They are.
I'm committed to Indie.
That's better than something as mercurial as love. I won't leave if my feelings change. I won't wake up one day and decide I can do better.
I won't abandon her.
"Ty?" Indigo's voice softens. "Are you ready?"
I nod.
She offers her hand. When I take it, she sucks in a heavy inhale. Opens the door slowly. "Sienna, this is Ty." She moves aside.
I step through the doorframe.
A tall teenage girl in a grey jumper stares at me. Her jaw drops. Her light eyes go wide.
She has Indigo's strong nose, and her long frame, but the rest of her features are softer. Light hair, hazel eyes, casual attire.
"Holy fuck, Indigo." She's obvious about checking me out. "I thought he got fat."
"Oh my god." Indigo shakes her head. "Sorry, she—"
"He's so hot." She presses her lips together. "I mean, uh, that's right. I'm Sienna." She holds out her hand. "Is Ty short for something? Or is it some kinky nickname?"
Indigo laughs.
"Right. Yeah. She asked me to be on my best behavior. And not make everything about sex. But come on…" Sienna looks to her sister. "She hasn't gotten any in forever and suddenly she's walking around with a satisfied look and hickeys? I'm not an idiot."
"It's nice to meet you, Sienna." I offer my hand.
"Has that been—" Sienna motions to Indigo's short skirt.
"Oh my god." Indigo hides behind her palm.
I chuckle. "Not yet, no."
Sienna moves forward to shake. "But later?"
"If I'm lucky."
"Okay, this has been a good talk," Indigo says. "Now we're going to leave and—"
"Uh, I don't think so." Sienna looks to her sister. "I haven't met one of your boyfriends since Noah. And, honestly, he was hot, but a zero. You know the type, right, Ty?"
"I'm not sure I do," I say.
Sienna shoots me an incredulous look, but she still explains. "Nice. Family oriented. All right on paper, but just… dull. They didn't have anything in common either. But I guess I don't know what the two of you have in common besides—" She makes an o with one hand. Pushes two fingers through it.
"Sienna!" Indigo turns bright red. "Please don't discuss my sex life."
"But you do have one now. A sex life?" She looks to me. "Do I have to get you drunk first? Or will you tell me all my sister's secret desires if I ask?"
"You can try. If you think that will work," I say.
"I'll consider that." She gives me a slow once-over. Looks to her sister. "I'm not supposed to comment on your appearance."
"No?" I ask.
She nods yeah. "It's rude. To congratulate my sister for having a hot boyfriend in front of him."
"You are objectifying me," I say.
"Sure, but, come on. You've never told a guy congrats on the hot girlfriend?" She raises a brow, the exact same way Indigo does. "Really?"
"Not in front of her," I say.
"But you have." She looks to Indigo. "See. This is how guys act. Why can't we act that way?"
"What do you want to say?" I ask. "Maybe congratulations, Indie, your boyfriend has a fantastic arse?"
Sienna nods. "Seems reasonable, yeah."
"And if I went to my brother and said, Eve's tits look fantastic in that dress. You're a lucky man?" I ask.
Sienna makes that hmm noise. Her forehead scrunches as she thinks.
Indigo shoots me an I'm sorry she's ridiculous look.
"Maybe… it does sound kind of bad like that," Sienna says. "But I wasn't specific. I didn't say, 'good job, Indie, your boyfriend has abs. I hope you lick them.'"
"Would you?" I ask.
She laughs. "Maybe. If we were at the beach or something. Or… you play soccer, right?"
"I do," I say.
"Aren't you a little old for that?" she asks.
My laugh is loud. Honest. "You New Yorkers are so blunt. It's charming."
"We're assholes. But it saves time, getting to the point. Life would be easier if everyone got to the point. Don't you think?" she asks.
It's a good question. Insightful.
Brutal honesty would make life easier, yes.
But it would be painful too.
And most people aren't honest enough with themselves to be honest with someone else.
I promised Indigo I'd try to be honest with her, even if it hurt. And I will. I am.
But it's not as easy as it sounds.
Sienna moves on from her philosophical inquiry. "It's Tyler Hunt, right? I'll look it up when you guys leave."
"I'm thirty." I move to Indigo. Wrap my arm around her waist. "I was in a league in London. Now, I play the occasional game at the park. It's casual. With friends."
"Are you good?" Sienna asks.
"Not as good as I was in university," I say.
"You played then?" Sienna looks from her sister to me. "And I'm totally keeping you guys from having dirty sex, huh? I can go. It's still early. And I have finals next week, so…"
"We're leaving." Indigo looks up at me, equal parts embarrassment and approval in her blue eyes. "Or do you want to talk about soccer for a while? I can… I'm going to fix my lipstick, actually. I'll just be a minute." She mouths okay?