Page 35 of Trick or Treat Nurse at My Feet
"Yes," I say, before I can overthink it. "I'd like that."
Tyler's answering smile is bright enough to light the whole coffee shop. "Perfect. I'll text you." Then he leans down and kisses my cheek softly.
As he jogs off towards his class, I stand for a moment watching him go. I pull out my phone and send a quick text to Sylas.
I think I'm in trouble
His response is almost immediate.
Sylas
The hot, muscular kind of trouble?
My lips curl into an involuntary smile.
Exactly that kind!
Chapter 9
Table for Four? Dating with Exes
ETHAN
"So let me get this straight, which is ironic given the circumstances, he bought you coffee, talked about his feelings openly, introduced you to his frat bros AS HIS DATE, and asked you to dinner?" Sylas asks, sprawled dramatically across our living room floor, nest of pillows and blankets. "Are you sure he is the same species as The Walking Red Flag?"
Sinking deeper into our makeshift fort, a tradition we've maintained since freshman year for all major life discussions. Empty ice cream containers and a half-eaten pizza surround us like offerings to the gods of emotional processing.
"I know, I know." My fingers pick at a loose thread on one of the throw pillows. "But what if it's too good to be true?"
"Maybe it is," Sylas concedes, rolling onto his back. "But a week ago, you were dating a guy who literally wore a mask to avoid being seen with you in public. We're not even talking about a low bar anymore; this is like limbo for disappointment.”
That pulls a genuine laugh from me. Sylas has a gift for cutting through my overthinking with brutal accuracy. I reach for another slice of cold pizza, buying myself time before responding.
"Oh, and I saw Ryan yesterday," I keep my tone deliberately casual while staring at the ceiling.
Sylas bolts upright, his face instantly alert. "What? Where? Do I need to get my baseball bat?"
"He was lurking outside the Health Sciences building. I think he was waiting for me."
"Of course he was," Sylas' eyes roll dramatically. "Nothing says 'I'm totally not interested anymore' like stalking someone between classes."
"I ducked out the side door before he saw me."
"Smart. What do you think he wanted?"
Sighing, I drop my half-eaten pizza slice back into the box. "Probably to remind me how I'm ruining his life by not being his secret anymore."
"Ah, yes, the tragedy of Patient Zero of Douchebaggery, forced to live as his authentic self," Sylas presses the back of his hand to his forehead in mock distress. "Someone call Netflix, we've got a tear-jerker documentary on our hands."
A small smile creeps over my face. "He texted me three times yesterday."
"Show me," He demands, reaching for my phone, which sits charging within our pillow kingdom.
"I deleted them."
Sylas gasps with theatrical offence. "Without showing me first? The BETRAYAL."
"They were the usual. 'We need to talk,' 'You're being unreasonable,' 'No one will ever understand you like I do.'"
