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Cash laughs like he just won a bet. “I can’t fucking believe this!”

“You’re telling me.”

“All throughout freshman year I swore you guys were hooking up. Sophomore year I swore one day youwouldhook up. Last year I finally accepted it was never going to happen, and now you pull this shit on me.” He grins. “How did it happen?”

“First of all, keep your mouth shut. We’re not out there as a couple.”

He tugs the front of his shirt. “Hey, you can trust me. Now talk.”

“I don’t even know. I guess it’s been building, but when Ruby found out I was having dinner with Alli, she let it spill she was jealous and then we kissed and—bam—here I am. Not even sure how I got here.”

“Can always count on Ruby to make rash decisions.” He nods eagerly. “So it’s good, right?” He’s way too excited for this to be an innocent question.

“We haven’t had sex.”

“Oh, wow.” He chuckles. “Wow.”

“What?”

“Nothing, it’s just ... taking it slow? For two people who already know everything about each other?”

“So what?” I ask more insistently.

“I mean, this is for real, right? Not just hooking up for the fun of it?”

That’s the thing. Hooking up for the fun of it would never happen with me and Ruby, which means he’s right—this is for real. I think it’s only now hitting me. I let out a long breath. “I don’t know what it is. I mean, no—it’s not just hooking up.”

“Didn’t think it through, did you?”

“Nope,” I admit.

“Regrets already?”

“No,” I say quickly. “No regrets. Just got ahead of myself is all. Ruby’s ...”

“A lot.”

“She needs to be with someone who can handle her ups and downs.”

“You’ve been doing that forever.”

“Yeah, but take care of her; really take care of her. I’ve got my own life I’m worried about.”

“Shit, you really are a grandpa. Take it easy, man, you haven’t even slept together. You don’t have to protect her from the whole world just yet.”

“I just want to have my shit together, that’s all.”

“Pretty sure you’d know if Ruby considered that a prerequisite.”

“And if Ruby put any forethought into anything, that might comfort me. She didn’t have prerequisites for this thing. She just jumped into it.”

“Like you.”

I shrug. “What was I supposed to do? I’ve wanted her for basically as long as I’ve known her.”

“Knew it,” he brags.

“Well, look at her, dude. An infant could guess I’m attracted to her. You’re not Nostradamus.”