Page 57 of Flowers To Give

“You know you ruined kissing for him?” Merle continues.

“Really, Jeremy, that’s why?” Barry suddenly says, stepping forward, “After all this time, why did you never tell me that?”

“Who’s this?” Merle asks Jeremy, thumbing at Barry.

“He’s, uh, my friend,” Jeremy replies shortly.

“Oh, bullshit!” Barry huffs, “We’re more than that and you know it!”

“Barry,” Jeremy whispers, “Please, stop.”

“No, it’s all out in the open now so let’s just say it!” Barry turns to the crowd with his arms up in the air, “Hey, everyone, Jeremy and I are in a physical relationship! There! Now everybody knows!”

“Oh,” Merle nods, “Now I know who you are.”

“Barry, stay out of this,” Clark warns, putting up a hand.

“Why should I?” Barry asks insolently, stepping into the circle of men, “Do my feelings matter less than yours?”

“Yes,” Clark says.

“Oh yeah? Why’s that?” Barry seethes.

“Because Jeremy was never serious about you,” Clark puts his hands on his hips, turning to Merle next and saying, “Or you.”

“That was true,” Merle admits, “We weren’t supposed to be. But I’ve changed my mind. I need Jeremy, I want to be with him.”

“Well, I’ve changed my mind too,” Barry steps closer.

Jeremy looks over to him, asking, “Barry, what are you saying?”

“I want to get serious with you, that’s what I’m saying,” Barry nods, “I’m tired of pretending like I don’t like you as much as I do. I want you to stay here, with me.”

“Both of you are fooling yourselves,” Clark spits out.

“You know what I can’t really figure out,” Merle points at Clark, narrowing his eyes as he observes, “Why do you care so much? What’s your stake in all this?”

“Does it have to do with you kissing Jeremy in Hawaii?” Laurelai plainly asks from behind them.

The crowd collectively turns toward her as she steps into the ring. Clark chuckles, saying, “What are you talking about?”

“We all know it’s true,” Laurelai shifts her weight to one hip.

“Oh, yeah? How?” Clark crosses his arms again, looking at everyone but Jeremy.

Laurelai nods up at Jeremy still on the horse, saying, “I heard him tell Barry. Back when they were having sex in the tack room.”

Clark’s brow wrinkles with sorrow, glancing up at Jeremy and asking quietly, “So that really happened? You and Barry fucked in the tack room the day I got back from Vancouver?”

Jeremy squirms on the bareback horse, voice low as he says, “What does it matter? How is that any different from what you were doing at the party?”

Yana clutches her mouth beside them, the only one following what Jeremy’s talking about.

“That’s totally different,” Clark hisses.

“How?”

“Cuz that was Laurelai’s idea. It meant nothing,” Clark shifts his weight, looking away, “Does that ring a bell?”