Page 77 of Fierce-Matt

“You should.”

“I’ll be serious. Who is it?”

“Anya,” he said.

She laughed harder than Anya did when his girlfriend saw his bidet.

“Stop being a jerk,” Phoebe said.

“Anya has said that to me enough too.”

“That’s right. Soyoube serious and tell me who it is.”

“It’s Anya,” he said again. “It really is.” There was silence on the other end. “Phoebe?”

“I’m processing. I know you mean it. You’re not laughing. You’re dating Anya. She can’t stand you.”

“It didn’t sound that way last night.”

“Ewww. Don’t share those things. My brother and my old best friend. No. I don’t want to think it.”

Talk about an insult.

“First off, I’m not talking aboutthatand I wouldn’t.”

“You have in the past,” Phoebe argued. “I’ve overheard you talking about women you’ve dated and sex. It’s demoralizing to women to do that.”

He didn’t need the reminder.

“I think most men do it at some point in their life, even if it’s only with their siblings or best friends. I outgrew it in college.”

“Did you?” Phoebe asked. “Because I’m pretty sure I’ve heard it after that.”

His eyebrows came together as he thought. “Not from me. Or not me talking about a woman.”

“Could be you were just part of someone else’s conversation.”

“That’s right,” he said. “I can’t control what other people say to me, but I don’t do that and I’m not now. I’m saying that we have a good time together, but it was a rocky start.”

“I do need to hear this. I can’t figure out how you went from where you were to dating.”

“Boyfriend and girlfriend,” he said. “Partners.”

“Huh?”

“It’s more than dating,” he said. At least it was to him. “I apologized. A lot.”

“I’m sure you did. You hurt her. You were mean and a jerk. It’s as simple as that.”

“I don’t need it all shoved down my throat again. I owned up to it. I was honest and told her I had a crush on her and I went overboard in trying to get her attention. I was stupid and said I was trying to earn her trust. She’s changed a lot.”

“I noticed that too when I talked to her at Ben’s wedding. We’ve texted a few times but nothing major and she never said a word about you two.”

“Don’t be hurt. We haven’t had it be a secret in that we stay hidden behind closed doors, but you’re the first person I’m telling.”

He wouldn’t admit that Ben knew he had his sights on Anya, but he’d given no updates since.

“I’ll reserve judgment. Give me the lowdown.”