Page 140 of My Skin Begs You Please

“I love you too. No matter what.”

Determined not to talk about my problems, I forged ahead into some of his. “So, is Peter’s ex still around and ready to sweep him off his feet? Carry him right back into the closet?”

Daniel’s lips twitched, and he shook his head. “I don’t think there’s much danger of that.”

“Oh yeah? Why not?”

He shrugged, looking embarrassed. “I trust him.”

“Like trust him? Ortrusthim?”

“I love him, and I trust him.”

I blinked. There was something in that comment that set off warning signals in my head. “So, you’re fucking him bare?”

Daniel flushed even redder.

“You are!” I screeched, putting my milkshake in the built-in cup holder. “You can’t do that. You can’t risk yourself that way. He’s unreliable. He left you before and went back to—”

“We weren’t together,” Daniel reminded me.

“You seemed plenty together that night in the motel.”

“It was one night. It didn’t mean anything at the time.”

I stabbed a finger at him, relieved to be upset about something that didn’t involve me. I didn’t want my best friend in the world getting the bitter diagnosis I’d received. Ever. “I’ve known you to be a lot of things, but never a liar.”

“Okay, fine. It meant something to me. You’re right. But it didn’t mean he owed me anything after it.”

I scoffed. “You’re such a pushover.”

“Good thing I am since you’re such a pain in the ass.” Daniel blanched, instant regret plain on his features.

A weird pleasure settled in my gut. “Go on, feel guilty,” I urged. “I like how I always get to be right now. It’s the only perk of my diagnosis.”

I suddenly remembered one other, and my face grew hot. Daniel, of course, noticed.

“So, what’s that about?” He waved a hand at my head. “That expression?”

“Nothing.”

“It’s about that guy Barry set you up with, right? Luke?”

“Maybe.”

“What’s the deal with him?”

“I know you know,” I said, rolling my eyes.

“About the S&M stuff? Yeah. I heard that’s what’s going on.”

I picked up my milkshake again, swallowing down any nasty comments about Peter being a gossip because the truth was I was a much bigger gossip than him by far.

I just got petty sometimes when it came to Peter and Daniel. Daniel deserved so much better. I didn’t knowwhohe deserved, but it wasn’tPeter,for fuck’s sake. Peter, who hadn’t known immediately that Daniel was the best human being on earth. Ugh.

“Minty?”

I swallowed another mouthful of shake. “Yeah?”

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