Page 20 of Not That Impossible

“What?”

“Heliveshere now?”

There was a tense silence.

“I cannot believe you,” I said. “First you didn’t tell me he was divorced, then you didn’t tell me he lives here now, and you sure as shit never told me he is into m—” I cut myself off with a choke before I outed Liam in my indignation.

“Into what?” Adam said suspiciously.

You know what?No.

If I thought Liam was straight, right up until I had his tongue in my mouth and his whole body on mine, then presumably everyone else thought he was straight.

Also, that wasit. It was cute and all that Adam was trying to protect me but I didn’t ask him to. I was used to being rejected. I was awriter.

I was rejectedprofessionally.

“He’s into m-Marvel,” I said.

“What?”

“He is into Marvel movies.”

“Marvel movies.”

“Yes."

“What the hell does Marvel movies have to do with anything?”

“Don’t change the subject,” I said.

Adam sighed. “You’ve spent long enough wanting a man you can never have,” he said softly. “What kind of a friend would I be if I encouraged you?”

“It’s a phone number, Adam.”

“Okay. Write it down. And if he’s mean to you—”

I laughed. “If?”

“Whenhe’s mean to you, let me know. I’ll kick his arse.”

“Thanks,” I said with a grin. “That won’t be necessary. Should his arse need kicking, we both know I could do it with one hand tied behind my back. And a leg.”

“I don’t know what you expect is going to go differently,” Adam said,“but here’s the number.”

I jotted it down, read it back to make sure I got it right, and ended the call.

“Everything,” I said into the silence of the kitchen.

I expectedeverythingto go differently.

6

“Okay,” I said. “This is it. You can do this. You candothis. Jasper? Youcando this.”

…and yet I was not doing it.

After the call with Adam, I’d added Liam’s number to my contacts, and proceeded to spend ten whole ridiculous minutes staring at the phone screen. It went dark and I had to re-enter my passcode to wake it back up three times.

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