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Charming My Best Friend (Fated #2) by Hazel Kelly (5)

Chapter 5: Lucy

 

 

When Fiona got home, I was curled up on the couch with a bowl of popcorn.

“Hey hey,” she said.

I paused the TV. “Hi.” I could tell she was tipsy just from the way she fell against the door to close it. “How was your night?”

“Excellent.”

“I take it Peter’s friends are normal?”

She shrugged as she swayed towards the kitchen. “I wouldn’t be the best judge of that, but none of them hit on me or called me by the wrong name so I’d take that as a good sign.”

“Nice.”

“Would you like to join me for a nightcap?” she asked, opening the freezer.

“No thanks, I’m good.”

“Are you sure? I’m going to get really fancy and make a gin and tonic?”

I could barely stomach Fiona’s cocktails when I was shitfaced. Plus, throwing a glass of gin in my popcorn filled belly sounded like a terrible idea. “Thanks, but I’ll stick with my beer.”

“Suit yourself.”

“I thought you were staying out?”

“Are you disappointed I’m back?” she asked, letting the fizzy sound out of the tonic.

“Not at all. I was hoping you would come home and rub my face in what an awesome night you had.”

“I told you to come along.”

“I know. I’m just giving you a hard time.”

“He did have one sort of cute single friend.”

“Gee, that’s inspired.”

“Most of them we’re in relationships though.”

“Just my luck,” I said, shoving a handful of popcorn in my mouth.

“I guess male nurses have a pretty easy time getting chicks.”

“Between the scrubs and the whole children’s hospital angle, I can’t say I’m surprised.”

She dropped some ice in a glass. “I did go back to Peter’s for round two.”

“And?”

“I’m looking forward to round three.”

“I suppose that’s the best report you could give.”

“I left right after though,” she said. “He said his sister was coming by in the morning, and I’m not trying to meet his family yet.”

“Understandable.”

“And I wasn’t dressed for a pleasant walk of shame.”

“You mean uber of shame.”

“Whatever.”

She set her drink down on the coffee table, plopped on the couch, and reached down to start undoing her shoes which looked so complicated I was surprised she didn’t ask for help.

“What are you watching?” she asked.

“I’ll give you one guess.”

“High Fidelity?”

“Bingo,” I said.

“Did I miss the bit about the Monday tape?”

“Unfortunately.”

“What about when he’s sorting his record collection autobiographically?”

“Yep.”

“Damn. I’ve always wanted to do that.”

“You’d have to get a record collection first.”

She rolled her eyes. “Minor detail. So we’ve missed all my favorite parts?”

“Pretty much.”

She leaned forward for her drink. “But not yours I take it?”

I shook my head.

“How soon is it?”

“It’s the next scene.”

“Oh,” she said, slouching into the cushions. “I’ll shut up then.”

I smiled and hit play.

We both watched the proposal scene in silence together for what must have been the hundredth time, pursing our lips as the day drinking John Cusack asks his ex-girlfriend to marry him because he’s sick of fantasizing about other women, because she’s the only thing he doesn’t seem to get sick of.

And the whole time he was talking my heart was in my throat, and I couldn’t help but feel for the guy’s sad reach at romance.

When the painful scene ended, I realized Fiona was staring at me. “What?”

“Nothing.”

I lifted the remote and hit pause, turning towards her. “Can I ask you something?”

She swirled her drink so the ice clinked against the glass. “Anything.”

“If I knew your boyfriend was cheating on you, would you want me to tell you?”

“Are you the person he’s cheating on me with?”

“What? No.”

“Then yes.”

“And if I was the person?”

“I’d want you to both fuck off and never speak to me again unless you had really good news, like you both had herpes or something.”

“That’s fucked up.”

“Not as fucked up as that question,” she said, pulling her feet up on the couch and tucking them underneath her. “Why are you asking me that?”

“You know how we saw Chelsea out with that guy?”

“Yeah.”

“And I tried to convince myself she just knew him somehow and that it wasn’t sketchy.”

“Well, it’s not like we saw anything.”

“Yeah, but how much do you have to see before you say something?”

“I don’t know.”

“Like what if I knew she lied to Aiden about where she was that day?”

She cringed. “Really?”

“Yeah,” I said. “And it gets worse.”

She swallowed.

“I know she’s on Tinder.”

“How?”

“Cause she popped up when I installed the app on Alex’s phone.”

“Shit.”

“I know.”

“She’s too old for him.”

“Apparently she’s not.”

“Wow, so she really sucks then.”

“Yeah.”

“And Aiden has no idea?” she asked.

I shook my head.

“And you don’t know if you should tell him?”

I nodded.

“Well, my first reaction is that you definitely should because that’s horrible.”

“I know.”

“But you’re probably the last person he wants to hear something like that from.”

I swallowed.

“Especially because if he does know and they’re trying to work through it or something, it could make things really awkward between you guys if he thinks you don’t approve.”

“Right.”

“Which you don’t.”

“And never have.”

She blew air out between her lips.

“I mean, ideally I could help him figure it out on his own in a roundabout way. Then how he handles it is up to him.”

“How are you supposed to do that?”

“I was hoping you’d have some ideas.”

“I’ve got shit,” she said, “but promise me if you ever find out I’m being cheated on, you’ll let me know.”

“Of course.” I leaned forward and set the bowl of popcorn on the table.

“Lucy?”

“What?”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Shoot.”

“Do you ever wish he would stop being such a fool and ask you out?”

“What?! Of course not.”

“I’m being serious.”

“So am I.”

“I’m only asking because I don’t know why else you wouldn’t tell him.”

“If I wanted to be with him I would tell him though. I would tell him right away.”

She pursed her lips.

“I just can’t figure out how to tell him without hurting him.”

“But aren’t you still-”

“Hurting him by omission? Yeah, I am.”

Fiona sighed.

“Even if I tell him, though, he’s just going to break up with her and find another stupid model to date that won’t be good enough for him either.”

“That’s what I thought.”

“Excuse me?”

“Face it. There’s only one girl who you think is good enough for him.”

“That’s not true. You know I don’t believe there’s only one right person out there for everyone.”

“Except when it comes to Aiden.”

“Come on, Fi. That’s not fair. This isn’t about me.”

“No, it’s about him. It’s always about him.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I can’t believe I never realized it until now.”

“Realized what?” I asked. “There’s nothing to realize.”

“Does he know how you feel?”

“We’re friends.”

“Only because neither of you has ever had the guts to try and be more.”

“That’s not why.”

“Forgive me then. I’m totally off base.”

“He’s not interested in me in that way.”

“How do you know?”

“Cause I’ve known him longer than I’ve known myself,” I said. “And he doesn’t think about me like that.”

“Of course he does.”

“No, he doesn’t.” I folded my arms across my chest. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Fine, I’m crazy, and you’re happy the way things are, going on date after date so you can meet a guy who’s exactly like a guy you already know who’s crazy about you.”

“He’s not crazy about me,” I said. “If he was, something would’ve happened by now.”

She shook her head. “You know what I think the problem is?”

“Oh here we go.”

“I think the problem is that he has too much damn respect for you.”

“How is that a problem?”

“Because if he didn’t, he would’ve already shoved you against the wall and stuck his tongue in your mouth.”

I swallowed. “Do you think so?”

“I know so,” she said, draining her drink. “And if your mouth weren’t so full of bullshit excuses, there might actually be room for it.”

 

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