“If you aren’t going to tell me, at least let me get you some ice or something.”
“No, it’s fine. I can’t even feel it anymore.”
“I guess you’ve had worse.”
“Please don’t tell me you still feel bad about that? That was so long ago. And it wasn’t your fault.”
He scratched the back of his neck. “Yeah, well…” He let his voice trail off. “You’re really not going to tell me what happened?”
“I’d rather talk about something else. How’s living with Melissa going?” I kicked my shoes off and tucked my legs underneath of me on the couch. I wished I had gone home and changed out of my skirt and blouse before coming over. Maybe Melissa would let me borrow something more comfortable to change into when she got here.
“Do you want a drink?” He stood up and walked toward the kitchen.
I laughed. “That good?”
“I just needed a drink.”
“Okay. I’ll have whatever you’re having.”
He grabbed two beers out of the fridge and popped the tops off before handing me one. He sat back down beside me. “No one ever told me how hard it was to live with the opposite sex.”
I laughed. “It is kind of an adjustment.”
He smiled at me.
“But it’s just temporary?”
“I don’t know.” He took a huge sip of his beer. “It’s nice not living alone, I mean.”
“I thought you liked having your own place after living in the frat house? You went on and on about it when you moved here.”
He shrugged. “People change, Penny.”
“I know.” I hadn’t realized he was lonely. It made sense. He came home every night to an empty apartment. I don’t know why I hadn’t realized it sooner. If I had made any good friends in New York that were single, I would have tried to set them up with him.
“James’ parents’ place was really nice,” he said. He adjusted himself on the couch so that his back was against the armrest and his feet were resting next to my legs.
“Yeah, I think that was the first and last time I’ll ever be invited there.”
“I was kind of wondering about that. Was James’ ex wife really there? Isabella, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Kind of strange to invite their son’s ex to celebrate his new relationship.”
“They were trying to scare me away. And when that didn’t work they tried to pay me off.”
“Seriously?” Tyler laughed. “What dicks.”
I laughed. “Couldn’t have said it better myself.”
“And the black eye happened sometime between that night and today. I would have remembered seeing it at the party.”
I knew better than to think Tyler would drop it. And it wasn’t like Zach prying. Tyler cared about me. “Actually, it was Isabella. She decided to confront me after his parents’ bribe, and I was upset and I called her a bitch. So she slapped me.”
Tyler laughed.
“It’s not funny.” I pushed on his foot and he playfully kicked my thigh back.
“It’s kind of funny. James sure comes with a lot of baggage.”
“Well, he’s tossed it all away. His parents aren’t even invited to the wedding anymore.”
“He’s okay with that?”
“I think it’s what he wanted the whole time. I was just too stubborn to see it.” I bit the inside of my lip. “It was stupid, I just really wanted them to like me.”
“That’s not too much to ask from your future in laws.”
“Apparently in this case it was.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?” His eyes had gravitated back to my cheek.
“Honestly the clothes I’m in are more uncomfortable than the super small bruise on my face.” I moved my legs again, trying to get comfortable on the couch.
He laughed. “I already put a pair of sweats for you in the bathroom. I was wondering when you’d start complaining.”
“You know me so well. I’ll be right back.” I got up and went to the bathroom. Sure enough, there was a pair of sweatpants and one of his University of New Castle t-shirts folded on the shelf. I quickly changed. I loved Tyler’s sweatpants. They were big and comfortable. And no matter what I was wearing when I came over, I usually found something to complain about so that I’d get to change into a pair. Eating popcorn in sweats while watching Shark Tank was more accurately our thing.
It was nice to know that just because he was with Melissa now, we could still hang out like this. I made my way back out into the living room. “When is Melissa usually done work?” She had found a summer internship at a law firm nearby. In the fall she’d be going to law school. She was still waiting to hear back from where, but I was hoping it would be in the city.
“She’ll be here any minute.”
I wasn’t sure if it was better to ask him about it now, or wait until they were together. I just wanted to get it over with. “Are you and Melissa dating?” I blurted out, before I could change my mind.
He choked on his sip of beer. “No.” He cleared his throat. “I mean, why would you ask that?”
“James thought he saw something going on between you two.”
“And that bothered you?” He didn’t deny it this time. He wanted to know how I felt about it. That probably meant it was true.
I laughed. “No. I just… I want you both to be happy. You know that.”
He didn’t say anything, he just took another sip of his beer.
“But you two are my best friends. I guess if you dated… I don’t know. I don’t want to lose you.”
“That’s not really fair. You never wanted me to begin with, Penny. You can’t lose what you never had.”
“I mean our friendship.”
He sighed. “I don’t really know what to tell you.”
“The couch isn’t made up. I mean, it’s pretty obvious that you guys are sleeping together.”
“I don’t really think we should be talking about this.”
“But we’re friends.”
“It’s weird, Penny. You must realize that. With our history? It’s complicated to say the least.”
“So, you are then?” I asked.
“This is so awkward.”
“Tyler.”
“I’m not going to talk about my sex life with you, Penny.”
“That’s what friends do.”
“Not when one of those friends used to be in love with the other friend.” He stood up. “Not when we’ve had sex. Not when I compare every girl I’m with to that night we had.” He shook his head.
I didn’t know that. My hanging around all the time maybe hadn’t been as fun for him as it was for me.
“This is enough for me,” he said. “If I can’t be with you, I decided being your friend was good enough. And you are my best friend. But I can’t talk to you about this. This is where I have to draw the line.”
“I’m sorry.”
“And I’m not going to feel guilty for hooking up with Melissa. Because I’m allowed to have a life outside of whatever this is. You do. You get to go home to James. And at least Melissa actually likes me. Or liked me. I don’t know, it’s complicated.” He sat down on the couch again and scratched the back of his neck.
He was opening up about it. I didn’t want him to close off because of our past. I didn’t want to be left in the past too. “Why is it complicated?”
“Because she thinks I’m still in love with you.”
I swallowed hard. I didn’t want to know the answer, but it felt important to ask. If he was, I shouldn’t be coming over here all the time. Or at all. And I definitely shouldn’t be wearing his pants. “And?”