Aaron knew I was coming. He either greeted me outside, which I assumed was for show for the neighbors, or waited for me to come to his room. I ventured toward the long hallway. They must be in the basement. I turned off the TV they’d left on upstairs, then headed toward their man cave. They used to throw pretty badass parties there, but now it served as a game room where they could be dumb boys. Voices carried up the hall when I began my descent and I froze, my name echoing off the brick walls.
“You’refuckingGreta? Are you shitting me?” I recognized Tanner’s agonized voice. “How the fuck could you do that?”
“Chill out,” Aaron replied, anger seeping into his voice. “It’s not a big deal. We both like sex. It doesn’t mean shit. Also, not your goddamn business, TJ.”
“You… It’s Greta. What happens when this bullshit is over, huh? Have you thought about that?”
I hadn’t moved a muscle, his answer becomingeverything. We had one more month for the ‘plan’. Four more weeks. My throat constricted, my pulse skyrocketing in anticipation.
“Yeah—nothing. We go back to being friends. It was part of the plan. Why are you being such a dick about it?” Aaron fired back, my stomach souring in the worst way. “It’s just fucking. You get around enough to know. We fuck. We pretend.”
“Jesus, I can see your bullshit,” Tanner yelled, the easy friendship between the two of them nowhere to be found. “Who the fuck cares if you have feelings? I’m just saying—”
“I’m not in love with her, Tanner.”
“Greta has always been off-limits. Her friendship is important.” Someone hit the wall, the loud boom echoing off the stairwell. “That’s why Ineverlet anything happen with her. You’re a fucking idiot. So, you’re telling me when this shit is done, I can ask her out?”
I stopped breathing. My entire body turned into a rope of angst, fear and heartbreak, his one-word answer deciding everything for me.
“Yeah. Jesus, it’s her decision.” A cold, unnatural tone came from Aaron. An unrecognizable one.
“God.” Tanner hit a wall again. “You’re fucking her over. You’re going to hurt her.”
I wanted to move, I really did. But I couldn’t. My legs stood stiff, glued to the old carpet on the stairs. If he was going to hurt me even more, I wanted it to be pouring salt into a wound. And he did.
“She agreed to this, Tanner. She knows I don’t do relationships. This was to help me and my career. She chose to accept the terms. Stop making it a big goddamn deal. She’s handling it better than you.”
“Well, when you fuck this up, Aaron, because you will—you fuck everything up—I won’t help you.”
I sensed footsteps coming toward the doorway and moved into action. I couldn’t be caught. Without making a sound, I exited their house and took off running toward my apartment. Tears fell, betraying my tough attitude.We fuck. We pretend.
I’d prepared myself to feel this way. Like a stake had been shoved into my chest and pulled out only to repeat the process. I recalled that first day we’d talked about the notion, way back in July.I don’t want you to hate me at the end.
God, I shouldn’t’ve agreed to this.Tears fell harder, my vision becoming blurry as I dropped the keys twice. Callie must’ve heard me, because she swung the door open, took one look at me and wrapped me in her arms. “Oh, Greta. What happened?”
I sobbed into her shoulder. I told her everything, all the way back from the beginning. She didn’t interrupt or ask questions. She just listened and patted my back. Right as I was about to tell her what I’d heard, my phone began ringing and didn’t stop. Callie winced at the phone. “It’s Aaron.”
“Ignore it.” I sniffed, wiping my nose on the back of my hand. “When I got there today, I—”
It rang again. I silenced it and hammered out a text.
Greta: Something came up, sorry. I’m not feeling well.
Aaron: Wait, really? What’s wrong?
I closed my eyes, another bubble of emotion hitting me. “He said it was just fucking. He’s not in love with me. And that if Tanner asked me out…”
Aaron: Greta. I’m worried. Pick up, please.
I ignored it again. “Aaron said he would be fine if Tanner asked me out.”
“Aw, hun.” She rubbed my back again. “I fuckingknewsomething else was going on. When I asked Aaron about it…fuck.”
“What?”
“What if I did this? Like, put the notion in his mind and he’s acting out because of me?” She gasped, her face blanching.
I chuckled with a stuffy nose. “Cal, not your fault at all. Knock that shit off. It’s his words, his actions. Not you.”
