Page 68 of For The Weekend

---

No. She already doesn’t like you.

Sunshine

Shit. No.

Sunshine

I didn’t mean that.

Of course she doesn’t like me. I never expected her to.

I don’t want her to.

Sunshine

Why wouldn’t you want her to like you?

Because I don’t need her approval. Or anyone else’s. If I gave a shit about what every person thought of me, I’d still have my head stuck in a bottle.

Sunshine

But you’re my boyfriend. She should like you.

Sunshine

Fake boyfriend, I mean. IF THIS WERE A REAL RELATIONSHIP I WOULD WANT HER TO LIKE YOU I KNOW YOU ARE NOT MY REAL BOYFRIEND IT WAS NOT A FREUDIAN SLIP JUST FORGET IT

I stop pacing at her all-caps message and sit back down on the floor, holding my left hand out for Steve to come back to me as I type out the text with my right hand.

You think you have some magical abilities? You can’t make me forget anything you say.

Sunshine

I’m not delulu. I know you’re not my real boyfriend. I just have fat thumbs and my mind’s going too fast for my fingers to catch up when I text.

The idea of being Eloise’s boyfriend doesn’t freak me out. After this weekend, I know anyone would be lucky to have the privilege of being hers. ButIam not delusional enough to think a woman would want to be strapped down with my baggage. Let alone making my sunshine girl carry the weight.

Nah.

I couldn’t—wouldn’t—do that to her.

But instead of ending the conversation here, like I should, I text her back.

What are you doing right now?

She sends a picture of a full laundry basket.

Sunshine

Ignoring this. What are you doing?

I send her a photo of Steve cradled in the crook of my left elbow, burrowed against my bare chest.

Sunshine

OH MY GOD MY HEART YOU HAVE TO WARN A WOMAN DID YOU KNOW THE NUMBER ONE KILLER OF WOMEN IS HEART DISEASE AND HERE YOU ARE TRYING TO GET ME TO HAVE A HEART ATTACK AT HOW SWEET THIS IS OMGGGGGGGGGGG

Sunshine

---