Page 3 of A Real Good Lie

He frowned. He’d always thought that, and the boyfriend he’d had two years ago, Derrick, was smarter than he’d been pretty, whereas Rhys had been far too good looking to begin with.

He should have known.

The whole time.

Derrick found himself someone prettier than Callahan, though, and the breakup had only proven Callahan’s initial thoughts on relationships to be true. They were not worth the work. He’d tried it twice, different options like an A/B test, and they’d both failed miserably. School had at least taught him to not invest in leads that didn’t go anywhere, and if brains didn’t go and neither did beauty, then…

“I’ll just come alone. I don’t need to try and make Rhys jealous.”

“But wouldn’t it be fun?” Sebastian grinned, Callahan could hear it in his voice.

“This is your brother we’re talking about, remember?”

“He’s cruel and arrogant,” Sebastian said. “Things with Ashley won’t last. They’ll be done before she graduates.”

“Wait.” He sat up straight and dropped his feet onto the polished concrete floor of his loft. “Before she graduates?”

“Yeah. She’s a student.”

Callahan groaned. “Rhys is pushing forty.”

“I know.”

“And he’s proposed to a student? At least he’s stepped his game up since we were in school.” He stood up and padded into the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of cider from the fridge and using the wall-mounted bottle opener to pop it open. He took a drink, closing his eyes to appreciate the sharp apple bite of the beverage.

“It’s a downgrade. She’s at least one rung down from you, and using diamonds to secure a fling is an all new low for him.”

“He doesn’t mean anything to me anymore,” Callahan lied, rubbing again at that spot on his stomach that still felt like there was a hot iron poker lodged in his flesh.

“You’re a liar,” his best friend called him out, “but I can set you up with someone if you want.”

“Thanks, but no.” Callahan took his cider back to the couch and sat back down, pushing the invitation to the furthest away cushion where it wouldn’t offend him as much.

“Do it for me,” Sebastian pleaded. “I have so little fun these days.”

“Find your amusement elsewhere.”

“If you can tell me with a straight face, and without lying, that you didn’t lose your breath when I told you Rhys was engaged, then I’ll let it go.”

Silence settled over the line, and he picked quietly at the corner of the label on the cider bottle. A handful of painfully still moments passed, and then Sebastian spoke again, “I know the perfect guy.”

“What’s his name?” Callahan asked, cursing under his breath.

“Jace.”

“Jace?” He scoffed. “What kind of name is that?”

“Hisname, you judgmental prick. What kind of name is Callahan?”

“It’s a family name,” he grumbled.

“Jace could be a family name. He just moved to town a couple months ago. I think you two would hit it off.”

“Why haven’t I heard about him before now?” he asked. “You’re supposed to be my best friend and you’re off making new friends without me?”

“I wanted to vet him first, to make sure he’s not garbage.”

“And you’ve decided? Just now?” Callahan rolled his eyes.