Page 76 of The Problem with Perfect

I wave my hand. “I can leave if you want.”

“No, you should definitely stay. Sitting outside on summer nights is so much more fun when you’re not alone.”

That’s when I realize…maybe Emily is going through the same thing I’ve been dealing with, the shadow of loneliness that comes with growing older and having your friends move away.

I might have been somewhat of a goody-two-shoes who everybody knew, but Emily was more popular in a traditional sense when we were in high school, so it’s hard to imagine her being lonely or struggling for friends. That said, the reality of small-town life is that a lot of people leave, and the ones who come back don’t do it until they’re ready to settle down, so there’s a big lack of 18-to-30-year-olds in Cedar Point who aren’t here for just a week or two.

Emily and I each grab a soda and head out to the tiny porch that extends off their kitchen and looks back into the trees and mountains. It’s not really a view as much as it is just a quiet space to sit and relax.

“How’s Rusty?”

Even though that sense of foreboding is still there in the recesses of my mind, I smile. “He’s good.”

“What’s he up to tonight?”

I snort. “Boyd is back in town, and I showed up at Rusty’s wearing a short skirt and thigh-highs while he was there.”

Emily covers her mouth, hiding her smile. “You didn’t.”

“I did.” I shake my head and take a sip of my drink. “Thankfully, I was able to run back to the car before he realized I was dressed like a prostitute.”

She giggles again. “Oh my god, I’d be mortified.”

“I was. Trust me.” I sigh, still laughing at myself.

“Has he been okay with you and Rusty dating?”

“Honestly? I’m not sure. I haven’t really talked with him about it.”

Mostly because I know Rusty already told him the truth about what’s going on between us, or at least part of the truth—the part that doesn’t include any sexy nonsense. I don’t want to possibly contradict anything Rusty has said.

“Yeah, I get that. I wouldn’t want my brother to know if I was sleeping with his best friend.”

I hum in agreement but don’t say anything about the fact that Rusty and I actually haven’t had sex. Realistically, I know people probably assume because of Rusty’s previous exploits, but that doesn’t mean I should feel obligated to confirm or deny anything.

Besides, the last thing I want to do is even hint at the fact that we’ve been playing around with these sex lessons. Somehow, it feels a lot more dirty to say someone’s teaching me to be sexual instead of just saying I’m having sex with my boyfriend.

“How have things for you been, recently?” I ask, eager to turn the conversation away from me and Rusty. “Everything work out okay with your car?”

She nods. “Yeah. That turned out fine.”

Something in her tone gives away that there’s more going on in her mind.

“Areyouokay?”

Emily shrugs but doesn’t say anything immediately.

“I’m just feeling a little…rejected, I guess.”

“Why?”

“If I tell you, you can’t tell anyone, okay?”

My eyes widen. “Sure. I am a literal vault.”

She nods, sinking back into the little two-seater we’re sharing. “You know Connor Pruitt?”

I blink. “Yeah?”

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