“My parents are sort of the reason we broke up. They don’t like him. They took away my phone and car to keep me from seeing him. Once they see we’re broken up, they’ll know I’m not with you; I don’t want them to get suspicious. I can’t lie and say I’m working because I won’t make money to back it up, plus, God forbid, what if they called me at work one night and I wasn’t there? I haven’t figured out how to do this yet.”
“What’s wrong with this guy?”
“What?” She frowned.
“Your parents don’t strike me as unreasonable people; they’ve never had a problem with me and they don’t seem super clingy. Why would they go batshit crazy about you seeing this guy?”
Shifting uncomfortably, Willow averted her gaze away from him and sighed. “It’s complicated.”
“Well… I gotta be honest; I won’t cover for you if you’re going to see some dangerous asshole.”
“He’s not dangerous, it’s nothing like that. It’s… He’s older.”
“How much older?”
“A decade or so.” She shrugged. “He’s also—he was married when we were involved before,” she added a little reluctantly, but knowing he needed more than an age difference to understand.
Nodding once, he said, “Ah. I see.”
“It’s not what you’re imagining. He’s not a sleaze, I wasn’t some girl on the side—he didn’t lie to me or leave her for me or any cheap thing like that. It’s not the way you’re thinking. It was complicated.”
“It always is,” he remarked.
“Remember I told you I had a complicated senior year? Well, that was part of it.”
Brian leaned forward on his legs, steepling his fingers in thought. “I need to process for a second.”
Willow nodded vigorously and shifted, angling her knees toward him and waiting, relieved he was being receptive.
After a minute, he sat up and turned back toward her. “I have questions.”
“I’m all ears.”
“He’s divorced now?” he began, nodding as if to encourage her to verify that.
“He’s separated—not divorced quite yet, but… he’s moved out and everything.”
“And he treats you good?”
“Yes,” she replied confidently.
Brian nodded his head, still looking pensive. “Does he work? Does he have kids? Does he keep a pitchfork by the side of the bed?”
Cracking a smile, she answered, “Yes, he’s a private investigator. He has three kids, and he adores them. And unless he’s gotten kinkier since we went out, he does not keep a pitchfork beside his bed.”
“All right,” he said slowly. “He knows he’s a secret this time, right?” When she nodded, he continued, “All right, here’s what I’m gonna do. I don’t know this guy, I don’t know what his deal is, and I have a feeling you would tell me he was Jesus if you thought it would get me to cooperate. I don’t like any of that, mostly because that’s not the Willow I know, but I’ll trust your judgment for now. Thing is, I don’t want this guy thinking he has any power over you. I assume he knows you’re here having this conversation?”
Willow nodded again.
“Make sure he knows I’m not pissed about it. No sour grapes here. Make sure he knows, not only are we cool, but I’m only a phone call away.”
“He’s not abusive,” she said with a light frown. “I don’t need an escape plan.”
“Yeah, well.” By the look on his face, he didn’t entirely believe her. “I don’t like it.”
Willow rolled her eyes. “You’re not supposed to like it. Ten minutes ago we were a couple; if you liked the thought of me with someone else—”
“Nah, it’s not about that, Willow. He’s older, you know? He has more experience than you do. I don’t want to see