Page 43 of The Virgin
“I said that I had a previous engagement.”
Spencer’s heart soared.
“And that I’d have to check first.”
And then crashed.
Jonah hadn’t said no to Grant.
“We don’t really have a previous engagement, though, Jonah.”
“Not really, but him asking me out seems wrong when we’re…” Jonah trailed off as if he didn’t know. And the worst of it was that Spencer didn’t know either. What they were couldn’t be easily labeled or boxed up. It was more than friends but less than boyfriends, he supposed. More than two people fucking around together but not quite enough to make Jonah turn down a date.
“I think you should go.” Spencer choked the words out. “It sounds nice”
“Spencer, I…”
The dead air between them was cavernous and deep, and Spencer wished it would open up and eat him alive and take him away from this awkward conversation. From the pain that slowly bloomed in him…not bloomed, but spread like a virus, turning everything in him into rot.
“Are you sure?” Jonah’s voice was small and meek.
“Yeah, I mean…” Spencer bit back all the things he could’ve said. If Jonah had wanted to be with him, he’d had weeks to say something. “You’re allowed to date, Jonah.”
“It’s not a date. His nephew is coming.”
It sounded like a date. If it was something he needed to run by Spencer first, it was something more than catching a concert with a pal.
“It’s fine, Jonah. You should go if you want.” Spencer tipped his head back and stared at the sky. It was far too pretty of a day to have his heart broken, but it figured that he’d be dying inside when the sun was shining. “I have to get back and check on Greta.”
“Tell her I’m glad she’s okay.”
“Will do. Talk to you later?” Spencer hated that it sounded like a question. Like suddenly Spencer would cease to be important to him just because he had a date. It wasn’t logical, and it wasn’t who Jonah was, but that didn’t stop Spencer from feeling the way he did. Like a bug, crushed under a shoe.
“Of course. Bye, Spencer.”
“Bye, Jonah.”
Spencer ended the call and a few deep breaths and steady himself before he went back inside to check on Greta.
“Why do you look like the one with the head injury?” Greta asked when Spencer sat down on the recliner.
“I’m fine.”
“I’m fine,” Greta mimicked. “Yeah, okay, you’re fine, and I don’t have a concussion.”
“You don’t need to hear about my bullshit, Greta.”
“Au contraire, I absolutely do. I can’t watch television. I can’t work. The idea of running a power tool right now makes my head swim, so the way I see it, I absolutely do need to hear what the hell is up.”
“Jonah has a date.”
“Goddammit, Spencer. You had to go and get your heart broken when I can’t even drink with you.”
“Booze won’t help. Besides, I work tomorrow. Do you have someone who can stay with you?”
“Yeah, I got people, Spence. If you needed to take off and nurse your wound or go convince your man not to make the biggest mistake of his life, I could call someone.”
“He’s not my man.”
