Page 61 of From the Ashes
“It’s Patrick.”
“Patrick?” I scoffed. “Like the Patrick that asked me to suck him off in eleventh grade, Patrick?”
“Yep.”
I felt my stomach twist into a knot, jealousy filling my brain. “Why the hell are you friends with him?” Even I noticed the defensiveness in my voice, but it was too late to take it back.
Charlie cocked his head to the side. “He’s my landscaper.”
“Is that all he landscapes?”
I immediately clamped my mouth shut, knowing I’d overstepped by a mile.
Charlie’s face cracked into a wide smile. “Are youjealous, Phoenix McKean?”
“I…No, I’m not jealous!” I sputtered as he started to giggle. “I just… that guy’s a dickhead. I can’t imagine why you’d be friends with him in the first place! And, if he was… you know… getting fresh with you or something… well, you deserve better than that.”
“Getting fresh? What is this? The late nineties?”
“You know what I mean.”
“Well, you have nothing to worry about. He has a husband and they’re very happy together.”
My jaw nearly hit the floor. “He has awhat?”
“Yeah. I guess my little talk with him after he propositioned you really got through to him.”
“I… I have so many questions,” I said, my brain short circuiting as I tried to process it all. “I didn’t know you and him talked.”
“We did and let’s just say he’s not only come into his own, but he’s a good guy. Besides, we’re not seventeen anymore. People grow up.” Charlie grabbed himself a glass of lemonade and gestured me into the living room. “Come on. I want to talk to you about something.”
I swallowed hard, following him into the other room. Here I was thinking that we’d just catch up and pretend like everything was the way it used to be again. But Charlie seemed ready to get to the point. I wasn't sure whether I was nervous, terrified, or excited. Probably all three at the same time. I truly had no idea what he was about to say to me, but in my heart, I felt that little flutter of hope once more.
Charlie pulled the plastic off the couch and told me to take a seat. I did as I was told, expecting him to sit in the chair across from me. Instead, he plopped down on the cushion directly next to mine. His thigh touched mine, an electric spark lighting up my body. When we were kids, touching was just a normal thing we did. But now it was like a rush of heat through my entire system. My cheeks burned and I fiddled with the glass nervously. I wasn’t sure if I should pull away, but I knew I couldn’t force myself to do it. Having Charlie this close again felt…right.
“I’m sure you’re wondering why I asked you to come all the way back here from Boston,” he began, holding his glass with both hands between his knees. His gaze was fixed on the rug, and I could see his fingers shaking. “I was surprised you got out here so quickly.”
“Tony booked me a speaking engagement in Eugene this Friday,” I replied, trying to fill the empty space. “That way I could write it off as a work trip. He should be here soon, actually.”
Charlie’s fidgeting stopped. “Are you and Tony… involved?”
I opened my mouth to tell him no, but then I stopped. It felt like a lie and Charlie deserved the truth.
“Tony and I are just friends,” I said at last. “But–”
He inhaled sharply, bracing for impact. I felt him prickle beside me, like a hedgehog cornered by a cat.
“But in the past, there have been benefits on the side,” I forced myself to say. “However, those stopped the last time I was here.”
“What happened?”
“I saw you again.”
Charlie’s prickly exterior melted away in an instant. “Oh.”
“Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?”
“No. I… I wouldn’t have made you fly all the way out here for that.”