Chapter 71

“Hey, what’s the matter?” Dorian asked, closing the computer lid to focus on me. “Did something happen with you and Chuck before he left? I know I hadn’t seen you and him together for a little while before the band left town.”

“I put some distance between us. It was for the best, or, at least, that’s what I told myself at the time.”

His eyebrows rose. “Wait. I mean, I’m not the most observant guy out there, and I’m all caught up in Laramie, but…I thought it was just a casual deal between you two.”

“It was for a while. Then things changed for me. I pushed him away. I knew he wasn’t looking for anything serious, and it wouldn’t be fair to either of us. But now that he’s gone…”

“You didn’t tell him why, did you?”

I shook my head.

His gaze was sympathetic. “You fell for him, huh?”

I shrugged, not wanting to admit it out loud.

“What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know. It was never supposed to be like this. I promised myself not to become…anyway, shit happens, right? Later.”