I liftmy arm, gesturing to the street. “You got better things to do…go do‘em.”
Jacoblooks at me, puzzled. “Wait, you two aren’t…together?”
I cranemy neck, scrunching my face. “Naw. We’re just fuckingaround.”
“By the way you were kissing her and fawning all over her, Ithink she thinks you’re more than that, dude.” Jacobguffaws.
“She knows we’re not.” I retort.
“I…don’t think so, man.” Jacob argues kindly.
“Have you told her this, dude?” Austin asks. “Because that’sthe kind of thing that you should both know, man.”
“No, I haven’t told her.” I bark, and then I murmur, as ifEllie may be able to hear from inside the house. “And I’dappreciate it if none of you said a word about it,either.”
Jacobraises both hands, as if in defeat.
“Yo, you’re like…not going to say anything to Sloane, either,are you?”
“No, man…it’s all you.” Jacob states, hopping into the back ofthe truck to help Austin and Gunner with the bed.
Feelinglike a shit, I say. “She just got divorced, anyway, man. She’s notinto that yet.”
Noresponse.
Blakeand Zack, who return from just bringing another load inside, see mestanding there, doing nothing. “You need a job, man?” Blake asksme.
“No, man. Just…” I trail off, raking a hand through myhair.
“He needs to make a call to that ‘Dear Abby’, man.” Gunnerteases, calling from the truck.
Blakegives me a look. “What’s up, partner?”
“Nothing, just…” I wave. “I don’t want to talk about itanymore.”
“He’s feeling guilty because he and Ellie are just fuckingaround, but Jacob here thinks that she thinks there’s more to itthan that.” Gunner adds as he and Austin walk past me, holding theheadboard, one on each end.
“Thanks, asshole.” I sneer.
Astrange look crosses Blake’s face. “Why don’t you…go on in there.”He gestures with his head towards the house.
“Why?”
Heshrugs, but his face says that he knows something I don’t know.“Just because.”
I looktowards the house. “Something wrong?”
Zackwalks by me and says under his breath, so no one else can hear. “Weheard her crying in there, man.”
“Shit.” I mutter, rolling my eyes.
Zackgives me a little shove. “Go on, man.”
After asigh and some heckles from the other boys, I decide to do the rightthing and go inside. When I enter the house, I don’t see the girlsanywhere, and I don’t want to call Ellie, so I trot upstairs. Mymama’s voice is inside my head, telling me to be respectful, orface a lifetime of repentance. Mama’s advice has always served mewell, and I should know better, considering that this is my firstcasual relationship in a while. But Ellie just kinda showed up outof nowhere and took an immediate liking to me. How was I supposedto know that she’d take what we had so seriously? If that is, infact, what is happening.
Sureenough, I hear the two girls talking in the bedroom, and as Iapproach, the sniffling stops. “Ellie? You okay inthere?”
“Y…yes, I’m fine. I’ll be out in a minute.”
