Chapter 17 #2
“Duh.” Tyler grins, and in a move I don’t see coming, he wraps me in a tight hug, his arms around my shoulders and his head leaning against mine.
“Hug me, Soph,” he says with amusement, and it’s only then I realize I’ve been frozen, absorbing the feel of his body against mine.
I wind my arms around his waist, and he gives a happy little sigh into my ear, like all he needs is this, and I’m in a fuckton of trouble, because this is all I need too.
I am so dangerously close to spilling my feelings all over this living room, I have to bite my cheek to keep the words in.
“This is my favorite night,” he says quietly, pressing a kiss to the side of my head. “Every night with you is my favorite, but I think I like this one most of all. I’m glad you’re here, Soph. Really, really fucking glad.”
I swallow hard as I absorb his words, feeling the truth of them, because every night with him is my favorite too, and here is the only place I want to be.
Stepping back from Tyler, I expect to see that same heat and intensity from before on his face, and when it’s not that, but a soft smile and the happiest eyes instead, it throws my insides into chaos.
I need to take a beat.
“Pajamas,” I manage. “Be right back.” Without another word, I turn and flee towards the stairs, Tyler’s low chuckle following me all the way to my room. The second I close the door, I whip out my phone, throwing myself face down on the bed.
Time to call in some reinforcements.
Smart Bitches
Me
SO fucking S. Someone better be awake.
Sarah
Literally always. Pharmacology is going to end me.
Maddy
I wasn’t up half an hour ago, but I am now. You just caught me.
Sarah
Why are you awake now?
Emmy
Because she just had sex. Keep up, Sar.
Maya
Because when you’re in love and shacking up with a hot, sexy football god, you stop needing normal, everyday things like sleep.
Maddy
Listen, I wish I could say she was wrong, but…hot damn.
Emmy
How does it feel to be god’s favorite?
Maddy
You know, it feels pretty damn good, actually. Thank you for asking.
Caitlin
Soph, what’s wrong?
Maya
Heyyyyy gang’s all here!
Me
Thank god. I’m having a crisis.
Emmy
Is its name Tyler Hansley?
Sarah
It’s about time!
I was rooting for a good Tyler crisis the second you moved in there.
Caitlin
I had your crisis calendared for the one-month mark. You’re ahead of schedule.
That’s impressively fast work.
Me
You calendared my crisis?
Caitlin
I like to be prepared.
Maddy
So what’s going on?
Me
I have no idea. That’s the problem.
Maya
Is there some tension in paradise?
Me
I’ll say.
Sarah
OH MY GOD I LOVE THIS SO MUCH. YAY FOR TENSION.
Caitlin
Cool it, Torrance Shipman.
Sarah
I want to be irritated but I can’t because A+ pop culture cheerleading reference.
Emmy
Seriously. That’s impressively quick recall for two in the morning.
Maya
It’s Caitlin. She would have impressively quick recall in a canoe in the middle of the ocean during a category five hurricane.
Maddy
Soph, the floor is yours.
Me
Okay, see, the thing is, this morning Tyler saw me naked.
Emmy
I need more information. Saw you naked how?
Me
Like, barged into my room two seconds after I dropped my towel to get dressed.
Caitlin
He didn’t knock?
Sarah
That’s your first question?
Caitlin
It’s a logical question. Knocking is the polite thing to do.
Maya
She doesn’t want him to be polite. She wants him to be extremely, filthily impolite.
Me
He thought I was asleep and he was leaving me coffee. He didn’t knock because he didn’t want to wake me up.
Maddy
Who knew Tyler had a sweet streak under that cocky football guy exterior?
Me
I knew. I fucking knew, and that’s at least sixty percent of the problem.
Sarah
And hey, speaking of football guy, what’s going on with the guy from the app?
Caitlin
Later, Sar. One thing at a time. So he walked in on you naked and then what happened?
Me
He stood there, looking me up and down like I was the best thing he’s ever seen. I was two seconds away from either bursting into flames or melting into a puddle right on the floor. I swear I could feel his perusal like it was his hands on me.
Emmy
Okay well now I think I’m the one who’s going to burst into flames.
Maya
No shit.
