Hopeless Romantic | ✔️

33| The Impulsive and Nosy Bitch

Cayden looked pretty impressed at my ramble, too, and he stepped out of the way to let me in. I took the passage gladly, and set the box of donuts down on the coffee table so I could sit on the sofa. Cayden took his spot on the chaise lounge beside the couch, looking at me.

"I'm really sorry," Cayden said, not wasting any time. Which was kind of amazing. "I know that I hurt you, and I hurt Tyler, too. Both of which I've felt terrible about for the past week and a half, and I just ... I know that you've been ignoring my texts because of it, and I was just too much of a coward to come to you and admit that I did something wrong."

"And Tyler, too," I said. "You haven't tried to apologize to him. Not even through text."

Cayden sighed. "I know. I feel like shit for not sending a text at the very least, but I just thought maybe he needed some space."

I shrugged. "You're probably right. But still ... I think he deserves a pretty massive apology, too."

"I know. He'll get one," Cayden said. "I seriously didn't mean to hurt you, PC."

"I know you didn't have bad intentions. You were kind of ... kind of right to try and get Tyler to tell me the truth about Alexander and all, but you did it in a pretty awful way. And the whole timing was just as awful. I just want you to trust my judgment when it comes to Tyler," I said.

"God, I know. I do trust your judgment, PC. And I trust Tyler, too. I think he's a good guy, and I just don't know what got into me. Sometimes the impulsive and nosy bitch that I am just takes over," he said, shaking his head. "I shouldn't have weaseled my opinion into your relationship with Tyler. At least not in the way I did."

I smiled, then reached forward to open the box of donuts. "Thank you. Donut?"

"Oh, yes please," Cayden said, launching right for the jelly-filled donut and taking a huge bite. "You know me too well."

"I do," I said smugly. "So ... Can we spill the tea?"

"I don't have any tea to spill, as my life is utterly boring without you. That's what I've realized. But you seem to have tea to spill," Cayden said, mouth full of donut.

"Tyler asked me to be his boyfriend, and I said yes, and now we're a real thing, and also he met up with Alexander, and they just want to be friends, and sure there's still a little jealousy inside me, which I find to be completely normal, but that's okay because we're little boyfriend and boyfriend right now, and also it's just hitting me that this is the first boyfriend I've ever had, and oh my god, what if–"

"I'm going to have to cut you off right there," Cayden said, finishing off his donut. "You and Tyler made things official?"

I nodded eagerly. "We did. And, like, he initiated it. It happened a couple of days ago at that wedding reception I planned. He came with me, and he requested the song he serenaded to me, remember that one? And then he was all like 'I want to be with you', and I was like OMG, is this really happening? And it was. And it did!"

"Damn, okay. Get it, I guess," Cayden said, grinning at me. "I'm seriously happy for you, PC, I'm glad you guys made things official. And this is your first relationship with a boy!"

"I know!" I exclaimed, eyes wide. I reached out to grab one of the pink-frosted donuts with sprinkles, my favorite. "I guess I'm freaking out a little, even though I'm super happy about everything. Like, this is what I wanted, you know? And I feel like being in a legit relationship is going to, you know, bring me and Tyler even closer. But it's like ... am I overthinking the fact that I'm dating a boy?"

"You're definitely overthinking a little, but you're also valid," Cayden said. "You just figured out who you are, Clay, and this is the first time you're really getting serious with a boy since that realization. It's new, and it's a little intimidating, but you have to know that it's not a huge thing that you have to dwell on. Boys are different from girls, sure, but relationships are all based on the same thing, which is attraction. You were attracted to Gracie, and you had a great relationship, but now you've moved onto Tyler. While they are two ... very different people in their own ways, it doesn't change a thing about you and how you should treat your relationship with him."