Page 64 of Rising Heat

“My best friend barging into my apartment without knocking. Wawa runs at midnight. Knowing where everything is without having to think about it.”

Tyler huffs out a laugh.

“Wawa’s hard to beat.”

“You know Wawa?”

“I’m from Boston, Darcy, not another planet.”

I shove his arm playfully.

“Anything you don’t miss?”

Tyler swirls his wine.

Old me would’ve deflected. Made a joke. Changed the subject before the conversation got anywhere near the truth. Years of practice had made me very good at that.

I stare down into my wine for a second before answering.

“The version of me who apologized all the time.”

Tyler is quiet for a moment. Something about the way he’s looking at me makes me keep going.

“West Chester started to feel…” I trail off, searching for the right word. “Small.”

His expression doesn’t change.

“Small how?”

“Like I was spending more time managing my life than actually living it.”

The words roll off my tongue in relief.

“Every one of my choices turned into a discussion.” I shake my head. “It got to the point where I couldn’t tell if I actually wanted something or if I just got tired of arguing for it.”

“That’s a shitty feeling.”

“It was.”

The answer comes easier than I expect.

Maybe because Tyler isn’t trying to rescue me from it. He just listens in a way that makes the silence feel comfortable instead of awkward.

“You don’t seem small here.”

I look up.

“How do I seem?”

His mouth curves.

“Sharp.”

I snort.

“That’s diplomatic.”

Tyler sets his bowl on the coffee table and turns toward me.