Maddy
Same, and there is literally a shirtless man lying next to me looking at me exactly like that.
Maya
A hot ass shirtless man.
Me
Okay but the thing is, ever since this morning, Tyler has been acting…weird.
Caitlin
Weird how?
Me
He’s been looking at me for longer than normal and touching me like he never has before but then he’s slipping right back into friend mode.
Right now he’s in the kitchen making grilled cheese for me with homemade french fries literally inside of it and it’s sort of like it always has been but then it’s not and it’s possible this is all in my head, but…
Sarah
But you don’t think so.
Me
I really don’t know, and it’s driving me insane.
Maddy
Okay I’m going to say a thing now.
Emmy
Mom wisdom coming in hot.
Maddy
Why am I mom?
Emmy
Um, because you literally are a mom.
Maddy
Fuck, I sometimes forget about that. Talk about weird.
Sarah
Good weird?
Maddy
The best weird.
So the thing is, is it possible Tyler has been harboring some secret feelings of his own?
Maya
One hundred percent yes he has.
Me
Why do you say that?
Maya
Oh, sweet summer child, let me count the ways.
Me
You know what? Can you count them in person? I think maybe this conversation demands that.
Maddy
Fuck yes, sexy breakfast story!
Sarah
Sexy what?
Caitlin
It’s something our moms do. When someone has sexy news, they tell it over breakfast, with donuts.
Sarah
It’s awesome that they’re in their fifties and still have sexy stories to tell.
Maya
Have you seen all their dads? Of course their moms have sexy stories to tell.
Maddy
No.
Caitlin
No.
Me
Absolutely fucking not.
Sarah
But I mean, she’s not wrong.
Me
Glass houses, Sar. Dr. Jordan Wyles is a pretty devastating fifty whatever year old.
And lest you decide to get in on the action Em, some people would say Cooper Wyles is the sexiest of the Wyles brothers. Not me, of course. But some people. They say it’s the glasses.
Sarah
Okay, sorry, I get it. Fucking gross.
Emmy
So gross.
I think we need our own version of a sexy breakfast story. Like, a sexy dinner story with tacos. And tequila. We can eat our weight in queso and get the perfect amount of drunk, and Soph can spill her guts.
Maya
Put this directly in my veins. Tomorrow night. If anyone has plans, cancel them. We’re doing this instead.
Me
Sold.
Maddy
Want to come here since our usual meeting spot is under construction? Riley is sleeping at a friend’s house, and Cam is taking Ethan to the hockey game with Drew.
Me
Tyler is going too.
Caitlin
And Jack.
Maya
Well isn’t that the sweetest little bromance date. And yes on sexy dinner stories at Chez Lowry/Wright. I’ll pick up the food on the way.
Me
Bless you all. I need this. I’ve been living with a boy for too long and I think I’m losing my mind.
Sarah
SQUEAL. You’re living with a boy.
Me
Is it actually squeal-worthy? Right now, all I have to show for it is twisted up feelings and the knowledge that my best male friend now knows what my tits look like.
Emmy
That’s all upside, Soph. You have amazing tits.
Maya
You really do. The best tits of any of us, I would say.
Me
Aw, thanks pals. You have great tits too.
And it’s great that you’ll be helping me with this crisis now, but there’s still the immediate problem of surviving the grilled cheese Tyler is making for me downstairs right now.
Maya
The man is making grilled cheese with homemade French fries inside. Sounds a lot like you are thriving, not surviving.
Me
Focus, My. Can I just pretend to “accidentally” fall asleep up here instead?
Caitlin
You cannot. You march your ass and those perfect tits right downstairs and eat that man’s grilled cheese.
Maddy
Did that sound vaguely dirty to anyone else?
Emmy
Yep.
Maya
Sure did.
Sarah
100% yes.
Me
I thought it was just me, on account of the whole, being in love with my best friend and immense sexual frustration thing.
Caitlin
Go, Soph. Now. Report back tomorrow.
Me
Ugh, fine. But if I perish from the weirdness of it all, you’ll be sorry.
Caitlin
I’ll be sure to say extra nice things about you in your eulogy.
Enjoy the french fry grilled cheese.