Page 142 of Holiday Friend Zones
I lower voice.I’m sure half the town already knows anyway.“You told me I had a week to move out and that you’d stay with a friend in the meantime.”
“What did you want me to do?”He steps closer.“Kick you out on the street?”
There’s so much I want to say, but I’m not going to say it in the middle of the Plain Daisy Ranch Winter Festival with a million ears around.Besides, nothing I say is going to make a difference anyway.And why do I care about fighting this battle since I don’t want anything with him anymore?“Nevermind, just go.”I wave my hand.
“Oh right, I’m in the second slot now.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”I scowl at him.
“Funny thing… it’s why I came over here.Before you started throwing darts at me… my flight was delayed last night, and I didn’t get in until this morning.My mom made me a big breakfast…”
I roll my eyes.How many times was I compared to his mom for my lack of cooking skills.I was always falling short.
“I was in my parent’s family room, you know with the big window that looks out to you and Luke’s houses?”
I want to slap the smug look off his face.
“Guess what I saw out my front window?Let me tell you, it wasn’t all the pretty Christmas decorations.Nope.I got a front row seat to my girlfriend?—”
“Ex-girlfriend,” I bite out.
“Making out with my best friend.”
“Again,ex-best friend.”
“Is that what he told you?”He chuckles under his breath.“Luke always did look at you like you held the entire world.As if you were something he’d never get.Hell, I felt like I won you in high school.”
“You didn’t win me.I chose you.And Luke didn’t?—”
He gives me a condescending laugh.“You’ve always been so naive.”
“I’m not naive.”My voice raises and I see a few heads turn in our direction.
“You are.Tell me, did you have a big wallow session about me and bond over your mutual hatred?”
I want to spit in his face.My feelings for Luke have nothing to do with how I feel about Tyler.The past six months I’ve realized that Luke is the type of man I want to be with.Who I probably should’ve been with all along.But Tyler would never believe that, and I sure as hell don’t want to sound spiteful when I tell him that I’m happy with Luke.It’s none of Tyler’s business what’s happening between Luke and me.
“Nothing’s going on with us.Okay?The power went out, his grid was working, so he made me soup and grilled cheese.No big deal.”
“Yeah, my dad mentioned that.Said he offered for you to come over to our place, but you didn’t take him up on it.He actually said that you can barely look at him now, thinks you hate him because of me.Which, I mean, I get it.It’s hard, right?We broke up, and we were together for so long.But it wasn’t my parents’ fault we broke up.”
“Just leave Tyler, I’m busy.I’m running this craft table and waiting for Luke—” I stop myself, not wanting to get into this with him.I don’t want him to know anything about my life.He doesn’t deserve to.
“I just think it’s funny… makes me wonder if all those years maybe I missed something.Maybe you always had a thing for Luke.Or maybe you’re just trying to make me jealous.Is that it?Are you trying to make me jealous, Saylor?”
“I’m not trying to make you jealous.”My voice rises again, so I lean in to whisper.“How would I make you jealous when you’re all the way in New York?You know what I find weird?You’re never home for the festival.Not once in all the years we were in New York would you come back for this, even when I begged you—you were never willing to sacrifice your schedule.So why this year?”
His gaze roams over my body, and it honestly makes me feel sick to my stomach when I think of how I used to love when he looked at me like that.
Tyler shrugs.“I don’t know.Honestly, I think I missed you.”
“You think?”
“I did.I missed you.The condo seems kind of lonely now.”
“Well, I’m sorry it seems lonely.But you chose this.”
His face softens a bit.“What if I made a mistake?”
