Deal Breakers (Dealing with Love 1)

Drew makes a face. “Ugh! Please do not tell me ‘knew each other’ is code for ‘We got it on like Donkey Kong.’?” He looks sternly at Rye. “Dude, no offense, but I’m going to have to kick your ass if you’ve seen my baby sister naked.”

“Um...” Riley stammers. “We…uh…” He looks to me for help. I could always read his thoughts in college; it was like we shared the same brain sometimes. Apparently, that hasn’t changed because he’s asking me with his eyes how I want this to play out. Now isn’t that a loaded question?

“No, you idiot,” I interrupt. “Riley and I were just friends. Acquaintances, really. No nudity involved. I haven’t even spoken to him since senior year. By the way, who uses phrases like ‘Get it on like Donkey Kong’? I swear Nathan is more mature than you sometimes.”

“Phew!” Drew swings a heavy arm around my shoulders, completely ignoring my dig about his maturity level. He then does the same with Riley, hugging us into him, forcing our bodies a little too close for comfort. “Thank fuck! I didn’t want there to be any awkwardness. C’mon, lets grab our seats and watch the Seahawks kick ass!”

Right, no awkwardness at all.

RILEY

FRIENDS? NO WAIT, ACQUAINTENCES? Damn, so much for hoping she’d let this whole thing blow over. I was counting on the old adage, time heals all wounds. Okay, I can understand her not wanting to reveal the fact that she lost her virginity to me, but I think I’m a little insulted that she’s not even laying claim to how close we were back then. Fuck thinking I’m insulted; I am insulted. She was my best friend and I know she felt the same way about me. She was the only woman in my life besides my mom that I ever cared about. Hell, I moved across the country just for the chance of seeing her again. And now she’s practically fallen into my lap my first week in town. This has to be more than a crazy coincidence.

Wait a second…is she the sister Drew was talking about? I never met him before today, but I know Devyn only has one sibling. Does she really have a kid? He said it’s been five years since that asshole had dumped her after she told him she was pregnant. Doing the math in my head, it had to have been shortly after we had slept together. If this dickbag broke her heart, that means that she jumped into a relationship with him right after hooking up with me. I guess her ‘I love you’ was all for show. She really was just interested in popping her cherry then moving on, wasn’t she?

Trying to conceal how angry I am, I ask, “So, Devyn…what have you been up to? How long has it been, anyway?”

“I’ve been great,” she replies with a saccharine tone that doesn’t match the ball-shriveling glare she is shooting my way. “I don’t know…how long has it been? Our senior year was about five years ago, I suppose. Isn’t it amazing how fast time flies when you’re having fun? If I remember correctly, you like to go out and have a lot of fun, don’t you?”

Ouch. Yeah, so I’ve slept with a lot of women but I’m nowhere near as bad as I was in college. Sex with random women lost its appeal years ago. It took me six months after being with Devyn before I could even get hard for someone else. And believe me, when you’re a twenty-two-year-old guy who could get his dick waxed anywhere, anytime, that’s like a fucking lifetime of celibacy. No matter how hot the girl is, it’s just not as good as I remember it being before her. That’s how my sex life is categorized now: B.D. and A.D. Before Devyn and After Devyn. I hate admitting that Brody’s right, but magic pussy indeed. I remember being so cocky thinking that I’d ruin her for every other man when in reality… she’s the one who has ruined me. I’m such a dumbass.

I’m also a dick, apparently, because I can’t help but go for the jugular with my next line of questioning. “So, Drew tells me you have a kid. I guess congratulations are in order. Who’s the dad?”

“DUDE!” Drew shouts.

Devyn’s face turns beet red as her mouth falls open. She levels Drew with a look that I can’t make sense of and says, “You told him? What the hell, Drew?”

Drew gives me an accusing glare. “Me? If anyone deserves a ‘what the hell’ it’s this asshole! Dude, what the hell?”

I hold my hands up in surrender. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to come out that way. I was just curious, I suppose.” I stare Devyn directly in the eyes before adding, “You and I were…hanging out right before graduation and there was no boyfriend then. I was just wondering when exactly you met this kid’s father. Drew said he’s four now which would mean you had to start dating him right after we hung out. Am I doing the math wrong here?”

“Nope, your genius brain is working just fine.” She stands up from the table at which we’ve just sat. She looks at Drew before adding, “Look, Drew, I’m sorry but I just remembered that Rose has to bail early tonight. I have to get back to Nate and can’t stay for the game. I’ll see you at home.” She stumbles a bit as she starts walking away so I jump up to steady her by the elbow. Is that a tear in her eye? She jerks her arm away. “Bye, Riley.”

Her friend gets up to chase after her but not before jabbing me in the chest with her finger. “You should consider wearing a cup next time I see you. That was not cool.”

I plop back into the booth. “Not cool at all, dude,” Drew says.

“I know, man,” I agree. “I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to her, okay?”

Drew looks skeptical. “You can try, but it’s a pretty touchy subject. Just tread lightly, okay? I like you; I don’t want to have to kick your ass.”

I smile briefly at his warning. “Got it.”

DEVYN

“DEVYN, WAIT UP!” RAINEY shouts as she chases after me. I wipe away the lone tear that escaped before she can reach me.

I stop on the sidewalk and wait for her to catch up. “Lorraine, you didn’t have to come after me. I’m fine. You should go back and enjoy the game.”

She puts her hand on her hip and gawks at me. “You’re fine? The fuck you are! What the hell happened back there?”

I sniffle a little. Stupid, girly hormones. “Nothing happened. I just got a little emotional when Riley brought up he who must not be named.”

“Bullshit! You’re on the verge of crying, for fuck’s sake!” She throws her hands up in exasperation. “And for the record, ‘he who must not be named’ is only called that because you refuse to name him!”

I sniffle again, making her face soften. “Oh, honey, please don’t cry. I don’t know what the fuck to do with tears. I grew up with five brothers; there was no crying allowed on Testosterone Island.”

I suck back the emotions and paste a smile on my face. “I’m sorry. I feel