Page 23 of Imperfections Forbidden

“Actually, I’m in the middle of something, can I call you back?Or did you have something important to tell me?”

I look over at Nick, who has a major scowl on his face.

“I wanted to take you out to eat, but it sounds like you’re busy.”

“That’s nice of you, but I’m not home.I’m spending the weekend at a friend’s.”

“Too bad, I wanted to see you.I haven’t seen you since we were at the club.”

I’m trying to get Matt off the phone as fast as I can.The more I talk, the angrier Nick looks.

“I know.I’ll call you when I get home.”

“All right, later.”

Shit.I turn off the phone and place it back on the side table.I wait for Nick to say something about Matt calling, and I don’t have to wait long.

“What did he want?”he snaps.

“He called to say hello.”

“That’s it, hello?”

“He wanted to go out to eat later, like friends do.”

He shoots me an incredulous look and swings his legs over the side of the bed and walks to the door.

“Just friends from way back.Only friends?”

I sit up on my knees and cross my arms.“You don’t believe me?”

“Friends who only hooked up once, and nothing’s happened since you came back, right?”

“What is that supposed to mean?”He can’t know what happened with Matt and me.I didn’t tell anyone but Ava, and I know she’s not telling.

He clenches his jaw shut and walks out, slamming the door behind him.I know he doesn’t like the fact Matt was my first, but he’s angrier now than when he found out.I’m not going to go after him to talk to him when he’s like this.He needs to calm down or he’s going to end up saying some things, and I’m going to say some things back.None of that will end well.

An hour later, he walks through the bedroom door, still looking pissed off.I sit up on the bed and put my phone down on the table beside the bed.I make sure I turn it off this time.He stands by the side of the bed with his hands in his pants pocket.

“What was that about, Nick?It was more than you being upset because Matt called me.His timing wasn’t great, but it didn’t warrant you being that angry, insinuating I’m lying about me and Matt only being friends.”I sit back against the headboard and wait for him to talk to me.

“I’m not insinuating, I’m saying it.Friends don’t fuck friends, Cat.”

Oh fuck.He knows.How did he find out?

“You don’t have anything to say?”

“We didn’t have sex,” I say, looking away.

“You didn’t have sex.I’m going to try to remain calm so you can explain how what he was doing to you wasn’t sex.”

“Nick—” He holds up his finger to stop me from continuing.

“What do you call it when we do it?If I had my face in my ex’s crotch, you would call it sex?”

“His mouth wasn’t down there,” I tell him defensively.

“Head, mouth, hand, dick, does it matter?Once I stamped it and put my mark on it, nothing should’ve been between your legs except for me.”