Page 88 of Only Lovers in the Building

“Your loyalty is to us,” Noah said.

“Just kidding, kids,” Lily said. “I didn’t sign an NDA.”

Noah sat on the rug at her feet, eager and ready.

“What I gathered from our short and brief conversation,” Lily said, “is that Nicolas is ready to settle down. He prioritizes compatibility above all.”

That was enough sharing without getting into the weeds of it.

“I knew it,” Noah said. “He’s looking for his husband.”

“And you’re not,” Kylie concluded. “Case closed.”

“But he’s such a great guy!” Lily pleaded.

Noah didn’t care. “All the men my age want is to settle down. What’s with that?”

“Get yourself a sugar daddy,” Kylie suggested. “They have zero interest settling down and give the nicest gifts.”

“You should tell him how you feel,” Lily said.

“Why should I have to tell him?” Noah asked. “He’s a smart man. He should have figured it out by now.”

“You’re smart, too!” Lily volleyed back. “Use your words.”

“No one wants to have fun anymore,” Noah mumbled.

“I sure don’t,” Kylie said. “Fun is overrated. I want what Ben and Lily have.”

“But do they want what they have?” Noah asked. “That’s the question.”

The question landed like a dagger in Lily’s chest.

“Ben does,” Kylie said. “I’ve seen how he looks at her. But you can’t blame the man for being cautious. Remember Belle? Or was it Bella? That was a clusterfuck.”

“It’s Bella,” Lily said, her throat tight.

“Right . . . Anyway, I caught her crying in the elevator one morning like . . . two weeks ago, maybe? So sad.”

Lily sunk even deeper into the ottoman, wishing the cushion would swallow her up. She was willing to bet all the money she’d invested in the Dow that Bella had cried in the elevator after catching Lily in her ex’s bed, wearing her silk robe.

Noah dismissed this. “Lily is tougher than that. She can handle herself.”

Lily wasn’t so sure. Whether Ben had wanted to or not, he had pulled her into his electric storm. She’d been quivering with mixed emotions ever since. One minute, she wanted to move into his apartment, and the next, she wanted to run away and shield her heart. At the end of the day, she wanted what Kylie perceived they had, without all the back-and-forth and the red flags she could not bring herself to ignore.

YouTube

Prof. Ben Romero on Endings

850K VIEWS—2 YEARS AGO

[An Excerpt]

Professor Romero writes Breakfast at Tiffany’s on a whiteboard and drops the marker on the desk.

Prof. Romero: A great American classic. Let’s get into it.

A hand shoots up.