Hope sparks. “You think?”
“I mean, I don’t know how anyone could love an asshole like you, but women are weird.”
“Still, I need to figure out if they’re the same person without cluing her in to what I suspect. There’s no reason Amelia needs to know I’m talking to someone on a dating site on a daily basis.”
“Because keeping secrets from the woman you’re falling for is always the best course of action.”
I push up to a stand. “She’s keeping secrets from me. She doesn’t want to know my secrets.”
My walk quickly turns into a jog and then to a run. I need to move. I need to outrun the ache in my chest and the roiling in my stomach, which is not a stomach bug.
“Slow down,” Cash says. “You are not leaving me out here alone.”
I sigh and slow down. “It’s going to take forever to get home.”
“Send a message to Amelia right now,” he says, slowing to a walk as soon as I do. “Send her the skunk picture and ask her how her week’s been.”
It’s so simple, but perfect. “I’ve been trying to give her space. She’s always talking about how busy she is and how complicated her life is. I don’t want to be that guy who asks for more than she can give.”
He sighs. “Is this what happens when you don’t run away from your problems?”
“Fuck you. I really like this woman, and I don’t want to screw it up.”
“You’re overthinking things. Just send the damn message.”
Somehow, I find a good picture and send it, along with a message, while we walk and I don’t trip or run into anyone. Probably because Cash grabs my elbow and steers me a few times.
“It’s sent,” I say. “Happy?”
“I’ll be happy when I’m home with a cheeseburger in front of me.”
My phone finally dings when we’re about a half mile from home.
I swipe up to find a message from Amelia:It’s been a hell of a week. I had the stomach bug and have been absolutely slammed since I got back to work. It’s probably going to be another week or two before we can meet about the cat gym again.
She ends the message with a sad face that looks an awful lot like mine probably does. Not only did she blow me off, she just proved that she and DogPerson are the same person.
“Sucks to be you,” Cash says.
“Should I tell DogPerson, or wait until I see Amelia in person?”
“The sooner the better, dude,” he says. “In person’s better, but the longer you let this go on, the creepier it looks.”
“Right. Okay. I’ll tell her as soon as we get home.”
But when we get home, we can hear the yelling from the porch.
“Shit,” Cash says. “I’m so not in the mood for this.”
“We could sneak in the back.”
He grips my shoulder with one hand and pushes me toward the door. “Running away is never the answer, bro.”
“Where the fuck have you two been?” Sebastian asks, scowling. His hair is a mess, like he’s been running his hands through it, though his beard is, as always, neatly groomed.
Levi’s still carrying his laptop bag like he just walked through the front door, and Ryland is seated at the table with his head in his hands.
“I’ve cast my vote,” Levi says. “I’ve got a plane to catch.”
