Page 46 of Fool Moon First Aid

I can’t help but roll my eyes, though my heart’s not really in it and it’s beating a mile a minute, waiting for his answer.

“Don’t stress, butterfly. I only have eyes for you,” he teases, but his evasion feels like a dance around my actual question. He bounces back to the kitchen to prep us more snacks.

“That’s hardly an answer,” I grumble, wondering why I’m even pushing this. Since when do I care so much?

“No, Ava Martinez, I don’t have a girlfriend, nor a boyfriend,” he clarifies, stepping back with that infuriatingly attractive smirk. “As for the others…”

“What?” I blurt out, my voice pitching higher than I intended.

Tyler chuckles at my reaction. “Brody’s been known to play doctor with the staff now and then.”

“Wow, how very soap opera of him,” I quip, though there’s a bite to my words from a twinge of…what? Jealousy? Annoyance?

“And Ethan? He has a thing for feisty women.” Tyler chuckles. “He thinks a good challenge is the same as foreplay.”

I mutter under my breath, “Still didn’t answer my question.”

“I suppose I didn’t,” he admits but leaves it hanging, which totally irks me. Why can’t he just spill it?

Then it hits me… Last night, Ethan and I were at each other’s throats. Does Tyler know about that? Catching his reflection, I see that smirk.

Oh, he totally knows.

My mind races back to what he said about Brody sampling the staff. Really? A twinge of jealousy sneaks up on me. I mean, I get it. My not choosing the fling life myself doesn’t mean they had to live like monks. I didn’t even know they existed up until a few days ago.

“So what about you?” Tyler snaps me back to reality as he parades in with a tray full of snacks, looking like a picnic made just for me. He sets the tray down on a part of the couch that magically transforms into a table, then he takes a seat opposite me, looking thoughtful. “Ava?”

“No boyfriend,” I confess, feeling my cheeks heat up. What’s even more annoying is realizing that until meeting them, guys rarely gave me a second glance. “Do I radiate some sort of keep away signal?”

I snag an almond off the board and toss it into my mouth while surveying the snack bounty.

Tyler cocks his head, his eyes drilling into me. “What’s racing through that mind of yours?”

I shrug. “Guys don’t ask me out,” I blurt out, not sure why I’m dumping this on him.

With Tyler, it’s like there’s this vibe of safety. His whole being just shouts that he’s a vault for my secrets and insecurities. He won’t flinch or judge, just listen.

This is so not me. My dad’s voice echoes in my head, all his talks about trusting no one. He’s adamant that secrets should be shattered into pieces and scattered so no one ever gets the full picture. Letting someone in is a gamble he’s convinced could cost me, yet here I am, contemplating throwing caution to the wind because of Tyler’s damn infectious openness.

“Is that such a bad thing?” he asks, bringing the conversation around.

I reach for a packet of fruit snacks, pondering his question. “Not sure. I didn’t really date in high school. Dad was against it.”

“One of those dads?” Tyler scoots closer, making the space between us disappear as he lies back, his gaze fixed on me. I find myself mimicking his pose.

A wave of warmth and intimacy washes over me, and I decide to just go with it, spilling bits of my life story against all my dad’s warnings.

“My dad isn’t a bad guy, really,” I start, a gummy bear poised at my lips as I gather my thoughts. Tyler waits, a model of patience, ready for me to dive into the depths of my childhood memories. “I remember this one time in fourth grade when he was called because I punched a boy.”

“What did the boy do?” Tyler’s curiosity is piqued, his earlier jest replaced with genuine interest.

“How do you know he did anything?” I tease, a small smile breaking through.

“Ava, you don’t seem like the type to throw punches without a good reason,” he says, looking away, his cheeks tinted with a blush. “You strike me as someone who, if pushed, pushes back.”

He has me all figured out, and honestly, it’s a bit unnerving. “There was this boy in my class, Dom. I kind of thought he was my friend,” I start, letting the memories wrap around me. “Friends weren’t exactly lining up at my door.”

Tyler catches on. “Friends?”

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