to start again.
“Dean, open up!” More pounding…and maybe some kicking.
“I have a spare key, one second.”
I roll my eyes and shake my head as my two best friends have a conversation in front of my house about who deserves my spare key, and why don’t they both have spare keys, and whoever lives the closest should have the spare key because of emergencies, and since Kate spends all her time at Tire Depot, she thinks she’s considered closer even though she doesn’t live at Tire Depot, and by the time they get my front door open and step into my living room, I’m wishing I had a chain on my door.
“What the hell?” Kate exclaims, finding me flopped in one of my beanbag chairs in the living room. “He’s alive.”
Lynsey follows Kate and blinks back her shock. “We thought you were dead.”
I roll my eyes and shake my head. “Why do you two go to death? You’re so dramatic.”
“Because I haven’t heard from you since Kate’s wedding,” Lynsey says, her voice rising in in pitch. “One second, we’re doing the Macarena, and then next, you and Norah take off and you ghost me for six straight days. Why haven’t you answered my texts?”
“Haven’t felt like talking.” I shrug and squint up at Kate. “Aren’t you supposed to be on your honeymoon?”
She rolls her eyes. “We’re waiting until it’s cold as balls for a honeymoon, remember? I told you we’re doing Hawaii in February.”
“Oh yeah.”
Kate’s eyes lower to the floor beside me. “What is that?”
I make a move to shove the evidence behind me, having forgotten it was there, but Kate’s quick like a fucking ninja. She grabs the two boxes off the floor and shows them to Lynsey, who gasps like she’s on a telenovela.
“Are those…gas station donuts?” Lynsey screeches like she’s just found heroin.
“So what if they are?” I groan, pulling my glasses off and rubbing my eyes. It’s way too early in the morning for a dose of these two.
“Dean!” they both peal in unison.
Lynsey flops into the empty chair beside me and touches my arm. “Did you and Norah break up?”
I jerk my head back and blink at her. “What makes you assume that?”
Kate kicks my beanbag and answers for her. “Because you’re mowing down shitty donuts like a fucking caged animal when Norah makes the couture of pastries. Jesus. Tire Depot serves better stuff than this.”
“What happened?” Lynsey asks with a gentle tone that is way too motherly.
I stare at my television, and mumble, “Nothing.”
“Did you two break up?” she asks again, clearly not giving up.
“No.” I scoff and roll my eyes. “Not really.”
“So, you’re still together then?” I glance over and see Lynsey smiling hopefully at me.
“No, actually.”
“We don’t have all day, Dean,” Kate snaps, standing in front of me with a murderous gaze. “Start talking or I’m going to start pouring out your IPA beers in the fridge.”
I hit them with the truth. “Norah and I are no longer together because we were not technically a couple. It was all a lie.”
“A lie? What do you mean?” Lynsey’s wide brown eyes are blinking at me like an innocent little Bambie.
“Norah needed a date for her parents’ anniversary party. I needed an approved date for your wedding. Neither of us were interested in a relationship, so we used each other for fake dates.”
“But you guys banged in Aspen,” Kate blurts out.
I shrug. “It transitioned into something more than just fake dating.”
“Like friends with benefits?” Lynsey asks.
I flinch. “Something like that.”
“Been there. It’s always messy.” Kate sits on the floor in front of me. “But I don’t get it…you and Norah weren’t fake.”
“Yes, we were.”
“No, you weren’t.”
“Yes, we were.”
“Dean,” Kate snaps, pinning me with her blue eyes. “I have a PhD in erotic romance, and you two were not faking a thing. You weren’t even faking orgasms. We could hear you guys in Aspen.”
I press my lips together. “That last part is true…the rest. All fake.”
“Bullshit,” Kate counters, shaking her head at me. “You two were the real deal. I’d even say you were in love.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” I spit the words out through gritted teeth, hating she’s saying everything I’ve denied for days now.
“No, you don’t know what you’re talking about,” Lynsey volleys back, her voice rising at the end. “God, Dean, you are so annoying sometimes.”
“What the hell did I do to you?”
“You let Norah get away when you’re clearly in love with her.”
“I’m not in love with her, and