“Wait. How did you know about my dad’s foot?”
“Tristan told me.”
I froze, blindsided. I had called Tristan needing to be comforted, not so he could turn around and call Jay. What had he said to him? I could almost hear them speaking in some masculine Morse code:Cat called crying about this crazy situation with her family, yeah, I don’t know why she called me and not you, I guess ’cause you guys are taking a break or whatever, but yeah, you know I’m not really good with that stuff, she’s still basically your girl, so you should really check on her, man, her dad shot himself in the foot or something, it’s wild, brace yourself.
I gathered all my strength and said evenly, “Thanks for calling. I need to get ready for work.”
Jay seemed startled by my shift in tone but didn’t say anything. “Oh, okay, yeah sure. Let me know if you need anything.”
I know Tristan had seen me through his peephole but acted surprised when he opened the door. “How’d you get into the building?”
“I followed one of your neighbors.”
“Are you all right?” He moved back so I could step inside. Seeing my face, he said, “Are you mad at me or something?”
“Why would you tell Jay about my dad?”
“Why would I—” His eyes got big. It would’ve been funny under other circumstances. “What? You’re joking, right?”
“I called you the other night in confidence.”
“I wasn’t trying to spread your business. You and Jay have been together for years, break or not. I thought it would help.”
“I would have told him if I wanted him to know.” I was more upset because I was trying to prove to myself I could be independent from Jay, but we kept being pulled back together. We kept needing each other.
Tristan looked like he was about to apologize, but then he said, “Now you see how I feel.”
“What?”
He walked into the kitchen but didn’t do anything in there, just turned back to face me. I followed him. It was like a poorly staged play. “You’ve been seeing Nia when we already talked about it.”
“Her painting me is not some weird conspiracy against you. We don’t even talk about you.” Incredibly, he seemed a bit wounded by this revelation. “And it’s not the same as you calling Jay and telling him something I told you in private.”
“Jay’s my friend.”
“Nia’s my friend too.”
“Not the same.”
“What, because you’re MEN!?”
Tristan looked confused. “No? Because we’ve been friends for like fifteen fucking years and you met Nia two minutes ago.”
I didn’t say that those fifteen years were rendered meaningless by what he was doing with me. “And I met you three minutes ago.”
“False. You met me seven years ago, but you don’t remember.” He added, “He asked me to keep an eye on you anyway, back when I moved out here.”
“What the fuck are you two, a tiny surveillance state?”
“He just wants to make sure you’re okay.”
My arms flapped in the air. “I’m fine!!!”
“Yeah, you seem fine.”
“Stop acting like you’re trying to look out for me or whatever. Did you forget the part when you made out with Nia to upset me?
His expression was dark now but with some new emotion shading it. “It didn’t work though.”
