“You saw me last night.”

“It's not the same.”

“I know...so what do we do?”

“I want to see you. If you leave now, you can make it here around dinnertime. Maybe we can go out, catch a movie or something. You can stay tonight. Tomorrow's Saturday—we're having a party for Shem's birthday. You should come. Stay the whole weekend.”

I'm met with nothing but silence—so much of it, it's deafening. I drop my head, anticipating the blow her answer's about to deliver. She exhales a shaky breath and my eyes close. I picture her sitting on the edge of her bed; her gaze lowered and her grip on the phone so tight her knuckles turn white. I imagine being with her, sitting down beside her and placing my hand on her leg. She'd rest her head on my shoulder and I'd look at the picture of us on her nightstand longer than I should.

“Can you cover my gas?” she finally answers. “I'm broke as shit right now.”

I laugh through my excitement. “I'll do whatever you want, Al. I just want to see you.”

“Me, too. I'll leave in ten.”

“Good.” I grin from ear to ear. “Call me when you get close. Don't get out of your car unless I'm there.”

“You don't need to protect me twenty-four seven.”

“Yeah, but you'll let me because you love me.” I almost choke on my words. It's not the first time we've used the L word, but today, it seems to hold a greater significance.

“Yeah,” she says quietly. “I'll let you.”

She hangs up.

I stay in my car for a good five minutes, the phone still to my ear, lost in my thoughts. Then something hits my passenger’s side window. An ass. I shake my head and step out. I wait for whoever it is to show his face—Troy, of course. Then I throw my keys at his head. “Clean it. Top to bottom. Inside out. Cut and polish.”

“Prez!” he whines.

“You should've thought about that before your post-virgin-ass decided to meet my car window.”

“You're in a shit mood.”

“I can have all the brothers hand you their keys?”

“I get it.” He throws his hands up in surrender.

I nod and cross my arms. “How is your ass, by the way?”

“Much better, thank you for asking. She requested to see me again. I declined. But she promised she'd have anal lube this time…and you know me—try anything twice.”

***

My phone is glued to my hands the entire time I wait for Allie to arrive. She calls just as I see her car pull into the street. I'm already on my feet and walking toward her when I answer: “What's up, Babylicious?”

She laughs. “Are you making fun of me?”

“No.” Her smile widens when she sees me approaching. “I'm making fun of the knob jockey you call a boyfriend,” I say, opening the door for her.

She still has her phone to her ear when she informs, “Ex-boyfriend.”

I raise an eyebrow while I help her out of the car. “Good,” I tell her. “I'm glad.”

With matching goofy smiles, we stare at each other. “Me too,” she says.

She gets greeted by a bunch of A-li A-li A-li chants and woof whistles when she steps foot into the house. Chase is the only one with decent enough manners to actually approach her and bring her in for a hug. “I didn't know you were visiting?”

Allie shrugs. “It was a last minute thing.”

His hand stays on her arm when they break apart. I eye his hand and then him. Whatever expression he sees on my face is enough to make him drop his arm and take a step back. “It's good to see you. You staying for the weekend?”

Allie nods.

“Fuck yeah! We have a special treat for you tomorrow night,” Samshem calls out from the living room. “Bikini boxing!”

And this brings on the next round of A-li A-li A-li's.

I take her bags and her hand and lead her upstairs to my room, stepping over a passed out Troy on one of the steps. “What's with him?”

I shrug. “Chlamydia.”

“What?”

“Kidding. I don't know. He's probably just tired. Or drunk. Or high. Maybe all three.”

“Kid's going places.”

After throwing her bag on my bed, I turn to her. “Hi.”

She smiles. “Hi.”

I reach for her hand, but she steps back. I push through the hurt and scratch my head. “So dinner?”

“Maybe we can just get fast food or eat in. When I said I was broke, I meant it.”

I slip on my shoes and jacket. “I'll cover you. “

“It's not a date,” she clips.

Turning to her with eyes narrowed, I search her face. I'm not exactly sure what I'm looking for but whatever it is, I don't find it. I step closer. “Allie, I'm pretty sure I've covered your meals since we were sixteen. It's never been a problem. Why now?”

She steps back. “You know why, Tyler.”

“Because I kissed you?”

“And I kissed you back.”

“Pshh. It was just a kiss, Allie. No big deal,” I lie.

She clasps her hands together and rocks on her heels. “So we agree then? It was just a kiss. Nothing more?”

I draw a cross on my chest. “Swear it. Things shouldn't be awkward because of a stupid kiss that meant nothing.”