Page 31 of Exrated
“Yeah, he could be a rodeo clown, or a serial killer or some shit.”
“Oh, just shoot me now.”
“Personally, I find this amazing.”
“It’s not.”
“Now, if this isn’t fate,” she laughs, “I don’t know what is.”
“Oh, no, no, no…this is fate fucking me is what it is.”
“Well, at leastsomething’sfucking you.”
“You know what—I just needed to tell someone. I’ll see you when I get home.”
“What’s his porn name? I need to Google him.”
“Heather!”
“Alright, alright. I’ll see you when you get home,” she says and hangs up.
I open the door, turn the corner, and there he is, leaned against the wall of the women’s restroom.
“Really, Tyler? Why are you in here?” I ask.
He shrugs. “You ran off.”
“Oh, my God—like it isn’t enough already, and then you follow me in here?”
Dragging his hands through his hair, he glances at the floor. “Look, I just don’t want you to be mad. That’s all.”
“Mad? I’m not mad, Tyler. I’m disgusted.”
His eyes lift to my face. I can tell that comment just hurt him, but honestly, I couldn’t care less.
“I thought hooking up with you the other night was a dumb move,” I say, taking a breath. “But damn.”
“Look, I tried to tell you. And I didn’t have to. I wasn’t even gonna try to fuck you. That’s on you.”
“Oh, like hell it is.”
“I know you, Jemma, and I knowexactlywhat you were trying to do.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah. The one flaw you always had was being vindictive.”
I huff. “Fuck off.”
“You wanted to fuck me and leave me because you think that’s what I did.” He takes a step toward me, and I back up to the wall. “You think I hurt you on purpose. You think I wanted things to end the way they did.” He braces his arms against the wall, caging me in as his face inches closer to mine. “And the one thing you wanted to do the other night was make sure I still regretted it.”
The door swings open and Vee prances in, halting the second she sees me against the wall with Tyler’s face way too close to mine.
“Oh, um… huh, um…” she scoots around him. “Just gonna pee.”
“No. You’re wrong.” I duck underneath his arm. “Wrong,” I say before I push the door open. My hearts sits in my throat in a quivering lump, my skin hot because he is right. I did want to hurt him. I wanted to make him regret it because as much as I hate it, as much as I don’t want to, I still have a thing for him. Always have. Always will. And now—he’s a fucking porn star. Brilliant!
The door to the women’s bathroom swings closed. A few seconds later, Vee clears her throat.
