And just like that, I think I know and understand why he had such a violent blowup after I got the job over him. Maybe his father is a drunk, too, and beats on Tyler when he’s had too much to drink—when the father does, not Tyler, although maybe Tyler drinks some too. Or maybe not. Maybe he won’t want to touch the poison because of his father.
But anger is what Tyler knows. It’s an emotion he’s never learned how to handle in a healthy way.
And yes, his father might be wealthy, but that doesn’t mean that Tyler is independently wealthy. Not yet. Not unless he got a different job.
Maybe he wants to move out of his father’s place as soon as he can. Considering college is six and a half months away, things must be absolutely terrible for him at home if he’s trying to move away as soon as he can.
Of course this is all just guessing and speculation on my part, but it most certainly does fit. The puzzle that makes up Tyler Tremaine is starting to become a lot clearer.
I clear my throat and ogle Tyler. “Well, I don’t know. Brett’s probably the most muscular of you all.”
“He’s the tallest,” Tyler complains. “That makes him look bulkier automatically.”
“Can you press more than he can?”
“Yes, actually. Ten pounds more, but I love those ten pounds.”
I giggle. “You’re a little crazy, you know that?”
“Takes one to know one.”
“How mature you are,” I shoot back.
“I’m not the one calling you crazy.”
“Uh, you just did,” I point out with a laugh, waving my hand toward him.
“Not in as many words.”
“Ah, sure. Sure. Whatever you say, Tyler.”
“If only that were the case.” He eyes me. “Don’t you have work tonight?”
“Not tonight,” I murmur.
“I kinda figured, else you would’ve told me to head to the auto shop.”
“Sorry about that,” I mumble.
“Well, now that I have a guess about your situation, it might even be…”
Worse than his. He won’t admit it because he doesn’t want to talk about it, and I get that. I so get that.
We all have skeletons in our closets. In some cases, literally.
I clear my throat. “Where do you want to go?”
He grins. “I have a place in mind.”
“Uh oh. I am not going to a club or a bar or a strip joint or anything like that.”
“Not with me or not ever.”
I roll my eyes.
Tyler throws back his head and laughs. “Relax. Geez! I’m not going to take you to any place like any of that.”
“You promise?”