“Better than I thought I would.”

“Good.” He nods. “I had fun with you.”

“Me too,” I say.

His eyes linger on mine, and he licks his top lip like he’s readying himself to kiss me. Toby jumps up from the couch and leaves the room, his nails clicking all the way down the hallway.

“Where’s he going?”

Tyler scoots closer to me. “He knows how to read the room.” Smiling, he leans in and plants his lips on mine. His hand caresses my cheek as he kisses me, making my skin tingle once again. I wrap my hands around the back of his neck, pulling him closer. Our mouths move in tandem, opening and closing. Tyler wastes no time. His hands move to my side and lower back. I lean even more into his body, and all of a sudden I’m straddling him. His fingers press into my skin beneath my shirt, running up and down my back, sending shivers. Debbie wasright. This was the top to wear. My hands skim over his broad shoulders and firm pecs, following the grooves and ridges of his muscles. His fingers curl under the hem of my shirt, and he starts to lift it, but for some reason I pull away.

“Sorry,” I say.

His eyes open. They’re clouded with confusion, staring back at me. I tuck my chin in. “I know you told me we’ve been intimate before but ... I wanna take it slow. Without my memories, it’s just different for me now.”

He pushes a piece of hair out of my face, tucking it behind my ear. “You don’t have to apologize, Peyton. We can take it as slow as you want.” His fingers brush along my cheek.

I give him a small smile as I slide off his lap, retaking my seat beside him. I love that he’s patient with me. Robbie’s words come back to the front of my mind.If any of these guys cared about you, they’d wait until you’re better.And Tyler is doing just that.

It’s around midnight when I push open the door to my townhome. I creep slowly up the stairs, careful not to wake Robbie. I told him I’d be home soon hours ago, but then again, I was on a date, and I have to focus on figuring out who I love, not on Robbie. Tyler and I ended up watching13 Going on 30. I picked it because Robbie said it was his favorite, but then I spent the whole time thinking about him while I was cuddled up next to Tyler. I should have picked something else; however, I really enjoyed it, and I can see why it’s his favorite.

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