Zayd laughed quietly and without any bitterness, which was a surprise only because Kent was his ex. They hadn’t been together long, but they were both so absurdly hot and so absurdly kind I didn’t know how they weren’t a match made in heaven.
Neither of them talked about their ending, though, and they seemed friendly enough. Kent had never hesitated about coming back to the bar, so I didn’t feel too bad about dragging him here.
“I think I just heard his bike,” Zayd said. “So you’re in luck. I don’t need to bore you with how many hours I’ve spent watchingBlueyandCocomelonthis week.”
I wanted to pretend like I didn’t know what those were, but half my volleyball team was intoBlueyand would randomly break into poorly done Australian accents as they were smack-talking each other over the net. I just grinned at him and fishedout one of the cherries, popping it into my mouth as the bar door opened.
“Can you tie the stem into a knot with your tongue?” Kent asked as he slid onto the stool next to me.
I shook my head. “Not that talented. Maybe that’s why I can’t keep a boyfriend.”
“Trust me, it’s not the secret to a lasting relationship,” Kent said, keeping his eyes down as Zayd appeared with his usual drink.
There was a small hint of tension, but it dissipated quickly as Zayd leaned over the bar and gave Kent a swift kiss on the forehead. “The secret is not getting together with an emotionally constipated person afraid of commitment.”
“What about falling for a guy who very clearly hates you and decided to experiment on his bi-curiosity during a tense PT session?” I blurted.
Zayd put up his hands. “Thatis above my pay grade. And I have drinks to make.”
He disappeared as Kent looked at me, his face drawn and unsurprised. Had Creek told him? Or—god forbid—was the whole thing on camera?
Christ, I didn’t know what I was going to do if we were office gossip. I hadn’t even thought of that, which meant a brand-new thing to panic over.
“Breathe,” Kent ordered just as I felt my lungs getting tight. “Talk to me.”
I rubbed my hand down my face. “Uh. So. Creek kissed me.”
I saw Kent’s jaw tense, which meant he hadn’t known. So that was something. Kent blew out a slow puff of air, then turned to face me a little better. “Are you okay?”
I couldn’t help a high, tense laugh. “No. I’m not okay.”
Kent nodded, his hands opening and closing into fists. “Okay. I’ll handle it. You know I’m going to take this seriously, Heath. I refuse to allow any of my patients to feel unsafe when?—”
“Oh my god,” I said in a rush, grabbing his arm. My fingers curled in his shirt as panic rushed through me. “That’s not what I’m saying. I’m nottraumatized. Ilikehim.”
Kent blinked. “I…okay, wait. You’re sitting in a bar looking like you’ve seen a ghost. You asked me to keep you away from Creek. Now you tell me he kissed you in the middle of a session…”
“He’s not gay,” I blurted. “Or…bi. Probably. I don’t—I don’t know.” I pressed the heels of my hands against my eyes until I saw stars. “I can’t stand him, but I also want to shut him up by putting my mouth on his mouth.” I dropped my hands and blinked through blurry eyes at Kent. “And I want him to want me. I don’t want to be some experiment because he can’t tell the difference between frustrated and horny.”
Kent sagged against his chair, his head slightly bowed. “I see.”
“I don’t want to be his test subject. Every relationship I’ve ever had has been a goddamn disaster, but I never really cared until this fucking guy,” I blurted, then fell forward, my forehead hitting the edge of the bar top, which stung until the cold marble soothed it. “I don’t even know why I like him. I think there’s something wrong with me. He’s done nothing but treat me like shit.”
“He’s obviously complicated.”
I lifted my head, letting out a bitter laugh. “Understatement of the year.”
Kent offered an apologetic smile. “Did he apologize?”
“I didn’t really give him a chance.” Grabbing my drink, I took a few more swallows, but it was just too sweet and lacked theburn of alcohol I desperately wanted. “I just got the fuck out of there.”
A part of me wanted to say that I doubted Creek would apologize, but I knew that wasn’t true. He had looked devastated. I just didn’t know if it was aimed at himself for kissing a man or for crossing a line with me.
And I wasn’t sure I was strong enough to find out.
“I think I need to get out of here,” I said, pushing away. “Are we cool with everything?”
Kent nodded. “We’re cool.”
