I sighed. “Much longer than it was ever supposed to, that’s for damn sure.”
Naomi grinned. “Evenmoreinteresting.”
I looked at her, my brow furrowing. “Why? Why is that more interesting?”
She chuckled. “You have something like that going on for what you claim is ‘much longer than it was ever supposed to,’ and you don’t think there’s areasonfor that?”
“I mean, yeah, there’s areason. It’s called dating in Bayport is absolute shit, but we both have needs the other is willing to meet.”
Naomi smirked as she looked straight ahead. “Is that therealreason? Or is that just what you’re telling yourself?”
“No, no, no,” I said with an awkward chuckle as I shook my head. “No,definitelynot. You’ve got it all wrong. Trust me. Me and this guy…we couldn’t even stand each other. Like, actuallyhatedone another. And theonlyreason we even grew to tolerate each other is because of the arrangement and how long it’s been going on.” When she chuckled again, I looked at her. “Why are you still laughing?”
“Because you sound a little like you’re trying to convinceyourselfof that more than you areme.”
Her words caught me so off-guard that I couldn’t even respond other than to let out a disbelieving breath.
Obviously, she didn’t know what she was talking about.
Naomi and Marcelo asked if I wanted to meet up with them and some of their friends for dinner and drinks on Friday, but I politely declined. I wasn’t in the mood to go out. I wasn’t in the mood for much of anything the last few days, not unless you counted drowning in thoughts I was sure I had no business even swimming in.
I couldn’t stop thinking about my conversation with Naomi a few days ago, her words playing on an endless loop in my head.Is that the real reason? Or is that just what you’re telling yourself?
Of course it was the real reason…I knew that.
So, why the hell was I overthinking those words so damn much? It only added to the frustration I’d been feeling for the last couple of weeks.
I tried catching up on some emails but was too distracted to concentrate.
I turned on the TV to channel surf, but there wasn’t anything on that drew my attention enough to make me stop thinking.
I ordered something to eat around six, but I only ate half of it before I lost interest.
Now, I was standing beneath the shower spray, letting the hot water run over my body as the steam swirled around me. When I finally stepped out, I wrapped one of the plush towels around me before wiping down the fogged mirror. It relaxed my body but didn’t help me clear my head of the incessant thoughts like I hoped. If anything, it only made them worse. I should have known better—I always thought more in the shower.
When I stepped out of the bathroom, I went to the nightstand, checking my phone for a notification I knew wouldn’t be there. When I was met with a blank screen, I sighed, sinking onto the edge of the bed.
I ran my fingers through my damp hair. I was so damn tired of feeling this way, and I didn’t even know how to describe what it was. I just didn’t feel…right. I constantly felt restless, and there was a coldness in my chest and a longing forsomethingthat was eating away at me.
I looked at my phone again. It wasn’t a longing for something I was feeling…but forsomeone.
For Wes.
I missed Wes.
As soon as I let the words free in my mind, my body stilled, and a rush of air escaped me as the revelation hit me like a freight train.
Imissedhim.
I missed Wes.
I’d been on edge and frustrated because I missed him.
I’d been staring at my phone, waiting for one of his stupid messages becauseI missed him.
And I missed him because I…
“Oh…oh God,” I whispered, my eyes widening a fraction.
