Page 57 of Resurrection
Out there, in the real world, every man I’ve worked with has taken any opportunity to tell me that. Maybe that’s why I ran back here. Not because I was tired of big-city life or because home called for me. I simply didn’t have what it takes to be doing all those fun things charismatic celebrity chefs are doing on TV.
You’re not interesting enough, Ms. Medina.
But I’m not ready to say that out loud in front of anyone. So, instead, I deflect with the one thing I promised myself I wouldn’t think about. "Tyler kissed me."
My cheeks feel hotter than the oven at full blast.
Sonia doesn't react at first. Then she grins like I just told her she won a free trip to Vegas.
"That hottie from the band who came in a while back?" she murmurs, looking around even though there’s no one but us in the kitchen at this hour. "All tattoos and sad eyes?"
I nod.
"Your high school sweetheart?"
I nod again.
"Girl." She scrunches up her nose in delight, then leans in and asks, "And?"
"And…I kissed him back."
The smile that spreads across her face looks almost criminal. "What's the problem, then?"
The problem?
Where do I even start?
I fidget, trying to act casual, but my hands find their way into my apron pockets, my fingers tangled in knots. "I liked it," I say in barely a whisper, like I’m admitting to a felony. "Both times."
Sonia cackles, and the sound bounces off the shiny walls. "Well, duh. He’s a major eye candy."
"You don’t understand." My eyes dart to the door, making sure no one's within earshot. The kitchen's empty, but it feels like the whole world could hear me right now. "I shouldn't have. After everything that happened. After what he did."
"You know I wasn't in your grade. I don’t know the details."
"He left. After promising a bunch of stuff. I’m salty. I don’t want to get hurt again."
"You think he’ll leave again?"
"I know he will. He’s an attention whore who never cared about anything but his music." I’m not actually sure Tyler is an attention whore. His behavior is the exact opposite, but I’m too angry at him to say anything nice. It’s that strange female logic where even if the man is fine, we’ll come up with a fault just to make him sound like an ass in front of others, because we have an issue with him we haven't worked through.
"So you liked it?" Sonia mutters, tapping her fingertips over her chin.
"I didn’t tell you this so you could rub it in."
"I’m not." Sonia leans back against the counter, mischief dancing in her eyes. "He obviously liked it too. Right?"
"Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been following me around town for weeks."
"Why not use him and have fun, then ditch him? Sweet revenge for what he did to you."
My jaw drops. I stare at Sonia, half expecting her to say she’s joking, but she holds my gaze, waiting. The shock rolls through me like thunder, but it leaves a strange calm in its wake.
I could do that.
I could be the one to walk away this time.
"You’re serious?" My voice trembles at the end, but there's a note of curiosity I can’t hide. Sonia nods encouragingly, and it’s like she’s given me a key to a door I didn’t know I needed to walk through.
