Is Yoshi the best character or is Yoshi the best character?
Marcos
Toad.
Nate
It’s a good thing you’re so cute.
Marcos
He’s small, which means less weight holding down the car. Fastestcharacter by far.
Nate
Fair. But he’s garbage around corners.
Yoshi is the perfect happy medium between Toad (too small) and Bowser (too big).
Marcos
Max prefers Mario.
Nate
Oh my god, no. Just no.
Rolling onto my side to give my arms a break from holding my phone over my head, I curl my knees into my chest and type back. The apartment is quiet as far as I can tell from here, and I feel a little tug of jealously thinking about Max tucked in safe with Luke. It’s a ridiculous thing to be jealous about, seeing as I wouldn’t be able to handle snuggling with Nate even if he was here.
The thought brings me down from the temporary high I was riding while we’ve been texting. Starting tomorrow, I’m going to be better about talking to Max and being honest. I’m also going to start practicing exposure therapy or whatever the hell the doctor called it. I’m going to become the most handsy motherfucker around. I will not let this rule me, or affect any more of my life.
Marcos
I probably shouldn’t talk on the phone because Max and Luke are asleep and I don’t want to wake them up.
Sorry.
Nate
Hey no worries, we can just text. Unless you need to catch some Zs, too.
Marcos
I’m fine.
What did you get up to today?
Herding cattle? Roping things? Digging holes for fenceposts?
Nate
I can really feel you picturing a western movie.
Laughter bursts out of me so suddenly, I clap a hand over my mouth. Jesus, what is it with him—nobody makes me smile or laugh this much. I absolutely cannot get attached to him. His interest in me will fade just as quickly as it began, and I’ll be the one left wishing he would text me again.
Nate
We don’t move cattle.
