Don't Tell (Don't 1)

“No. This is just as important. I need to get to know the guy who is living in my apartment.”

We started walking toward home.

“He doesn’t live there,” I argued. I hadn’t offered him a drawer. He didn’t keep a toothbrush in my bathroom.

“I’m teasing you. I want to get to know him. See if I can break past that smoldering thing he has.”

I laughed. “I haven’t broken past the smolder.”

“Is it really serious between you two?”

“I don’t know how to answer that. It doesn’t feel casual if that’s what you’re asking.”

“How’s the sex? Tell me that. I need to live vicariously through you at the moment,” she pressed for details.

“Ok. That’s personal.”

“I know it is. But it has to be off the charts. It is, isn’t it?”

“Ok. I’ll tell you this.” I checked behind us to make sure there wasn’t anyone walking close by. “I’ve never … I’ve done all kind of new things. And I love it. Ok? That’s all I’m saying.”

“Thank God someone has a sex life.” She sighed. “I feel like a forty-year-old married woman. This is pathetic.”

My eyes softened. “Greer, just take a breath and talk to Preston. You know he misses sex as much as you do. I’ll go to a movie tonight or something if you want the apartment to yourselves.”

“You’d do that?”

I shrugged. “Of course. Vaughn said he has to leave early. I’ll go out and let you two have some space to talk. And then I’ll lock myself in my room.”

“Thank you. What do I do if it doesn’t work?” She looked panicked.

We stopped in the foyer of our building. I let the grocery bags rest on the the floor to give my arms a break.

“You have to take the first step. No relationship was cured in one night, but if you don’t have the night, make the time, set the priorities, or it won’t heal. Do the small things. They add up.” I smiled.

I saw her eyes glisten with the threat of tears.

“I-I think it’s this place, you know? We’ve made the senators and our careers more important than each other. All the things that brought us together are the things that are slowly pushing us apart.”

“Why don’t you get away for a weekend? Vaughn took me to this amazing vineyard and winery in the country. It’s rustic and romantic.”

Her jaw dropped.

“He took you on a trip?”

I nodded. I wanted to distract her from how much we had drifted apart.

“I’ll give you the name. Surprise Preston with a reservation. He’ll love it.”

She rolled her eyes. “Shit. He sounds perfect. So fucking perfect.”

I shook out my arms before picking up the bags again. “He kinda is.”

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We started up the three flights to the apartment. Vaughn was right where I left him. I dropped the grocery bags on the counter and walked out to tell him we were back.

“Hi.”