That makes me raise an eyebrow. “Responsibilities?” If he’s at a high school party, he’s likely around my age. So, I wonder what’s changed specifically for him. College applications? Family? The need to be perfect? Oh no, that’s me.
There’s a small part of me who can’t help but hear a glimpse of my own struggles in his words.
His eyes crinkle at the edges, and he shrugs. “College stuff, work, and trying to figure out life, I guess.”
“Life. Don’t you just love it?” I ask with a nervous smile playing on my lips.
“Love it and hate it,” he repeats with a chuckle, the sound relaxed and easy like we’ve been friends forever. “It’s a mixed feeling.”
Silence greets us again. It feels comforting, I bite the bullet and ask a question that’s on the tip of my tongue. “Can I ask… why do you hate life?”
“That’s a loaded question to ask a stranger.”
“You’re not a stranger, you’re a customer. We’re practically besties.”
There must be something in the water. I’m normally not that confident. Is Alli channeling her confidence into me through dark magic? Okay, just play it cool. You can do this. He’s just a really hot guy talking to you. You got this.
It gets a laugh out of him. “True.” He doesn’t say much for a couple of minutes, and I stop myself from insisting. Didn’t want to scare him. “People come and go is all I’ve learned. I hate that part of life. It’s cruel when people leave.”
“I get it.”
“You do?” His eyebrows raised in surprise.
I nod, unraveling a piece of my history to him. “I don’t know. When people leave, I think you… grieve them in a way? I did, at least, for a long time… Mainly because I was so young. And time just,” I shrug, “helped me adapt to life without them.”
Tyler’s expression softens like he knows, maybe feels what I’m putting out there. “You just find a way to live without them.”
A peaceful hush comes over us as we watch the shimmering lake. It’s so weird of me to spill my secrets to a stranger. It’s not like me to do something like that, but I feel comfortable with him like I can trust him.
“Do you ever feel the need to be perfect?”
“All the damn time,” he responds, which makes a small chuckle escape my lips.
His easy laughter relaxes me, and I find myself drawn further into the conversation. “Why do you feel like that?” he asks, his eyes curious as they meet mine.
“I don’t know, I’m kind of hard on myself. I hate making mistakes. The need to be perfect probably stems from that.”
“I get it.” He says and we both look away. “People expect a lot out of you sometimes. It’s hard to live up to everyone’s expectations of you. It’s like once you meet it, what do you getout of it? Praises. When you fail, you disappoint everyone, and you feel like you let them down. It’s exhausting.”
“Yeah,” I nod, feeling the weight lift slightly as I share thoughts that I never told anyone, not even Alli. “I’ve never told anyone that.”
“Well, thank you for opening up to me.” He responds warmly, a genuine appreciation in his voice.
“Besties, remember?” I say with a light grin, trying to ease the conversation with a touch of humor.
“Do you, uh, want a drink?” He offers, gesturing back to the lake house with his thumb.
“I’m not drinking tonight, but thank you.”
“That’s cool, I’m going to grab some water.”
“Okay, see you around, Tyler.”
Tyler hesitates, his body language tells me he doesn’t want to leave yet.
“Did you need something?” I ask.
Tyler rubs the back of his neck, a shy expression crossing his face. “Uh, will you…”
