“We’re just... well, it was naive to assume we’d be able to pull this off and that things wouldn’t get complicated.”
“Define complicated,” Tess demanded.
“Honestly, I don’t know. I’m trying not to overthink and just... go with the flow. Plus the sex is awesome, and I’m not looking a gift horse in the mouth.”
Tess raised a glass. “Hear, hear. Great sex isn’t so easy to come by.”
Skye clinked her glass to ours too, but her expression was softer. “Do you think things between you two might evolve into more? Just putting it out there, but we think you’re a perfect fit for him.”
My stomach constricted, and I vehemently shook my head. “No, it’s just for now. I mean, I think it was naive to think we could just be roommates for three years, and... Hunter is drop-dead gorgeous, so that didn’t make things any easier. But the short answer is no.”
I couldn’t get their hopes up. I couldn’t get my hopes up either. They nodded, and we proceeded to order a second round of cocktails.
I veered the conversation toward Skye.
“You seemed a bit down when we spoke on the phone.”
“That obvious?”
“Yes.”
“Can I get a pass tonight?”
“Nope. I did my part. Now, your turn.”
Skye pouted. “But I don’t want to ruin the mood.”
“It’s better than to keep it all in,” Tess said wisely. “I already know everything, but... all three of us could send him all the negative karma in the world. The more the merrier.”
Skye swallowed, looking down at her glass. “This guy I was seeing from work... he already had a girlfriend. Can you believe that? And I found out when someone else at work told me. I’ve never been more embarrassed.
When I confronted him, he said that he’d never told me he was single. I mean... why would I assume that a guy who was hitting on me for months would be single, right?”
“I’m sorry, Skye.”
“I don’t understand. Why did he bother? And his girlfriend.... It almost makes me want to find her just so I can tell her to cut her losses, and not let that jerk dick her around. But what if she knows and doesn’t care? I mean... some people don’t mind open relationships. But I do. I just want a guy who wants... just me. Is that so much to ask for? Ugh... he made me feel so worthless.”
Tess and I exchanged a glance. Yeah... talking about it definitely didn’t help Skye. I knew it helped some—I, for one, liked to talk about breakups to get them out of my system. But Skye had been in such a great mood when the evening had started, and now she looked small and hurt, and I hated it. Tess moved her chair closer to Skye, giving her a heartfelt hug. I loved these girls.
Skye gave us a small smile, leaning into her sister. Tess said nothing, and neither did I. I’d been through enough ugly breakups myself to know that when you felt this raw, nothing anyone said could make you feel better.
This was all my fault. Why had I insisted she talk? It was also my duty to make it better. I brainstormed potential topics that could lift her mood, before the obvious one popped up: me and Hunter.
Skye had been exuberant talking about us, so it was worth a try, even though I knew it meant we’d spend the rest of the evening on the topic. What I wouldn’t do for these girls.
Tess must have sensed what I was thinking about, because she focused on me next.
“How do you do it?” Tess asked. “Living with Hunter, having sex with him, and keeping all these boundaries?”
“Yes, do tell,” Skye said. She was smiling again, finally. Her eyes were sparkling with enthusiasm.
I’d had three daiquiris, which were two too many for me to be able to play it cool.
“It’s hard to keep the lines from blurring. Really hard,” I admitted. When I looked up from the glass, they were grinning.
“What?” I demanded.
Tess shrugged, flashing a devilish smile. “This isn’t going to help you keep those lines from blurring, but we saw how he is with you.”