Page 56 of Gone for You

I grin, wanting to give him the standard,what, a sister can’t call her brother just to chatline but he knows me better than that. Not that we don’t call each other just to talk, but it’s not often.

“Guess where I am.” It’s a cop out, yes, but it’s not like I can come out and say, oh by the way, I met your friend from college at his bar then we screwed like monkeys for a few days now I’m back again, hoping for more. Oh, and by the way again, I like him. Like really like him.

“You’re exhausting. Just save us both the time and tell me already.”

“Such a spoiled sport. Why won’t you ever have any fun?”

“I don’t know, Liv. At the coffee shop.”

“Gah, you’re soooo boring. Think of something better.”

“Just tell me.”

“Fine! The Flying Goat.”

Silence greets me. This right here is why I was reluctant to say anything. Because his silence tells me that he’s wondering why I felt the need to say anything in the first place.

“Oh yeah?”

“Mm hmm. Joint party for Lily and her fiancé.”

“That’s… nice.”

“Do you know who owns this bar?”

“You mean, do I know that Ethan, my friend from college, owns it and another friend of mine, Rex, works for him?”

“So that’s a no?”

“You’re such a smart ass.”

“Well, you never talk about anything other than the resort! How was I to know whether or not you’d heard?”

“I’ve been there, Liv. Ethan and Rex have been to The Escape, too. We’ve kept in touch.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because you didn’t know either of them and I didn’t figure you cared?” Oh. Right. That makes sense, actually. “Is there a reason why I should care that you now seem to care?”

“I don’t even know what that means.”

“Yes, you do.”

“No. Well, yes. I guess, um, Ethan and I have become friends. I met him again like three months ago when we were here for Lily’s birthday party. He didn’t recognize me from when we met briefly at your apartment ten years ago at first but then it clicked and we hung out a bit before I went back home.”

More silence. I can almost hear him thinking, wondering if he should voice the questions rolling around in his head or just let it go. He’s not one to be pushy when it comes to my life. Probably because he doesn’t want to be pushed back. Then again, this is the first time I’ve ever mentioned one of his friends before.

“Just ask.”

“I don’t know what to ask,” he says, chuckling. “Are you guys, dating?” The way he says it, as if it would be the most bizarre thing that could ever happen.

At the same time, I don’t really know what we are. We haven’t defined it so I can confidently say, “No, we’re not dating. But we are talking.” That’s kind of an understatement but still…

“Talking?”

“Yeah.”

“Hmm. Anything else?”

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