Belle stared up at me again. "And if I won the ro-sham-bo, you'd give me an honest shot at being your girlfriend?”

I shrugged.

“Isn't that the whole point? To explore these feelings and figure out if we're compatible that way?"

“Is that what you're doing with Mari? Is this what you call giving her an honest shot? Or are you doing what I think you're doing and just going through the motions until the week is over because you've already decided you're not meant to be with each other Long-term?"

I frowned.

“I'm not ‘going through the motions'. In a vacuum, Mari would make a great girlfriend. She's sweet, loyal, caring, great in bed, and today proves that she's more resilient than she looks. I've known her Longer than any of the girls except for you, and I feel comfortable talking to her. But the timing is just really bad right now, and I honestly told her that I'm still emotionally wrecked from the breakup with Neevie AND this Little awkward thing going on between me and you."

“So I should LET Alice go first to buy myself some more time so you can get your head on straight first. Maybe a no frills non-threatening sex-for-sex's sake week with Alice will help unclog the pipes and clear your brain."

I mused on that. "You're not wrong.”

Belle sighed and Looked away.

“Or maybe I take Sam's advice and opt out entirely."

I arched an eyebrow.

“Sam's advice?"

Belle shook her head slowly. "She doesn't want to tempt herself any more than she's already tempted. She's dead set on burying her feelings for you and not dating you until after she's graduated college at the earliest. You know she's got her career goals and all that. So she already told me she’s going to opt out of Neevie's Little round robin tournament for your affections, and advised me to do the same."

I blinked twice. "When did she tell you all this?"

“Immediately after Neevie came up with the plan. You know, when Sam and

I slipped away while you were banging the other four. Then we came back just in time for Neevie's six-girl facial."

“Ah.” I remembered their departure, but got so distracted by the end of the boycott and finally getting laid again that I hadn't paid much attention to it at the time or really thought about it since.

“Was that all you two talked about?”

Belle pursed her lips and looked away.

“Maybe I shouldn't say."

“C'mon, B. Open communication. You want to earn my trust back? It starts with not keeping secrets from me. If nothing else, I've always been open with you, and I already told you that it's gonna have to go both ways if I'm going to trust you again."

"You said you were going to be LESS open with me, actually."

"I said I wasn't going to spill every detail about my feelings for the other girls anymore because you get jealous way too easily. I'll still be open with stuff about myself and about my feelings for you, but that's only as long as you start being open with your feelings for me."

“I HAVE been open with my feelings for you. In fact, I feel like it's me admitting my feelings for you that's gotten me into trouble. Had I kept a lid on how much I'm in Love with you, maybe you'd never know and

I'd still have your house key.”