Page 79 of Rules of Association

“Oh.” I paused, momentarily stunned.

I didnotremember this. Shouldn’t I remember something like this? And if something like this really happened so long ago, shouldn’t I be able to act all blasé about it like he was? I mean, did my heart have any reason to be pounding so hard I could feel it pulsing in my ears? Did my throat have any reason to be so dry? If this information had existed in the fabric of our friendship for over a year now, why was it affecting me like it was changing something between us?

Clearing my throat, I tried to hide the gruffness of my voice as I asked, “So you’ve seen me completely naked and you’ve never told me?”

“You kept your bottoms on.” He shrugged. “AndI was chasing you most of the time, trying to get you to cover up. I mostly just saw your back.”

“And my butt,” I corrected.

Again, that sheepish look. “That too, yeah. But in your underwear. You’ve seen me in my underwear, too.”

“It’s not the same, Connor!”

“It’s not like you were wearing lingerie or something! It wasn’t that big of a deal,” he said.

My heart panged. Disappointment I couldn’t quite rationalize spreading throughout my chest and making my whole mood sour. I was horrified, but still I couldn’t help the snort that came out of me. Because Con looked horrified too. “Why do you sound disgusted?”

“I had to chase your naked ass around your apartment and get you in the shower,” he grumbled. “I try to put the whole thing out of my mind.”

Suddenly I was burning. Using the time it took to pull my shorts up, yank my tank down, and slide on the new branded running shoes from the box on the seat beside me, I tried to get myself under control. I knew he meant nothing by it, but despite his nonchalant attitude, I was quiet. Embarrassment from the whole realization choking out any more commentary I might have.

“Are you dressed?” he asked from up front.

“Yes,” I clipped, flicking accusing eyes at him in the rearview. When he caught sight of them his own eyebrows pinched. “I'm just trying to reason with the realization that you’re a perv.”

“Cee…” he groaned but trailed off seeming resigned and confused by my dig.

Really, Con? Does this really confuse you?

Ignoring his ignorance, I crawled into the front seat now fully dressed in the workout attire. Flipping the front mirror down I cut a sharp glance over at him as I shook my hair loose from its bun. “Ponytail or braid?”

He didn’t even look at me before answering, “Ponytail.”

Furiously, I used my fingers to comb my hair up into a ponytail. It was official. I was irritated, and I wasn’t hiding it.

“Are you mad?” he asked.

“No.”

“You’re a bad liar. You don’t even try to make it convincing.” When I didn’t respond, he sighed. “Look, I only told you because I thought you would laugh. Not the opposite.”

Dropping my hands in my lap, I whipped my head around to look at him.Glareat him. “Because it’ssofunny that you think I’m disgusting, right?”

Woah.

Woah…

That did not come out the way I thought it would. That wasn’t supposed to come outat all. Yeah, I was irritated that Con had kept this vital piece of information from me for a year, just waiting for the perfect moment to slam it in my face. But I wasnotfeeling some type of way about him seeing me naked and not being affected by it.

I couldn’t be.

Because that would be crazy.

Crazy and not very friend-like. In fact, it was distinctlymorethan friend-like, and we were not more than friends.

Con didn't pick up on my internal freak out, just on my venomous words. “Who said I think you’re disgusting?”

I crossed my arms around myself, forcing my voice to be more level. “Your face when you were talking about my body.”

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