I glare at him. “I do not.”
“Do too. Emory gets them as well. You two are so sweet it makes my teeth ache.”
I roll my eyes.
“Plus, you said you can’t imagine your life without him in it. That’s probably the very definition of love.”
I squint at him. “Probably?”
“Hey, I’m a player. I’ve never been in love. What would I know?”
I chuckle. “More than me.”
“Not about love. Want to know about sex? I’m your guy. But love? I’m clueless.”
I knock my shoulder against his. “You’ve been great. Thank you. You could have put me off. You could have done everything possible to get the guy. But you haven’t.”
“That would have made me a giant arsehole.”
I sigh. “I should probably step back. Let you and Em explore the attraction you feel for each other.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean? You’re attracted to each other. Why would I get in the way?”
“You’re right. We do like each other, but you get first dibs.”
“He’s not a prize to be won or a possession to fight over.”
Auggie dips his chin. His expression reminds me of a naughty toddler who’s been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “True. I’m sorry. That was a childish thing to say.”
“I’m confused and clueless right now. I need to sort my head out. Do that reading you mentioned. But even once I’ve done that and figured out who I am and what I want, I’m not sure I can ever give Em, or anyone else, anything beyond snuggles. But I know he wants more. And he could have more with you.”
“You think people can’t have fulfilling relationships without sex?”
I look straight ahead. “I didn’t say that. I’m sure plenty of people can. I think I will be able to, but I’m not certain yet. But I think, for a lot of people, sex is important and something they’d want in their relationships. So if you’re not going to fuck him around or dump him the second you’ve had sex with him, you should tell him you want to be with him. I know he likes you. I know that kiss meant something to him. It wasn’t fake.”
“It wasn’t fake for me either. But what about you?”
“What about me? I’ll always be his best friend.”
“You should talk to him. Tell him everything you’ve told me.”
“I can’t. Not until I understand myself better. This is something I need to figure out on my own. Promise me you won’t say anything to him.”
Auggie hitches in a breath.
“Promise. This should be a no-brainer for you. Keep your mouth shut and get the guy.”
A muscle twitches in Auggie’s cheek. “All right. But you realise he might not pick me, whether you’re in the picture or not.”
I smile. “I guess we’ll see. You’re a great guy, Auggie. I think anyone would be mad not to choose you.” I stand and blow on my cold hands before stuffing them into my pockets.
“What are you going to do now?”
“Go home and talk to Em. Tell him I’ve thought things through and that I’m not attracted to him.”
Auggie winces.
