Page 92 of Tempt Thy Neighbor

I shake my head. “No, definitely not.”

Although I’m not entirely sure about that answer. I have no clue what the slang terms are nowadays for what Holland and I have been doing.

Because whatever it was, it definitely didn’t feel like just fucking.

When I don’t say anything for another minute, she starts in again.

“Well, are you going to tell me, or am I going to have to call her to find out what’s up?”

“You have her number?”

Alma nods. “Of course I have her number. She’s coming to bingo with me next Saturday. When she tried to cancel—don’t worry, I guilted her into going—I figured my suspicions were right and you two had broken up. So what did you do?”

“Why do you assume I did something?”

“Well, because you’reyou.”

I laugh at the way she says it because we both know I’ve had my fair share of screwups.

“I got a promotion.”

“That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”

“It’s supposed to be. But at work there was a strict no-fraternization rule and, well…”

“You two were definitely fraternizing,” she finishes.

“Yeah. That.”

I hate the use of the past tense. It makes it all feel a little too real.

That lump that’s been floating between my throat and chest for weeks makes itself known again.

“I assume you were going to say yes to the promotion before you two were found out.”

I nod. “Yes, but I had a week to let my boss know I was accepting it and…I kind of hid the promotion from Holland for days.”

“So you used her?”

I wince. “Well, when you say it like that…”

“I can see why she told you to fuck off.” Alma shakes her head. “You’re an asshole.”

“Hey!” I say. “What the hell?”

“Don’t youheyme. You’re an asshole. You knew you were going to have to break it off with her and yet you strung her along for days, and if you hadn’t gotten caught, it would have been a week. How do you think she felt when she found out you did that?”

Probably like shit.

I know I felt like shit doing it.

But I couldn’t give her up. I wasn’t ready.

I’m still not ready.

“You know, you’ve done some dumb things over the years, but I think letting the girl you’re madly in love with go for a job promotion you don’t even really want is probably the dumbest. You’re making me reconsider who my favorite nephew is.”

Nowthatis a low blow. We both know how awful Thomas is.

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