Page 114 of Rules to Love By

“But I’ll help you figure out whatever you need to figure out if it doesn’t.” Once again,theme of the night, Eli lifted Marcus’s chin so he could look into his eyes. “And if you figure out that you have some kind of neurological puke response to orgasms, well, then we both know now that’s what I’m signing on for.”

“It’s a lot.”

“Prepare yourself to read aloud every menu, play bill, subtitled movie in our mutual future, and we’ll see who’s getting the better deal.”

Marcus studied him. “You really can’t read?”

“Well enough to decipher ‘chicken,’ ‘steak,’ or ‘pizza,’ given enough time. But let’s just say I’m not a fan of those Korean dramas Jess and Charlotte are always trying to talk me into.”

“You would think Jess would know better, given how long she’s been your friend.”

“You would think.” He gave himself a small shake, dislodging Marcus’s lean for a moment. “She’s a very good person. And she tries hard, but she grew up very… privileged. She’s gotten used to living without all the money, but she’s still a product of her own life, and sometimes she doesn’t see the less obvious privileges she has. I don’t hold it against her because I know she wants to do better.”

“Fair. And who is Charlotte?”

“University roommate. Or…” He took a deep breath and let it out, glancing at Marcus with something raw in his gaze.

“What?”

Eli shook his head, diverted his gaze, and spoke, hard and fast, like it pained him. “Post university. I met her in university. Then she let me stay with her and her sister when I first dropped out. Then, when her boyfriend moved in, I found a new place.”

“Post.” Marcus pursed his lips, glared at the calluses on his palms. “You dropped out? I thought—”

“I started and stopped three times. The last time I dropped out was about a year ago, only I just told my dad. Like, today. I’m sorry I let you think…” He sighed. “Higher education wasn’t a good fit, for obvious reasons you already know about.”

Marcus sat quietly for a few minutes, digesting that.

“Marcus?”

Marcus held up a hand. “Digesting.”

Eli nodded.

Finally, Marcus looked over at him. “That’s… a big detail to leave out.”

“In my brain, it made more sense than it does out loud. I was lying to my father, and you’re doing work for him, and if I didn’t tell you the truth, you couldn’t inadvertently let something slip.” He gathered a pillow against his chest. “It didn’t seem fair to ask you to lie to him for me, so I let the mis-truth stand. I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry.”

“What changed?”

“You.”

“Sorry?”

“I realized I couldn’t ask you to lie for me, and I couldn’t keep lying to you and expect you to trust me. So I had to come clean to Dad. Then you. So. Here we are.”

“Here we are.”

For a few minutes, they sat in silence.

On one hand, Marcus should be pissed off that Eli had lied. But at a more basic level, he understood why.

“I get it, you know,” he said finally.

“You do?” Eli sat up straighter.

“Sure. Being a grown-ass man who’s functionally illiterate and knowing there’s nothing you can do to change that is probably worse to talk about than being a player who pukes every time he has sex. At least my issue isn’t life-altering.”

“Not life-altering? You think not being able to enjoy sex isn’t impacting your life?”

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