Page 47 of Rebound

“Hi,” he said.

“Hey.” For so many years, Jennifer’s voice had brought him comfort, but now it only put him on edge. “Do you have a minute?”

“Not much more than that.” He turned off the lights in the bathroom, tired of his reflection. He grabbed his phone and carried it into the living room.

“I just wanted to do you the courtesy of telling you that I’m seeing someone.”

“Your daughter beat you to it.”

Jennifer sighed, and he could picture the expression on her face down to the three fine lines that fanned out below her right eye when she was frustrated. “I asked her not to tell you.”

“And I asked hertotell me,” he said, which was close enough to the truth.

“I didn’t think you cared.”

“I don’t. It was an oversight in my thought process.” Thomas put on his shoes and checked his pockets for his wallet and keys.

“I wanted to see if you were interested in meeting him.”

“I don’t,” he said quickly. There was no world where he felt it was important for him to meet his ex-wife’s new boyfriend. Especially since there was a chance she’d fucked him while they were still married.

“Kenzie likes him.”

“Does she?” He knew better.

“I don’t want there to be animosity.”

“This isn’t a blended family, Jen.” The screen on his phone lit up with a message from Ben, indicating his arrival. “You made your choices and we are where we are, but you and I? We don’t need to do this.”

“Tom—”

“Your minute is up,” he said. “I have to go.”

She let out a long breath “Alright.”

He ended the call instead of offering her any other platitudes. Jennifer had taken up enough space in his brain for the majority of his life. He didn’t want to think about her anymore, so he tried to wipe her out of his head as he rode the elevator down to the front lobby of his building.

Ben stood on the sidewalk, his long and slim legs wrapped in a pair of tight, charcoal gray slacks. He leaned against the passenger door of his car, arms folded across his chest while he waited. When he saw Thomas, he dropped his arms, mouth spreading into a wide smile that served to erase Jennifer in a way he hadn’t been able to do on his own. Thomas strode out of the building and across the sidewalk, seizing Ben with both hands and slanting their mouths together. Ben let out a surprised moan, and Thomas slid his tongue into his mouth, pressing him back against the car and kissing Ben until he couldn’t breathe.

“That’s quite a hello,” Ben murmured when Thomas pulled away to catch his breath.

“I’m happy to see you,” he said.

Ben’s stare flickered down, kiss-swollen mouth twisting into a sly smirk. “Are you now?”

“Yes, but figuratively too.”

“Everything okay?” Ben slid to the side and opened the passenger door, gesturing for him to climb inside.

“I just talked with my ex.”

“Hold on.” Ben closed the passenger door and jogged around to the driver’s side. He climbed in and buckled up, turning the car on before giving Thomas a sideways glance. “So, your ex?”

“She called.”

“About?”

“To tell me she was seeing someone.”