Ashlyn didn't know why Tyler wanted to call her in specific.
While Ashlyn and Tyler were friends, they'd never been the closest. Their conversations were often fleeting, exchanged in passing before drifting toward other people. They didn't have much in common, and neither seemed inclined to change that. But ever since this whole fake dating arrangement began, things had shifted. Slowly, without either of them noticing, they'd started to understand each other better.
It was a quiet afternoon when Ashlyn's phone buzzed on the kitchen island. She glanced at the screen, her lips quirking into a smirk at the sight of Tyler's awkward, half-blinking face lighting up her phone. Without hesitation, she swiped to answer.
"Hey, Ty," she said, her words muffled slightly as she crunched on a pretzel.
"Hey, carrot top—uh, I mean, Ash. What's up?"
Ashlyn rolled her eyes, leaning back in her chair. "Literally nothing. But now I'm talking to you, so... Spill."
Tyler hesitated, and Ashlyn's brow arched. She wasn't known for her patience or subtlety. "Come on, don't make me wait. What's going on?"
"Okay, okay," Tyler muttered, his voice tinged with reluctance. "Look, there's no easy way to say this—"
"There's no easy way to bitch slap you, either," Ashlyn interrupted, her tone sweet but sharp, "but I'm not afraid to try."
Tyler laughed, the sound a little nervous. "Alright, alright. Here it is. You know I don't actually, like... like you, right?"
Ashlyn gasped dramatically, clutching her chest for effect even though no one was around to see it. "You don't? After everything we've been through? Did I mean nothing to you?"
"Right, right," Tyler said quickly, though he couldn't hide the smile in his voice. "Anyway... there's someone else I like."
This time, Ashlyn's gasp was genuine, the teasing dropping from her voice. She leaned forward, her hand frozen mid-reach for another pretzel. "Wait. Hold up. You like someone? You, Tyler 'emotionally unavailable' hernandez? I thought you were planning to die alone!"
"Gee, thanks," Tyler deadpanned, though there was a nervous edge to his tone.
Ashlyn's mind spun, flipping through the names of every girl she knew. It wasn't a long list—Ashlyn didn't exactly keep a tight social circle. There was herself (obviously not), Taylor (a definite no), and... who else? She couldn't think of anyone who might have caught Tyler's eye.
"Do I know her?" she asked, her curiosity brimming over.
On the other end of the line, Tyler fell silent. She could hear the faint shuffle of movement, like he was pacing or adjusting his position.
"That's the thing," he finally said, his voice quieter now. "It's not... a girl."
YOU ARE READING
Heartstrings and Headlines
Romance"Aiden, Its not Tyler who I like... its you.." "... yeah, its quite obvious." IN WHICH A band with newfound successes name 'School Bus Graveyard' gets put in a PR-Ploy to boost the bands rating, however their 'perfect pair' isn't to perfect after...
