“When I called that PSO. I tried to get into it, but . . .” He frowned. “I don’t know if it’s because of my feelings for you or because I know now what it’s like to have genuine chemistry with someone, but it didn’t really do it for me. You probably don’t want to hear about this, but I thought you should know.”

“I’m glad you told me,” Zack said. “It makes me feel a little better. I have to ask a hard question, though. Why did you do it in the first place?”

“I guess because I was frustrated with you. You were giving me so many mixed signals, and I thought that acting like I was free to do what I wanted gave me some modicum of control. It helped me pretend that it would be easy for me to move on if you did leave. I was irrational . . . and terrified.”

“Terrified of what?”

“My feelings for you. I’ve been in relationships before, but you’re still the first person I’ve ever felt this way about. I was trying to protect myself from a broken heart before I gave you a chance to break it.”

“Well, we’re both guilty of that. It seems so ridiculous now. What were we doing?”

“Being idiots,” John stated. “Though to be fair, it’s not like there’s a handbook for our situation. Plenty of people can give you dating advice, but advice for what to do when you start to fall for the voice at the other end of a telephone? Not so much.”

“I see your point.” Zack brushed his hand against his cheek. “Tell me again that you’re sorry.”

John’s expression was solemn and sincere. “Zack, I’m sorry I cheated on you. I won’t ever do it again.”

Zack smiled. “I forgive you. And I won’t bring it up again. There will be no more cheating, punching, or shitty communication.”

“Deal,” John said. “Though I can’t say I won’t ever have a craving for phone sex again. I may give you a call sometime.”

Zack folded his arms beneath his head. “Man, I’m going to miss profiting off of that.”

“What?”

Zack grinned coquettishly. “Oh, did I forget to mention? I quit.”

“What? Really?”

Zack nodded. “It was time. I’m ready to move on. Besides, in the one year I was a PSO, I gathered enough weird stories to last a lifetime.”

“You’re brave. I’ve never had a job, but if I did, I feel like I’d have to have some sort of safety net in place before I quit.”

“I haven’t had a safety net since I left my parents’ house, so I’m used to it.”

John considered him. “I admire that about you.”

“Even though I’m just a lowly street urchin, and you’re a handsome prince?”