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His answer already said it all, but she continued anyway. “Have you kissed anyone else since our conversation on the beach?”
“Rory…”
“I won’t be mad,” she answered honestly.
“Why? Have you kissed anyone?”
“Yes.” The word came out before she could stop herself. But after it did, she felt relieved. She sighed, settled down on her bed, and listened to him snigger on the other line.
“Damn, I honestly wasn’t expecting that,” Jay replied. “I was mentally preparing to get an earful.”
“Because you thought I would be mad that you’re hooking up with other people?”
“Well, yeah. I like fooling around with you, but I don’t know, things on campus have started to feel different, and you and I haven’t…”
She understood. “So you figured you would find someone else who would bang you.”
He exhaled. “I haven’t banged anyone, but I’ve kissed a few people.”
Rory curled into the fetal position, resting her phone on her ear. “So we’re just…hooking up.”
“Does that make you mad?”
“No. I guess after we talked on the beach and you said all of those things, I thought—”
“That I wanted a relationship,” he said, cutting her off.
“Maybe,” she murmured.
“I told you, though. I told you I wasn’t sure what this was, and I gave you an out.”
“I know you did.”
They remained silent, the sound of howling wind picking back up on the other line, signaling he was on the move again.
“Who’d you kiss?” he asked.
She bristled. “You don’t know him.”
“Oh come on. The Port is small, there’s no way I don’t know him. Who is it?”
“I’m not telling you,” she replied, her tone terse. “Just like I won’t ask about who you’ve kissed.”
Jay snorted. “Fine, that’s fair.”
She heard a door creak open on his end, and then the howling wind ceased.
“So…” Rory started. She wasn’t sure where to go from here.
“Listen, Rory, I don’t think I can make it to the game,” Jay replied. “This thing came up on campus that I really don’t want to miss.”
She tucked her knees into her sweatshirt, settling into the warmth of her bed. “Okay.”
“But I’ll see you next week when I’m home, yeah?”
“Sure, yeah, okay.”
“Alright, baby, see you then.”
