Page 63 of The Only One

Cindy: I didn’t make you do anything.

Luke: Still. I think I’m going to do this again. Maybe look into taking the test.

Cindy: Good for you.

Luke: You didn’t answer my question. Where are you?

Cindy: Had to get out of there. My hip was bothering me.

Cindy: Don’t think being a firefighter is going to pan out for me.

Luke: Sorry to hear that.

Luke: And STILL not answering my question. Where are you?

Cindy: My sister’s place.

Luke: Are you staying there now? Should I help you move your shit across town again?

Cindy: I don’t know.

Cindy: Luke, I have a lot of thinking to do.

Luke: And you need space or something?

Cindy: Or something.

I put on my turn signal to head down my street but reconsidered and made a U-turn and headed toward Stephanie’s place. I was still sore and sweaty from running, but something told me that the longer I let this linger, the harder this conversation was going to be. I was hopped up on endorphins and adrenaline. And I needed answers.

One of the building tenants let me in as she was leaving and I knocked on Stephanie’s door. Cindy answered.

She’d showered and her newly short hair was still wet. She wore shorts and a T-shirt.

“Why did you leave my bed the other night?” I asked, pushing my way inside.

“I told you that already. I freaked out. I was embarrassed. I…”

“You’re overthinking this, Cindy,” I told her. “So we’re going to do this my way. I ask a question and you answer. No thinking, just answers.”

“Fine.”

“Why did you leave my bed the other night?”

“Because you called mebaby.”

“And you hated it?” I asked.

“Because I liked it. I loved it.”

“And that makes sense because…”

“I loved it too much. For you, this was a hookup. For me, it was more than that,” she confessed.

“How do you know?”

“How do I know it was more than just a hook up?” she wondered.

“No,” I clarified. “How do you know it was just a hookupto me?”

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