The next day we kiss a lot. We enjoy each other’s company. But we know it must end at some point. My parents know about the night before. There is no way they can’t. At the same time, we don’t exactly care. I hate that you are leaving at some point.

And when that time comes, I carry your things to your car like it is okay with me for you to leave. If it were up to me you would stay forever. But I kiss you goodbye because I have to. I don’t have the choice.

When you get home, you text me to let me know you are home safely. I tell you all the comments my mom made about our rendezvous. I tell her that I didn’t deny it because I’m not going to act ignorant to these things any more.

Her response was simple. “Well…as great as it was, it probably shouldn’t happen again…at least not until I find out what is going on with Aiden…” I had wanted to forget about him. The guy she has been casually dating.

I hold my phone, staring at the screen blankly for all too long. She’ll know something is wrong if I take too long to respond. So I force out the only thing I can think. “Oh, yeah, okay yeah that makes sense cause of yeah…”

“You’re not happy about this arrangement, I can tell.” I curse myself for allowing someone to know me so well.

I decide to be the unexpected person. No one will know me too well ever again. “Is anyone ever happy about losing you in any form? No, but I’ll get over it. I spent what felt like forever without you in my life at all. I am plenty happy with being your friend.” It wasn’t completely a lie. It was only an exaggeration.

The only test is if she will notice, or was my mask good enough? “Awe, you’re so sweet! <3” She says. My mask is thick of solid wood. It is designed by the best craftsman in the world and painted by the best artist.

For the next few days, I lounged around the house. Sore from making love with someone I truly loved for the first time in my life, stressed from letting that person go, saddened by the fact that she is wanting to belong to someone else, and sleepy from the constant weight on my shoulders wearing me down.

TBC Maybe.