Page 66 of The Boyfriend Swap

“You mean about her and your boyfriend?”

“Myex-boyfriend.”

“You did it. Good for you.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yes, you’ve made your feelings about my relationship with Perry quite clear, Will.” With an apologetic glance at Anne Marie, who was still paying keen attention to my side of the conversation, I took the phone to my bedroom and closed the door.

“Like I said, he’s not good enough for you, and I think he proved it this week.”

“Sidney isn’t exactly innocent either.” I wasn’t trying to defend Perry, but I resented Will placing all the responsibility on Perry.

In a quiet voice, Will said, “I know she’s not. I broke up with her too.”

“I’m sorry.” And I was. I never wanted things to go down this way.

“Don’t be. I’m not.”

Sitting on the edge of my bed, I said, “Well, that’s good then.” An awkward silence ensued until I said, “Was there another reason for your call?” I took a sip of my wine.

“I was thinking we should go out for karaoke.”

Like a Pavlovian response, my heart instantly beat in double time. “Just the two of us?”

“Yes. We could have a country theme—cheating exes.” Will laughed.

As much as I wanted to see Will again, my stomach dropped in dread of spending all night talking about Sidney. “Sorry, but I have zero desire to commiserate over the sordid behavior of our former partners.”

“You’re right. Who needs them? Forget I mentioned it. We have plenty of other things to talk about.”

“You really want to go out?” The room suddenly got very hot. I cracked open a window, but when the sounds from the street twenty-seven floors below felt like they were coming from right outside my door, I closed it again.

“Why not? Let’s go on a real date and show them how it’s done.”

I’d often fantasized about Will asking me out and how I’d respond. In my daydreams, I always played it cool on the outside even as I sweated thunderstorms on the inside. Sometimes I imagined him coming backstage after a concert to tell me how amazing I was or even running up to the stage with flowers. Other times, he followed me into the bathroom after our first kiss, shut the door behind us, and ripped my clothes off. And in other versions of my daydream, he climbed into my bedroom window and we fooled around under my parents’ roof. There were more scenarios than a choose-your-own-adventure book, but they had one thing in common. Ineverdreamed he’d call me on the phone an hour after breaking things off with someone else because she cheated on him. He really had no clue. “Is this a joke to you?” I looked out my window, remembering when I had a view of the Bradys’ house a few doors down.

Will paused before responding. “Of course not. I’m completely serious.”

In all my fantasies, I was the happiest girl in the world. I never would have guessed I’d be angry when it really happened. “Perry and Sidney messed around. Let’s show them by doing it too?”

“That’s not what this is, Snow,” Will said in quiet voice.

“Are you sure, Will? Because it feels more like tit for tat than a genuine desire to go out with me.”

“I like you, Robyn. It has nothing to do with Sidney.”

“If that’s true, then how come you never mentioned dating me before now? You had plenty of opportunities this week.”

Will sighed. “You were taken, and I don’t go after other guys’ girlfriends.”

“I told you I was breaking up with Perry. You never once mentioned ending things with Sidney.”

“I was conflicted, Snow. I was attracted to you, but I still had feelings for her.”

I let his words sink in. I was pretty sure Will believed what he was saying, and I wanted to believe him too. There were moments we spent together when I felt something between us and knew in my gut it wasn’t one-sided. But the timing of his confession was questionable—mere hours after learning of Sidney’s deceit. Less than twenty-four hours earlier, Will was ready to resume things with Sidney and never see me again. How could I trust what he was saying? I didn’t want to be his consolation prize.

“You still there?”

I nodded as if he could see me and removed my finger from my mouth. “You need to know my mom wasn’t exaggerating about the extent of my crush on you when we were younger. If she didn’t believe our farce, she never would have purposely embarrassed me by announcing it at the dinner table. But I knew we weren’t really together, and let me tell you, I was mortified.” Unveiling the magnitude of my feelings was the opposite of playing it cool, but I didn’t care. He needed to know.

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