Page 111 of The Manny

“Yep.” He rested his chin on his hand. “Talk to Uncle Scott.”

“Now you’re just making it creepy.”

He laughed. “You’re so stoic. Loosen up, Jack. Your head won’t explode just because you share a piece of yourself with me.”

“You sure about that?” I mumbled.

“Pretty sure. Only one way to find out.”

I pressed my lips tight, wrestling with the desire to hide all my feelings, and a need to tell someone what the hell was going on inside of me. “I… I started something with someone, but I’m not comfortable being with anyone.”

“Okay.” He frowned. “Why does being with someone make you uncomfortable?”

“It’s not like you’re an expert at sticking with people. You jump from guy to guy constantly.”

He sighed. “You don’t need to attack me just to protect yourself. Just answer the question, Jack. Why is it a problem to be with someone?”

His patience was actually surprising. I’d have never guessed Scott had the tolerance to just listen, even when I was being a dick to him. I swallowed hard and met his gaze. “You can’t depend on people.”

“That’s it?” He frowned.

My face warmed. “I’m saying if you’re vulnerable, people will go for your jugular.”

“Since when?”

I wrinkled my brow. “Since the beginning of time.”

“Huh.” He studied me. “I don’t think that’s true.”

“I think it is.”

“Well, we’ve all had different life experiences.” He shrugged. “But I believe if you’re careful about who you trust, you won’t get hurt.”

I gave a hard laugh. “This from the guy who uses guys like Kleenex.”

His expression became very serious. “The reason I jump from guy to guy has nothing to do with a fear of being hurt.”

“No?”

“God no.” He sighed. “I just don’t care enough about any one person to settle down. I’ve never been in love. Isn’t that sad?”

“Not necessarily. I’ve never been in love either.”

“I feel pathetic. Why can’t I feel more than lust for anyone? I get interested, then I sleep with the guy, and after a few weeks, I’m bored. Over and over again, that happens like clockwork.”

“Even your little ginger friend?”

“I still want sex with him, but I don’t want more.” He sighed. “It’s the usual.”

“Do you actually… want to fall in love?”

He shrugged. “Kind of. I feel like there’s something wrong with me. I’m not a kid. Why can’t I just find someone? Everyone seems to do it so easily.”

“Not me.”

“Yeah, but you don’t want it.”

I narrowed my eyes. “I can’t believe my ears. You’re actually saying you want to fall in love?”

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