"Lover At Last" - читать интересную книгу автора (Ward, J.R.)

тАЬI guessтАжhearing it out loud is still a shock.тАЭ

Blay frowned in the dim light. тАЬI donтАЩt understand.тАЭ

тАЬI know you donтАЩt. And thatтАЩs my fault. All of thisтАжis my fault.тАЭ Qhuinn glanced over his shoulder, his strong, hard face set grimly. тАЬI just donтАЩt want you to think IтАЩm in love with her. ThatтАЩs all.тАЭ

Blay went to take a hit off his Dunhill, but didnтАЩt have enough draw in his lungs. тАЬIтАЩmтАжsorryтАФI donтАЩt getтАжwhyтАжтАЭ

Well, that was an awesome reply.

тАЬIтАЩm not in love with her. SheтАЩs not in love with me. We are not sleeping together.тАЭ

Blay laughed harshly. тАЬBullshit.тАЭ

тАЬDead serious. I serviced her in her needing because I want a young, and so does she, and it began and ended there.тАЭ

Blay closed his eyes as the wound in his chest got ripped open all over again. тАЬQhuinn, come on. YouтАЩve been with her this whole last year. IтАЩve seen youтАФeveryoneтАЩs seen you twoтАФтАЭ

тАЬI took her virginity four nights ago. No one had been with her before that, including myself.тАЭ

Oh, there was a picture he needed in his head.

тАЬI am not in love with her. She is not in love with me. We are not sleeping together.тАЭ

Blay couldnтАЩt hold still any longer, so he paced around, the snow packing under his boots. And then from out of nowhere, the voice of the Church Lady from SNL came into his head: Well, isnтАЩt that speeeeeeeeeecial.

тАЬIтАЩm not with anybody,тАЭ Qhuinn said.

Blay laughed again with an edge. тАЬAs in a relationship? Of course not. But do not expect me to believe that youтАЩre spending your off time crocheting doilies and alphabetizing a spice rack with that female.тАЭ

тАЬI havenтАЩt had sex in almost a year.тАЭ

That stopped him cold.

God, where the fuck was all the air in this part of the universe?

тАЬBullshit,тАЭ Blay countered in a cracked voice. тАЬYou were with LaylaтАФfour nights ago. As you said.тАЭ

In the silence that followed, the horrible truth raised its ugly-ass head again, the pain making it impossible for him to hide what he had so diligently been burying for the last few days.

тАЬYou were really with her,тАЭ he said. тАЬI watched the library chandelier going back and forth under your room.тАЭ

Now Qhuinn was the one closing his eyes like he wanted to forget. тАЬIt was for a purpose.тАЭ

тАЬListenтАжтАЭ Blay shook his head. тАЬIтАЩm really not clear on why youтАЩre telling me all this. I meant what I saidтАФI donтАЩt need any explanation about what you do with your life. You and IтАжwe grew up together, and thatтАЩs it. Yeah, we shared a lot of stuff back then, and we were there for each other when it mattered. But neither one of us can fit into the clothes we used to wear, and this relationship between us is just the same. It doesnтАЩt fit in our lives any longer. We donтАЩtтАжfit anymore. And listen, I didnтАЩt mean to get pissy in the truck, but I think you need to be clear on this. You and I? We have a past. ThatтАЩs it. ThatтАЩsтАжall weтАЩll ever have.тАЭ

Qhuinn looked away, his face once again in the shadows.

Blay forced himself to keep talking. тАЬI know thisтАжLayla thingтАжis a big deal to you. Or IтАЩm guessing it isтАФhow could it not be, if sheтАЩs pregnant. For me? I honestly wish you both well. But you donтАЩt owe me any explanationsтАФand whatтАЩs more, I donтАЩt require them. IтАЩve moved on from childish crushesтАФand thatтАЩs what I had for you. Back then, it was just an infatuation, Qhuinn. So please take care of your female, and donтАЩt worry that IтАЩm slitting my wrists because youтАЩve found someone to love. As I have.тАЭ