Page 13 of Tiger Lilies and Tight Ends

Sully: Preach and learn!

Bryan: Not your side of the field.

Sully: Yet.

Darius: Oh, hell no. You can keep your fat ass on your side of the field.

Sully: If you haven’t figured it out yet, it’s all my side.

Titan:

Darius: The side of delusional and crazy.

Sully: I’m attaching the link. I’ll make the reservation. See y’all there.

Chapter 5

Lily

Looking down at my phone, a text message from Dean stares up at me.

Dean: Where are you?

It’s a strange feeling to see a question like this from him after all this time. Months have gone by, and yes, I had those weak moments where I hoped he’d see the light and come find me while crawling on his knees, but he never did.

We’re over. I know we’re over. He knows we’re over. So why now? And just this one question from him pisses me off. I shouldn’t let it, but it somehow does, but at the same time, this is so hard.

For years, he was my best friend, and I miss that. I’m not mad at him anymore. I just feel like for me to move on, I need to set boundaries. And I have. I haven’t texted him, called him, nothing, and in return, he did the same. I’m certain our reasons for this are different, and deep down, that does hurt, but I have moved on. Mentally and emotionally, I’m in a place where I’m at peace with this decision, and by the time I left North Carolina, I was feeling optimistic about my future.

So why is he texting now?

I let out an annoyed sigh and finally decide on:

Staying with a friend.

His response is immediate.

Dean: What friend? I know all of your friends, and no one has seen you.

And isn’t that the truth? He knows my life and all of my friends, and unfortunately I’ve realized I didn’t have much of one. He was my life, and I let his schedule, his needs, his fame, and work-life balance of anonymity when it came to our personal life take over. I really did isolate myself, and the result of that is I have no friends other than Morgan and Lance. And well, do Lance and Casey even count if they’re family?

The garage door swings open, startling me, and my heart rate picks up a little. Tyler saunters into the kitchen, and my system is hit with a jolt at just the sight of him. He’s wearing a Tarpons T-shirt, a pair of black joggers, and gray ankle socks. He must have kicked off his shoes outside. His hair looks disheveled, like he just woke up, and he looks so casual it feels almost intimate. Like this is just an everyday thing for us, and if I’m not careful, I could very easily develop another crush on my brother’s best friend.

That’s right, another, as my mind sweeps back to my teenage self, the first time I met him and the subsequent years that followed. Tyler has always been gorgeous, older, kind, and back then, he was that pie-in-the-sky dream. Did that crush fade? Of course. But that was more due to time than anything else. Time passed, life happened for both of us, and even though he remained a presence in all of our lives, that enamored feeling faded into an admiration for how good of a friend he’s been to Lance.

“Hey,” he says, as he drops a white box onto the island, and a blush heats my cheeks.

Tyler wasn’t here last night, so I had the place to myself. He said he was staying at Jonah’s house to babysit his niece, Vivi, but who knows. We haven’t really talked much this week. I’d like to, but I’m not sure what to say. I know having me here has thrown him off, but I’d like for us to be friends too.

“Are those what I think they are?” I ask him, my stomach instantly growling.

“If you’re thinking they’re donuts, then you’re right. Lance mentioned they were your favorite,” he says, placing his hands on the counter, bracketing the box, and then settling his gaze on me from across the room.

It’s so strange to be the full focus of his attention. Over the years, sure, he’s looked at me, but it’s never felt like this. Maybe it’s because we’re alone, perhaps it’s the stupid teenager in me reveling in his dark-eyed spotlight, or maybe I’m overthinking it because that seems most likely.

“So you just decided to go out and get me some?” I love that he was thinking about me. Then again, he was probably thinking about how he can get rid of me. Let me tell you, pal, showering me with donuts won’t be it. I’m more likely to stay longer if you keep bringing things like this home.

He shrugs and then turns to the cabinet to grab us a couple of plates. In my lap, my phone buzzes again. I look down at it, and it’s still him.