36. Brent #2
Whatever. She can think what she wants. But she needs to back the fuck off.
“What do you want me to say, Val? Because things either calm the fuck down or Posey and I go low. You’re not the only one with photos from Bermuda.
” Granted, she’s in the background of some of them, but she’s clearly pawing at Trev’s cousin in a few of them.
A lucky find on our part since I didn’t include her deliberately.
I’ve got no problem zooming in and posting those with my own detailed assessment of our relationship.
Val’s jaw works, and for the first time she turns her attention to Posey. “Did he cheat on me?”
“Not with me,” Posey says. “I can’t imagine him cheating at all. That’s not who he is.”
Such a simple statement, but it makes me feel a hell of a lot better about where we’re headed. She didn’t hesitate, even though we’ve only known each other a few weeks.
Seems unbelievable that Val blew up Posey’s life because she thought I cheated on her given her own behavior. Doesn’t seem fair.
“We just want you to stop spreading lies,” I say. “Let all this die.”
“I’m not removing anything or taking anything down.” Val shifts her purse onto her shoulder.
“That’s not going to work,” I say. “I need you to take down the photo that makes it look like I fucked around on Posey. We both know how you got that picture. Your live video you’ve got saved on your profile also needs to come down.”
Posey squeezes my hand.
“That photo makes me look like I went back and forth between you, Val. Is that the impression you want people to have of you? If I post my Bermuda photos, it’s going to look even worse.
You and Trev’s cousin were not subtle.” I’m more concerned about the long-term impact on Posey if those lies are lurking out there, and I’ll do what’s necessary to get them down.
“I’ll delete the caption and the comments.
” She huffs out a breath. “I’ll take down the video.
I don’t know that I believe you weren’t cheating, but I don’t have any proof either way.
I don’t understand how you could have gotten so close so fast. Doesn’t make any sense to me when you gave me the bare minimum. ”
The truth is that I gave her what she allowed me to give, and I wonder whether, seeing what I’m capable of, she has regrets over not insisting on more.
If she’d pushed, I’d have walked. That was our pattern for a year and a half.
She asked for more than I was willing to give, and I called off our arrangement.
She lured me back. Rinse and repeat. As Posey pointed out, sex was the only thing we had going for us.
Not sure I would have believed I had room for more.
With Posey, it’s been the opposite. We started with sex and built something meaningful.
I’ve been the one inching toward a relationship, and she’s been the one stubbornly standing still.
Not backing off, but not letting herself get too close.
I have a clear idea of how a future could work with Posey, and I never saw one with Val.
None of that will make Val feel better about where we’ve ended up, and the truth might freak Posey out.
Though, I’m beginning to think she might be almost ready for my honest assessment of us as a couple.
“I’m sorry I was a shit boyfriend to you.” It’s the best I can do. Val and I were always too different in the wrong ways to succeed. We should have been a brief affair, not a long-term relationship.
“I’m sure you’ll slide into old habits,” Val says. “And then he’ll be ignoring you too.” She gives Posey a saccharine smile. “It’s not like you’re anything special.”
I open my mouth to tell her exactly what I think, and Posey covers it with her palm.
“Sure, I’m not special. Your opinion of me really doesn’t matter. But if you start spreading rumors again about Brent or if you keep telling people he cheated, we’ll be posting those photos of you and Trevor’s cousin and going live with our own version of events.”
Val rolls her eyes. “Oh, sweetie. You’ve got a lot to learn. He’s only got room in his life for one love, and it isn’t you.” She fishes into her bag and takes out some gloss to smooth across her lips. “Are we done here? Seeing the two of you together makes me sick.”
“Yeah, we’re done.” She’ll either uphold our bargain or Posey and I will be forced to go low.
I’d really prefer the train of lies ground to a halt without me having to trash her in the process.
Not a good look for any of us, and as Posey noted earlier when we were talking Val strategy, the internet doesn’t forget.
Val slings her purse over her shoulder, and she storms through the athletic complex as though she doesn’t have a care in the world.
“Do you believe her?” Posey asks.
“About which part?”
She lets out a light laugh. “Any of it, I suppose. She seems like she’d be hard to get to know.”
Despite Posey’s high walls around a relationship, she’s been open with me from the start.
Posey’s observation about Val is interesting.
While Posey told me in Bermuda she wears all kinds of faces, I’m not sure I ever saw Val’s real one.
Sad, actually. We spent a year and a half together, and we never got to know each other at all.
“You okay?” Posey asks, and she wraps her arms around my middle and gives me a squeeze.
“Yeah.” I plant a kiss on top of her head. “I’m just really grateful for you.”
She draws away, and she links her hand with mine before raising it to her lips and kissing the back of my hand. She leads me toward the exit. “You know, Faulkner, I think the feeling might be mutual.”
A blast of warmth shoots across my body, as though she’s just given me the best present. “You gonna let me take you out tomorrow night on a real date?”
“More than lattes and orgasms?” She quirks an eyebrow.
“We’ll start with dinner and see whether you can handle it,” I say.
“Oh,” she says. “I can handle it. I’m an expert handler.” She gives me an exaggerated wink.
The words I’ve been holding back rise into my throat, but I swallow them. Even if she was ready, I wouldn’t say them in the middle of a crowded food court.
“Tomorrow night,” I say. “I’ll pick you up after practice.”
At the exit, we part ways. She has class, and I’m behind on my latest assignment thanks to all my social media PR work. With the Val situation resolved, I’m hopeful Posey and I will be able to figure out what even ground looks like for us.
No matter what, I want her in my life.