“Lyra, you mean?” I asked. “She’s downstairs on a date.”
“That didn’t take long.”
“You’ve met him, actually. Remember that guy Craig I used to work with?”
“Oh, I remember Craig.”
My eyebrows jumped up and my eyes widened at her comment—especially at her tone. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Look, I didn’t say anything because we broke up soon after, but Craig hit on me at the Christmas party. It wasn’t a big deal.”
“What the fuck, Trup? Why the hell didn’t you tell me?”
“Like I said, it wasn’t a big deal. Don’t make a big thing out of it.”
“A big thing? Are you kidding me right now?”
“Dev, you always do this.”
“Do what?”
“Get jealous when you don’t need to be.”
“You said yourself you broke up with me soon after. How do I know Craig wasn’t the reason?” I paused for a beat. “Wait. Did you hook up with him?”
“Don’t insult me.”
“Why? He’s a good-looking dude.”
“I had no interest in Craig then, and I have no interest in him now. Period.”
I believed her. Maybe I was an idiot for doing so, but I knew her tone. She was as serious as a damn heart attack. Still, I pushed her anyway. I was fuming, and I was not about to drop anything—not yet.
“Then why did you even tell me just now? Why did you drop that bomb?”
“I don’t know. I guess I thought it was safe. It was so long ago—”
Seething, I interrupted her. “Trupti, the dude is downstairs with my friend right now. If it wasn’t for my foot, I’d already be on my way down there.”
“Friend?”
“Yeah.” I said, perplexed at her need to clarify the term.
“So, Lyra’s your friend now? I thought you couldn’t stand the bitch.”
“Don’t call her that, okay?”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know.” I shifted on the bed, suddenly uncomfortable. “We have a truce, okay?”
“Well, I don’t. And last we talked, she was not your friend.”
I rolled my eyes. “Whatever.”
“Dev, is something going on with you and Lyra?”
“Have you seriously lost it? I just told you she’s on a date right now with Craig Fucking Wyndham.”
“Yeah, and look how pissed you are.”
“Because he hit on you when we were going out. Hell, he hit on you right before I proposed! Of course I’m pissed.”
“Right, but you were pissed before you even picked up the phone. This isn’t about me, and you know it.”
“Bullshit. This is about you… You’re always keeping secrets, Trup, always dropping bombs. Sometimes I think you live for the damn drama.”
She sighed into the phone. “Fine. Forget it. You’re so extra right now, and I’m over this entire conversation.”
Right, because I hit the nail on the damn head. Fucking drama queen.
“Yeah, well, maybe I’m over it too.” I huffed with a sneer. “Maybe I’m over everything.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“Maybe I do.”
“So just be a man and say what’s really going on here. You caught feelings.”
“What?”
“For Lyra.”
“You could not be more wrong.”
“I don’t believe you, Dev.”
“I don’t have feelings for Lyra.” I huffed. “We have a truce. We’re being civil—that’s it. She has nothing to do with this.”
“What then?”
“Look, I’m all hopped up on painkillers and I need to go to sleep. I never should have called you, I’m sorry.”
She sighed into the phone. “Yeah, you shouldn’t have. Get some sleep. We can talk tomorrow.”
“Actually, maybe we should wait until I get home.”
“Oh. Are you sure?”
“It just seems like we should talk in person. We have a lot of shit to sort through, and we’re not making any headway over the phone. If anything, it’s just making things worse. Don’t you think?”
“Yeah, I guess.” Her voice was soft, nervous. And it broke my heart. I never wanted to hurt Trupti, but I knew our end was near. As much as part of me wanted to fight for us, most of me was exhausted. I wasn’t the kind of guy to end a relationship, especially one with the woman I thought I’d spend my life with, over the phone. She deserved more than that, and so did I.
I didn’t want to admit it to myself at the time, but Trupti was right…at least slightly. The minute Craig showed interest in Lyra, my guard was up. I was pissy and a little unglued and I couldn’t understand why the hell I was feeling that way. I just knew that I wanted Lyra back at the room…without Craig.
I fell asleep waiting up for her, but when the door popped open, I heard her voice. I held my breath, waiting to hear if she was alone. Seconds later, she appeared at the door.
“How you feeling?” She gave me a closed-mouth, concerned smile. For the first time in more than a year, I noticed how sexy her curls were as they spilled down her tan shoulders. She was wearing a dress, and I could no longer deny how hot she looked, how hot she was. Trupti was beautiful, yes, but there was something about Lyra. She was effortlessly sexy in everything she did, from the way she walked across a room to the way she wore the hell out of that dress.
“Pretty good,” I said with a weak smile, surprised at how Trupti was drifting away from my mind with each second I spent with Lyra.
What the hell is wrong with you, man?
“It’s almost time for another pill. I’ll get you some water.”
“Thanks.” She left the room and I gritted my teeth, looking up at the ceiling, realizing that Trupti may have been onto something.
What if I’d caught feelings for someone who didn’t and wouldn’t ever feel the same about me? Was I only pissed off about Craig hitting on Trupti? Or was this all about Lyra? Lyra. The girl I couldn’t stand, my sworn enemy, and literally the last person on Earth I ever thought I’d want to be with. I had to get myself in check, had to figure this out before it was too late.
Get your game face on, motherfucker.
“So…” she said, reappearing at the door, “You were right about Craig. He’s kinda…”
“Vapid?” I asked, raising one eyebrow as she placed a pill in my hand and passed me a glass of water with the other. She sat on the edge of the bed and crossed her legs toward me—her ridiculously hot, tan legs.
“Yeah.” She wrinkled her nose. Her perfect, petite nose. She had one little freckle on the side of her nose—if it was any bigger, it might look like a tiny nose ring. She’d probably look damn good with a nose ring.
Jesus! Get it together. This is Lyra. You. Hate. Her.
“You are back kinda early,” I said, gesturing toward the clock with both eyebrows raised. Lyra shrugged.
“What’s the point of wasting his time? I know I’m not interested.”
“If only more girls were like that,” I said with true appreciation for her direct philosophy. My eye contact lingered a little more than normal, and she cleared her throat, looking away for just a second. “And it was time for your pill.”