Collide by H.M. Ward Page B

see, Trystan here seems to think she’s worth chasing, but there’s no way in hell she’ll put out. She’s a tease. He just doesn’t see it.” Trystan shot Seth a look.
    “ She has no idea you like her?” I ask genuinely intrigued.
    Seth replied for him, “Absolutely none. He can be sitting in the same room as her and she has no fucking clue. It’s pathetic.” He turns to Trystan, saying, “There’s other pussy out there that’s much easier to get. Forget about her man.”
    Seth’s words irritated me on so many levels. “Why should he forget about her? Because she doesn’t sleep with every guy that blinks at her? You’re such a jerk, Seth. Besides, if Trystan found someone he actually likes, why assume anything?” I glance at Trystan. He hasn’t moved. “Maybe she just hasn’t found the right guy yet. Maybe a relationship means something to her.”
    “ Waste of time,” Seth says shaking his head. “Relationships are the fastest way to make sure you never get laid. That’s why Trystan here never dates anyone, and neither do I.”
    “ How romantic,” I roll my eyes. “And that’s why you’re going to end up alone.”
    Trystan sits up and gives Seth a look that clearly says STOP. Then he turns to me and asks, “What’s with the play book?” He nodded his head toward it. The movement made his dark hair fall into his eyes. With a sweep of his hand, he pushed it back. Trystan’s hair had that carefully messy look. It’s kind of long on top and cut shorter around the bottom. When it’s slicked back for the play, he’ll look pristine. In the meantime he looks like a rock star, bemusedly sexy, like he knows how beautiful he is and doesn’t care.
    I glared at Seth before turning to Trystan, “Tucker is on the warpath. I thought I’d run lines with you so he doesn’t slaughter us up there.”
    Trystan grinned at me, “What makes you think I didn’t learn them, yet?” He ran his hands through his hair and stretched. That playfulness that was usually there appeared to be coming back. Whatever girl caught his attention did a good job. I hadn’t seen him so out of sorts before.
    “ Yeah, right,” I laugh. “That scene in the second act sucked yesterday. You were tripping over your lines like crazy.”
    Seth groaned and pushed off the chair. He smoothed his tee shirt. It clung to his broad shoulders. The guy looked like a giant. “Nerds.”
    Trystan threw a pillow at his friend and it nailed him in the chest. “Get out. I’ll catch up with you later,” Trystan sat up on the couch and reached for the play book. Handing it to me, he said, “Fine. Let’s do it.”
    Seth had an odd look on his face. He shook his head and left without another word. When the door on the upper-landing clicked shut, Trystan’s demeanor changed. He seemed softer without Seth around polluting his thoughts. I really wondered why they hung out together. Trystan was all smooth and subtle with his confidence. Seth was in-your-face about everything. There was no way to have a civilized conversation with that guy. It’s like he was raised by giraffes or something.
     
     
    CHAPTER 2
     
    ~TRYSTAN~
     
    Why did he tell Seth anything? His remedies always included girls, which in this case was not helpful. Trystan stretched and ran his fingers through his dark hair. This was more than a crush. It wasn’t that the girl had a hot body, even though she did. It was more than that. He connected with her in a way that hadn’t happened before. Being around her made him feel exposed. It was difficult to maintain the endless smiles and witty banter that he was known for.
    To his horror, Trystan didn’t hear that girl—the one that he was so taken with—standing at the top of the stair case.  He straightened when he saw Mari round the corner. Trystan tried to make it look like they weren’t talking about her, but she had to know. Didn’t she?
    He didn’t see how she couldn’t. Trystan saw Mari every day. It didn’t