Page 53 of Tutor With Benefits

“If we weren’t dating, how did we all fall for her?” he replies. “You can’t tell me that we just had a crush. We were having sex. We were hanging out. We were talking. And we weren’t just talking about sex or what she could do to get Johnny’s attention. We actually bonded. I told her things I share with you and Taylor. It’s not like we were just fucking each other and that was it.”

I don’t say anything.

I can’t.

I know he’s right. I can’t argue with his logic since that’s exactly what I’m thinking myself. There’s no way to look at this situation and not admit we were dating. All four of us. There were feelings there beyond just having sex, and the three of us were all happy to continue what we were doing.

We didn’t want to see it come to an end.

And now that it did, we don’t know what to do about it.

“Any sign of trouble in paradise?” Zach asks. “I do my best not to look at her when we’re at school.”

“Nope,” I tell him. “They came out of the cafeteria the other day with her clinging to his arm as though she was going to get swept up in some invisible tornado and carried away if she didn’t. I wanted to walk up and slug him in the face, but instead I just kept my eyes on my phone.”

“Has Tori said anything to you?” Zach asks.

“Like?”

“I don’t know.” He shrugs. “I guess I was sort of hoping she would keep up with texting us or something after she started dating him.”

“Why would she?” I ask. “She didn’t want to be with us. She wanted him. She got him. I mean, going to that diner after that was the place she said she would never set foot in again until she had him was an obvious step in her falling for him hard. Then she follows that with them being joined at the hip ever since that first date.”

“I’m not going to lie. I thought there was a chance she would get to go out with him, and she would find out the hard way that he wasn’t anything like us. I let myself dream that if she did that, she would come crawling back to us since we showed her we’re so much more fun than what she’s got going on with him,” Zach says.

“What the fuck could be so cool about Johnny anyway?” I blurt out. “I mean, have you ever paid attention to the guy?”

“Not really.”

“I didn’t either before she was all about him, then I wanted to know what was so great that he had her wrapped around his little finger before she even had a conversation with him. From what I can see, he’s not all that remarkable,” I say.

“He’s like one of those guys who’s always doing that extra shit, isn’t he?” Zach asks. “You know, the volunteer shit? Going to the protests and the demonstrations and parades and everything.”

“Sort of,” I say with a shrug. “He does a lot of that stuff, but don’t forget he’s also been at a lot of the parties we’ve gone to.”

“Fair, but he’s not the kind of guy to get wasted and have a killer story at the end of the night,” Zach says. “He’s more like the guy who gets drunk and thinks he’s got the world’s problems solved.”

“Or making speeches about how he doesn’t want to be with a virgin,” I say.

“Ironic how the three of us made sure she wasn’t a virgin anymore so he would give her a chance, and now we’re the ones who want her back,” Zach says.

“Fuck, I don’t know if that’s the best irony or the worst irony I’ve ever heard of.” I laugh. “But damn, it’s just a fucked situation.”

“Do you know if she’s texted Taylor?” Zach asks me.

“She’s not texted any of us, bro,” I say. “I’m telling you right now. Once they went out on that little date and had the time of their lives, she’s got her little self just mesmerized by him. I bet you anything there’s not a thing he can do wrong in her eyes.”

“You think they’ve fucked yet?” Zach asks.

I wince at the question. “I honestly try not to think about it. I don’t know if good ole Johnny boy would want to jump right into bed with her.”

“But who wouldn’t when she looks as good as she does?” Zach scoffs. “That’s got to be the first thing he wanted to do with her. And after we woke up that sexual appetite in her, who’s to say she wasn’t the one who was pushing for it?”

“That would only add more irony to this situation in my mind,” I tell him. “I mean, to think of the girl who was too afraid to even look in his direction being the one to tell him that she wants to have sex is just so laughable to me I don’t know what to say about it. Not to mention the fact you’re probably right.”

“I know I am,” Zach says. “I mean, I can’t say I’m right that they have had sex. But I can say she’s got the balls now to tell him she wants it. Of course, I was right about most of this if you recall.”

“This entire damn thing was your idea,” I tell him. “Why didn’t you decide we were just going to get her to fall in love with us instead?”