Page 112 of Third and Ten

“I asked him if everything was okay, made sure the guy wasn’t a creep, but it wasn’t my story to tell. And I had no idea he’d been meeting him in person,” I say, splaying my hands in front of me.

She narrows her eyes and shakes her head slowly. “Why didn’t you say anything when we spoke on the phone earlier? What else have you been keeping from me on Ethan’s behalf?”

“Tenley,” I say, stepping forward. But she tightens her posture, glaring at me with an expression that says, don’t you dare.

“Ugh…of course you’re going to fight over this, now,” Ethan comments sarcastically.

“What?” Tenley asks.

“Instead of just punishing me, you’re going to take it out on JD for being loyal, aren’t you?” He shoots her a disgusted look.

She stares incredulously as she speaks. “You think that’s what this is about? That I’m jealous of your relationship?”

“He was my friend first,” Ethan mutters.

My eyes dart back and forth between them. “I’m still everyone’s friend, for the record.”

He huffs. “Sure, friends. You know, if I’d have guessed that you two would start ignoring everyone else so you could spend every waking minute together doing God knows what, I’d never have tried to set you up in the first place.”

“You feel like we’ve been ignoring you?” Tenley asks.

“We’re not doing anything, I swear,” I blurt out at the same time.

I guess our priorities are made clear in that moment, and her eyes flash to mine, letting me know she doesn’t appreciate where my mind jumps first.

“Look, it’s none of my business, like you both said before,” he grumbles. He picks up a duffle bag and slips it over his shoulder. “I’m going to the gym,” he announces, stomping out of the room.

“The hell you are,” Tenley yells. “You’re staying right here until we figure this out.”

“Maybe we could all use some time to cool off,” I offer, trying to placate her again.

“Oh, now you have something to contribute?” she fires back at me.

I furrow my brow, my own temper flaring. “I get that you’re angry. But you and I can discuss all this later, in private—once you’re calm enough to speak to me, like an adult, and not just at me, as if I’m a kid.”

“Could’ve fooled me.” She rolls her eyes.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“How can I trust you to help me raise Ethan if you’re going to cover for him every time he messes up?”

“Wow, if this has been you ‘trusting me to help,’ then I guess we’d have to be married before you’d even consider my advice to lay off when he’s legit having a hard time,” I say without thinking.

“Who said anything about getting married?” she cries, her face flushing. I feel my own ears burning up as soon as the words leave my mouth.

“Wait, you’re getting married?” Ethan chimes in.

I groan. “It was a figure of speech. You’re both missing my point.”

“You can’t get married if you’re just going to fight all the time, especially about me,” Ethan continues, shaking his head as if he’s imagining it.

“When do we ever argue?” I ask.

“And who said anything about getting married?” Tenley repeats. She turns to look at Ethan. “You told me it was too much, too fast. So I slowed everything down, for you,” she explains, lowering her voice. “But now I see that it wasn’t my relationship with JD that was really bothering you, was it? The changes you were talking about had more to do with you meeting Ryan.”

Suddenly, everything makes so much sense.

“Wait, what? That’s why you’ve been so distant? You stalled our relationship without even bothering to tell me?”

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