Chapter 39. Daylight Robbery

LYLE

How does one act right, by the way? What did she mean by that?

I was only being honest with myself. I was only behaving based on what I thought was right. I lost her once already to a man who’s not even a part of our world. I lost her to a thief. You know that feeling when you’re in the same household, sleeping peacefully and securely, but then you wake up and your favorite watch is missing? It’s like that. It’s daylight robbery.

“Just tell me what you want me to do, Ash. I want to hear it.”

She opened her eyes. This time, she braved herself to look at me. I couldn’t remember how long it had been since she looked at me without hatred and remorse. I missed that.

“We have to stay friends. And I mean it this time. Just friends. No more monkey business. No more secret kisses or harmless flirting. This time, I need you to treat me just like that.”

I gulped. Who were we kidding? We’d been saying that to each other since college. That we were just f