I'm sure I'm not qualified to help with any of that.
“I wish there was something I could do.” I sigh, putting the paper back in its stack.
Cal opens an arm for me, and I collapse against him, circling my arms around his neck, making Dex groan. It's short though, cut off when he says, “Actually, thereissomething you could do…”
I turn to face him, not entirely sure he meant it for me. His eyes slide to Cal.
“You guys could get married.”
“Married?” I choke on the laugh at that.
It's a joke, obviously, but I'm the only one who finds it funny. And though it's absurd, when Cal doesn't even chuckle, I realize how reluctant he is to be tied to me
“Fuck off, Dex.” Cal says stonily.
I disentangle myself, rising from Cal's lap and praying I'm schooling my features well.
“Where are you going?” He stands, too, a note of alarm in his voice.
I shake my head. In more ways than one, I don't belong here. “I'll just let you guys get back to thinking of real solutions.”
“Thatisa real solution.” Dex says firmly. “If Cal gets married, his father will give him a million dollars. That would be enough to cover actors on that horror script we sourced the location for a few years ago.”
“Dex.” Cal chides. “We're not doing that.”
I bite my lip and try to ignore the crushing disappointment I don't even understand. Sure, the last month of playing his little doll hasn't exactly beenthe thing marriages are made of, but Cal's rejection feels more like disgust than apathy. And after I thought he cared about me, it hurts.
“Why not?”
“Becausemarriage, Dex?” Cal laughs. “It's ridiculous.”
“It's a piece of paper,” Dex argues. “But fine. You aren't doing that... then whatareyou doing? Because whatever this is between the two of you? It's weird.”
For the first time since his best friend suggested we get married, Cal looks at me, like he thinks I can answer that.
When neither of us does, Dex fills the silence.
“I love you, Cal. Always will, but I think you guys need to bite the bullet and figure out what the fuck this is.”
Cal blinks at him before turning back to me helplessly. “I… we're just…”
I think he's going to say friends, and I'm already raging.
He could at least have the balls to state that I'm as good as a slave. Surely Dex knows as much. Never mind the fact that I don'tfeellike a sex slave.
Ever since our dinner date and the cosmic fucking before and after it, it's felt more like how I imagined being a live-in girlfriend.
“We're still figuring it out.” Cal shrugs.
I breathe a sigh of relief because he's right about that. And I'm glad he's just as confused as I am.
“So, you're basically dating.” Dex surmises. “You live together. You fuck. You told me you love her. Do you take care of each other's emotional needs?”
“Of course.” Cal nods and then looks to me for confirmation.
I don't know that I fulfill any emotional needs for him, but he certainly does for me. It's why this whole situation is so damn messy.
“Yes.” I shrug.
