Page 436 of A Matter of Time

Steven nodded, stepped back from me, and told me he’d call as soon as he and Lisa got situated. I made him promise to.

“Who the hell was that?” Sam roared at me once he’d slammed the door after Steven.

I was confused. “That was Steven. I just reminded you.”

“What the hell was he⁠—”

“No, no, no.” I cut him off, pointing at his feet. “Are you high? Take off your boots. I don’t want water all over my clean floors.”

He growled and yanked off his hiking boots.

“Where are your galoshes?”

“Jory, why was that asshole in my house?”

“He came to say goodbye.” I scowled at him, walking back into the kitchen. “Were you listening to me at all? I wonder about you sometimes… Are you hungry? I made⁠—”

But he was suddenly behind me, having crossed the room that fast, and spinning me around to face him. It was so startling that I gasped.

“His hands were all over you!”

“He was just hugging me goodbye.”

“And he needed to touch your skin to do that, why?”

“I dunno. Everybody does that.”

“I know! I fuckin’ hate it.”

I scoffed. “He doesn’t want me, idiot.”

“I saw his face, J, he wants you bad.”

“Believe me, I’m not what he wants. If he did, he would have told me, just like Aaron did.”

“What?”

I talked way too much.

“J?”

“I… Shit.”

“Tell me what happened.”

“Sam, it’s⁠—”

“Tell me now, please.”

The “please” was never a good sign.

“J,” he said again.

So I explained about my interlude in the rain with my ex. I left out nothing, not even the kiss.

“Uh-huh.” He nodded, his eyes hard.

“It doesn’t mean anything, Sam.”