“I don’t even know anymore. I look forward to Friday nights. I haven’t really been trying to meet anyone. I’ve been stuck. I just wanted something less complicated. And Melissa was easy.” He coughed. “Not like that. Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. I just already knew she liked me. It wasn’t like it was with you. It wasn’t this instant attraction. But, I don’t know, our relationship slowly changed into something more. I like having someone to come home to.”
“I get that.”
He sighed. “I’m friends with James. I wouldn’t do anything to mess that up after it took so long for him to be cool with us hanging out. Besides, it’s not like how it used to be between us. I still love you, but I’m not in love with you. Melissa doesn’t seem to understand the difference.”
“Well I do.”
“Yeah, that’s how you always felt about me.” He laughed and looked back up at me.
“Are you in love with her?”
“I don’t know. I mean…” he looked uncomfortable. “Honestly, it was just casual hookups. But it was a lot of them. And when she said she was moving here, I offered my place.”
“So she wants it to be more than casual?”
“I thought so at first.”
“Well, what do you want?”
He laughed. “I’m not good at relationships.”
I didn’t say anything. His response didn’t really answer my question. And usually if I stayed silent, he always confessed what he was hiding. Before this, I didn’t think we had many secrets from each other at all.
“It doesn’t really matter now. She found an apartment. She’s moving out at the end of the month.”
“That’s plenty of time to change her mind.”
“I think I should have never slept with your best friend. What the hell was I thinking?”
“I think it’s great. Two of my best friends getting together? What could be better than that?” Even as I said it, I knew it wasn’t true. Two of my best friends getting together meant that I could possibly lose both of them. They wouldn’t need me anymore.
He finished his beer and put it down on the coffee table. “Yeah, except…”
The front door opening cut him off. Melissa walked in with a huge smile on her face. But as soon as she saw me, it instantly vanished. “Hey, guys. What are you two doing?”
“Waiting for you,” I said and smiled at her.
Her eyes traveled down my body. “Penny, if you needed to borrow something to wear, all my clothes are here. You know that.”
“Yeah. Sorry. I didn’t know when you’d be back and I didn’t want to rifle through your stuff. Usually Tyler lets me borrow something comfy when we hang out anyway.”
“Mhm.” She set her purse down on the kitchen counter. “Of course he does. Well, don’t let me bother your guys’ time. I’ll just get out of your way.” She made her way toward the bedroom.
I stood up. “Melissa, I came over to hang out with both of you.”
“That’s not really what it looks like.”
“I’m sorry I borrowed his clothes.” Geez. “It’s just what I’m used to doing. I won’t do it anymore if it makes you uncomfortable.”
“Why would that make me uncomfortable? Borrowing someone’s clothes who you slept with one time isn’t weird at all. That’s completely normal behavior.”
“We’re friends.”
“I know that! I just don’t want to have to come back to my apartment and see you wearing his clothes like you two just banged.”
I laughed. “You’re being ridiculous.”
“I’m being ridiculous? Clearly there’s something still going on between you two. You can’t even stay out of his pants.”
“We’re just friends,” Tyler said. “Why won’t you believe me?”
“Because you’re both lying. I should have never moved here.” She went into the bedroom and slammed the door.
I was already losing both of them. Neither one of them wanted to talk about these things with me.
“What I was about to say before she came in was that she’s super jealous of our relationship,” Tyler said. “And it doesn’t matter if I love her. I’m not going to choose between you two.”
“I should go talk to her.”
“Me talking to her sure doesn’t help.”
I knocked on the bedroom door and slowly opened it. Melissa was tossing some of her clothes into boxes. I closed the door behind me. I had a feeling I didn’t want Tyler to overhear our conversation. “Can we talk?”
“About what?” She threw some more clothes into the box.
“About you and Tyler.”
“There is no me and Tyler. Don’t be weird.”
“He told me you guys were hooking up.”
She closed one of the lids on the boxes. “Of course he did. I forgot that you two don’t have any secrets.”
“I didn’t think you and I did either. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You know the worst part?” she said, ignoring my question. “I have nowhere to go now. Because I’m mad at you too.”
“I don’t understand why you’re mad at me.”
She stood up and pointed at me. “You’re wearing his clothes. What the fuck are you doing?”
“I always…”
“Yeah, you always borrow his sweatpants and watch Shark Tank together because that’s your thing.” She made quote marks with her fingers when she said thing. “And there’s no room for me when you’re around because he’s always going to put you first. God, I never should have slept with him.”
“There is absolutely nothing going on between Tyler and me. I’m marrying James in less than two weeks. I don’t know what other proof you need.”
She looked down at my pants.
“Jesus, Melissa.” I pulled them off and tossed them at her. “Tyler and I are friends. I thought we were too. Can you just talk to me for two seconds before throwing a fit?”
She burst into tears.
“Melissa.” I went over to her and put my arms around her.
“He’s never going to love me like he loved you,” she sobbed into my shoulder.
“That isn’t true.”
“Of course it is. He was obsessed with you for years. He’s just settling for me. I don’t want to be someone’s second choice.”
I ran my hand up and down her back. “You’re not. He wanted you to move in with him. He looks forward to coming home to you. And he definitely doesn’t want you to move out.”
She pulled back from me. “Did he say that?”
“Yes.”