Page 33 of The Tempted

“Oh my God!” Adrianna said covering her mouth with one hand. “You didn’t?”

“I did,” I groaned. “But he did too!” Silence is such an awkward thing, especially after you’ve just admitted to masturbating while on the phone with your childhood crush.

“Adrianna say something,” I begged.

“I don’t know what to say…,” she said honestly causing me to groan in response. Maybe coming here was a bad idea. I mean, did I really expect her to have any answers for me she had her own shit track record with men. I think the Pastore girls were destined for failed relationships it seemed to be the one thing we excelled at serial dating at its finest.

“Okay, so what happened afterward?” she said trying her hardest to make sense of my predicament.

“I ended the call and threw my phone across the room,” I said obviously. What did she suggest I do?

“You just ended the call? You didn’t say anything?” She asked incredulously

“What should I have said? Was it as good for you as it was for me?” I rolled my eyes at the ridiculousness of the situation.

“Okay, but you spoke to him today, right?”

This coffee was delicious. I took another sip.

“Nikki!”

“What?” I asked innocently. She made it sound as if there was a handbook for the aftermath of phone sex and I was the only person who hadn’t read the fucking thing.

“Avoidance isn’t the answer,” she scolded.

“Okay, oh wise one tell me what’s the answer then?” Go ahead, I’m listening A give it your best shot. She bit her lip as she contemplated. Yeah, I thought so.

“Let me ask you, where does Rico fit into this whole thing?”

“He doesn’t,” I sighed. “I think for the time being I should break things off with him. It’s not fair to him. We’ve been struggling for a bit and this isn’t making matters any better. When I’m with Rico all I can think about is Mikey. I’m fighting with him left and right. I don’t even remember the last time we had sex. He tried to the other night, and I lost my shit. “

“So, you’re going to break up with Rico to pursue Mikey?”

“No, I didn’t say that I’m not pursuing anyone. I’m just trying to figure this unattainable attraction thing out and put a fucking leash on it,” I sighed heavily and met my sister’s worried gaze. “I know getting involved with Mikey isn’t an option or even a good idea to consider. I’m not looking to play with fire really, I’m not it’s just that I am worried I crossed a line and I can’t go back. “What will happen if this fucks up our friendship? You said yourself the day of his mom’s funeral that he needs a friend. I’m his friend. I don’t want to jeopardize that because as much as he needs a friend I’m starting to think I do too.”

“Then you need to talk to him. Friends cross lines everyday mistakes are made, relationships are tested, but you can fix it. The longer you wait to talk to him the harder it will be,” she reached across the table and laid her hand over mine reassuringly.

I took a deep breath, knowing that she was right. It was time to face the music. It was time to face Mikey. I reached for my phone powering it on for the first time today. It took a moment for all the text messages and voicemails that I had missed to load up, most of them from Mikey. I didn’t even look at the texts or listen to the voice mails. I just drafted a text to him quickly.

Me: Can we meet up to talk?

I tapped send biting my lip nervously as I waited for him to respond. Adrianna’s eyes met mine her gaze comforting and reassuring. I wondered if I was too late if being a coward had already caused damage to whatever it was that Mikey and I shared.

Mikey: Good to know you’re alive. Where are you?

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