Page 12 of He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

‘Thank god.’ I force a sad laugh.

‘See ya tomorrow ya pain in the ass.’ He hangs up without giving me a chance to say goodbye.

For a moment, I stare at my front door as I pull my keys from my bag. This may well be the last time I see this place. The place I’ve called home for seven years. Sometimes life sucks.

3

DAX

The Next Morning…

‘What’s this?’

I glance at the time when he walks into our apartment. Seven-thirty in the morning. Rarely is River up at dawn. How did I not hear him leave?

‘Coffee.’ River sets the tray with two coffees on the kitchen island. ‘Blueberry scones, courtesy of Summer.’ He puts a pink bakery box down. ‘And… bacon.’ He carries one of the coffees and the white Styrofoam box containing the bacon to the couch.

‘You know I love it when you talk dirty to me,’ I say, grabbing a coffee and scone. ‘What’s this for anyway?’

‘I need a huge favor,’ he says.

The last time River needed a huge favor, it was one in the morning, and I had an overnight guest. He knocked on my door, yelling, ‘You got a rubber?’ Not at all mood-killing, considering.

‘It’s Hollyn.’

‘Hollyn?’ My voice is awkward as I freeze, scone midway to my mouth. ‘Is she alright?’

River looks up from his bacon, his gaze locked on mine. ‘What the hell was that?’ he asks. ‘You had the “I still love her” look all over your face.’

‘No, I didn’t.’ I shake my head. ‘It was just the uh, scone, catching me off guard.’ I take a big bite to prevent talking myself into a hole.

Maybe I had a bit of a crush on Hollyn in my younger years, but I was twelve. And thirteen, and fourteen, and fifteen… you get it. She doesn’t know. I never had the stones to actually tell her, so we were only ever just friends. She couldn’t really see past me being her little brother’s bestie, and a two-year age difference, when you’re in high school, seems a bigger deal than it is. I’m totally over it.

‘OK…’ he says with a disbelieving laugh. ‘Anyway, remember the manther she thinks she loves?’

Manther, the word River calls old guys who date much younger women. Man plus panther. I’ve learned not to ask questions.

‘Ah yes, Professor Twats McGee,’ I say with a laugh. ‘What was his name? Trinity?’

Riv laughs. ‘Close. Tristan Wells.’

‘Right.’ I knew his name. I’m not a fan. ‘Good old Professor Wells, giving private “tutoring” to women half his age and treating a student list like a Tinder profile. Donottell me she’s marrying that douche. Your dad will end up in prison.’

Dr Matthews isn’t much older than Professor Dickbag. The summer after her junior year of college, she and Tristan spent a week with her parents. Until that week, I’d never seen Dr John drunkandpissed. I was honestly a little scared we would end up a part of a news story before the happy couple finally left town.

‘She thought he was going to propose; turned out he was, just not to her.’

‘What?’ I nearly choke on my scone. ‘Back up. He proposed to someoneelse? Infrontof her?’

Jesus. I may not know her well anymore, but I know she doesn’t deserve that.

‘That I don’t know. You know how I am with crying women. I may not have heard every word she sobbed through. But I know her flight will be here in an hour, and I have a meeting at the same time that I can’t miss. Potential donors for the documentary flew in last night for this presentation. I can’t pick her up, and I was hoping you’d do me a solid?’

River’s a film guy. He’s done a few commercials and a half-dozen music videos. Now he’s working on his biggest project yet – a documentary about his mom’s life.

‘What about your parents?’

Not that I wouldn’t love to see Hollyn again. I would.That’sthe problem. It took me a long time to get over her, and it was painful enough that I’d rather not go through it again.

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