few steps. “Thanks for letting me play a bit of that game. Feel free to come over sometime and play something from my collection.”
Normally, this was where I’d point out that whatever he had, I’d likely already played. But that thought never came to mind. Instead, all I could think about was… Sweet child o’ mine, he just invited me ’round to his place! Granted, there was a chance he only offered to be nice, but regardless, he offered. Which meant this chapter hadn’t been closed.
“Yeah, I’ll totally do that sometime.”
I waited until he was fully outside with the door closed behind him before palming my face in deep humiliation.
Dave must’ve been around the corner—which wouldn’t surprise me, because that’s just what Dave did. Less than a minute after Jacoby left, he practically came skipping into the room. With his fist under his chin, his lips pursed in judgment, he blinked at me. “So…what were you saying about me being an idiot?”
I took a pillow from behind me and tossed it at him, frustrated that it didn’t cause him any pain. But the second I picked up the controller, he jumped into action and took it from me before I could chuck that at him as well.
“I’m never gonna make it through this,” I whined while sinking as far into the sofa as I could. “We had a…moment, I guess you could call it, and I was so close to telling him the truth so we could have sex.”
“Why would you have to tell him the truth?”
I glared at him, as if he hadn’t been paying attention to me for the last twenty-four hours that he’d been here. “Because, Dave, he thinks I’m my sister, who has a fiancé. So as far as he knows, I’m not available.”
“He’s a guy…I’m fairly certain he won’t reject you.”
I rolled my eyes, ready to completely give up on him. “You know me, which means that you know I would never look twice at a man who’d do that.”
“If it’s only to get laid, then what’s the point?”
“He’s a nice guy—from what I know of him. And now that I know he enjoys video games and beer, he just might be my only chance at having a friend while I’m here. Why would I possibly give that up?”
“Umm…for sex. Duh.”
I shook my head and closed my eyes. He was too much to deal with at the moment.
“Listen, Tosh, I’m only trying to help.”
“Newsflash, Dave: I don’t need a pimp. Well, maybe I do…but I don’t want one.”
His laughter howled around me. “That’s not what I mean. In a couple of weeks, you’re going to be followed around by a film crew, catching your every move, every word, every single expression. You may know how Tiffany Lewis acts, but let’s be real…you’re failing miserably at being her.”
“Am not.”
“Am too,” he argued, like we were toddlers. “If Jacoby knows anything about your sister, then I can bet you a hundred bucks that he thinks something’s up with you. Around me, around Ty, it’s okay to relax a bit. But around others, you need to start being more of a chib.”
“I get it. But maybe I don’t want to be rude to him. Like I said before, he’s my only chance of having a friend around here. Ty is great when he’s around, but he’s not always here. He’s a very busy guy. And then there’s you, who lives seven hours away. Phone calls and video chats only keep me company for so long.”
He scooted closer and placed a hand on my knee. “You’re not here to make friends, Tosh. That shouldn’t be foreign to you, considering you’re not one to make too many friends anyway.”
“Rude.” I shoved his hand away and crossed my arms over my chest defiantly. “I’m a nice person. People like me.”
“Oh, I’m not arguing that. I’m just saying that you tend to keep people on the other side of those walls you’ve built around you.”
He hadn’t said any of that to be mean or upset me. He simply knew me better than anyone else on Earth, which meant that he also understood why I was this way. He had been by my side through all the torment, bullying, and relentless harassment in high school, all thanks to the same person I was now bailing out.
Go figure.
“So, tell me, oh wise one, how do you suppose I treat him like crap and sleep with him at the same time? I doubt one will