A Long Time Coming
: Chapter 12

“Are you both there?” I say into the phone once I conference Huxley in.

“Yes,” they say at the same time, and then Huxley adds, “This better be fucking good. Lottie is waiting for me.”

“Kelsey is cooking pancakes naked, so yeah, hurry the fuck up,” JP says.

God, their lives are so annoying . . . annoying because I’m jealous. So fucking jealous.

“I need to talk to you guys because I’m going to do something stupid. I can feel it. I need to come back to work. I need to distract myself with something, anything, please, just let me come back to work.”

“Uhh . . . the desperation is thick. What’s going on?” JP asks.

“I almost fucked up,” I say. “Or maybe I did, I don’t know, but fuck, it’s not good. It’s really not good, so please just let me come back to work. I’ll wear a wig, a fake mustache, I’ll even do another job. Just anything to get me away from . . . from this hell.”

“A mustache, huh?” JP asks.

“Tell us what the hell is going on,” Huxley says in that father-figure voice of his.

I take a deep breath while I squeeze the steering wheel of my car at a red light. I should be stressed by the goddamn lawsuit being hurled toward me. I should be worried that the Cane name is being disparaged. But no. I’m stressed about the woman I love who I just told I’d fuck hard enough to make her hoarse from orgasms. The fuck? But first . . . “I, uh . . . came to the conclusion that I have feelings for Lia.”

There’s silence.

And then, “I fucking told you he was going to figure it out in a week,” JP says. “Spending that much time with a girl you’re harboring feelings for while she attempts to plan a wedding with another man, yeah, that will give you a swift kick to the scrotum.”

“Can we not play the I-told-you-so game?” I ask.

“But we did,” Huxley says. “We told you this would happen.”

“Okay, great, wonderful, you two are modern-day matchmakers. Congratulations. Now, can we please move on?”

“Glad you can be big enough to acknowledge that,” JP says.

“How does this pertain to work and fucking up?” Huxley asks.

“I can’t be around her anymore. I need reasons I can’t help with the planning of her wedding.”

“So you’re just going to crush her like that?” JP asks. “Dude, that’s not cool.”

“What the hell am I supposed to do?” I ask. “I just told her if she was mine, I’d never let her go. I would fuck her every chance I had.”

“Whoa, what?” Huxley says.

“Uh, dude, that’s a bit extreme for not even admitting your feelings. How? Did you just announce that you’d fuck her out of the blue?”

“No.” I drag my hand over my face. “We were talking about the honeymoon phase, and I mentioned how I wouldn’t let her out of my sight but quickly changed it to my girl. But then, after that, she tells me that she and Brian barely have sex because he’s tired, and I just fucking lost it. All I could think about was how this lucky son of a bitch was taking advantage of her and how he didn’t deserve her, and I told her that if she was mine, we’d be fucking all the time, so yeah . . . there you have it. I need to not be around her anymore, and if I could return to work, that would be great. Thank you.”

“You can’t come back to work yet,” Huxley says. “Not until Taylor says it’s clear.”

“So what am I supposed to do? Keep being her man of honor when clearly all I want is her?”

“You could do some next-level shit and jeopardize her wedding so she doesn’t get married at all,” JP says.

“Don’t listen to him,” Huxley cuts in. “That’s a terrible fucking idea. Why don’t you just tell her how you feel?”

“Please,” I scoff. “We all know how that goes. I tell her how I feel, she doesn’t feel the same way. She ends up patting me on the shoulder, and then we don’t talk anymore.”

“Where are you getting your evidence from? Movies and TV shows?”

“Of course, where else?” I ask as I pull into the parking lot of the trailhead.

“Probably not your best source of reality,” JP says. “I think Huxley is right. You tell her, and if she doesn’t feel the same way, at least you know, and you can move on.”

“What about that Birdy girl? Can’t you move on with her?” Huxley asks.

“I’m about to tell her I can’t see her anymore because I like someone else, and I don’t want to lead her on. Also, I’ve kissed her twice now and felt nothing, and I think it’s because I want Lia and only Lia.”

“That much is obvious,” JP says.

I press my fingers into my brow and say, “So what should I do?”

“We already told you what to do,” Huxley says. “Tell Lia how you feel. If you don’t, you’re going to regret it.”

“But she’s on this mission now to do things before she gets married. What am I supposed to do about that?”

“Well, if you think she might not feel the same way about you, then help her understand how you’re a better match for her than Brian,” JP says.

“Yeah, I agree,” Huxley chimes in.

“How do I go about doing that?”

“Be everything Brian is not,” JP says. “Without crossing the line, obviously, you can’t go fuck her and be like, see, I fuck you, and Brian doesn’t.”

That actually makes me chuckle. “I would never do that, but I get what you’re saying.” I lean my head against the headrest and ask, “Do you really think it could work?”

“Never know until you try,” Huxley says.

“And I just want to state for the record one more time about how right we were about this.”

“Shut the fuck up,” I say, causing them both to laugh. “I hate you.”

“No, you don’t,” Huxley says. “You just hate that we’re always right.”

“Yeah, that too. Okay, Birdy is here for our hike. Got to go.”

“Be gentle with her,” JP says.

“No, I thought I would kick dirt at her and tell her to get lost.”

“Not recommended,” Huxley adds right before I say bye and end the call.

I look out the window where Birdy steps out of her white SUV wearing a matching set of maroon biking shorts and sports bra. And from where I’m sitting, I can see a small bird pattern on them.

Fuck.

I squeeze my eyes shut again.

I don’t want to make her feel bad.

But I’m going to. There’s no way around it. She definitely thinks we’re about to have a fun birdwatching hike. How do I tell her otherwise?

Grumbling to myself, I get out of my car just as Birdy steps up.

“Hey, you,” she says in a cheery voice just as her hand lands on my chest, and she stands on her toes to press a kiss to my jaw. “How are you?”

Fucking awful.

“Good.” I tack on a smile. “Uh, I like your outfit, very themed for birdwatching.”

“I told you it was good.” She beams up at me, and I realize I must tell her now. I can’t go on this hike and pretend everything is fine and then tell her after. That would be brutal. She must sense my uneasiness because she asks, “Is everything okay?”

I pull on my hair and shake my head. “No.”

“Oh, what’s going on?”

“Come talk with me,” I say as I take her hand in mine and lead her around to the back of my SUV and open the trunk. I take a seat, and she does the same. “I’ve been a fucking idiot, Birdy, and I dragged you into my idiocy.”

“What do you mean?” she asks.

I look up at her and say, “I like someone else, and I thought that maybe if I just ignored it, I wouldn’t think about it. But it’s become more and more clear that I like this person, and I don’t want to lead you on.”

“Oh,” she says, looking down at her hands and making me feel like the absolute shithead that I am. “I’m guessing it’s Lia, isn’t it?”

I could deny it, but what’s the point in lying?

“Yeah,” I say softly. “Like I said, it’s really fucked up, and I can’t pretend the feelings aren’t there while I try to date you at the same time. It wouldn’t be fair.”

“I appreciate that,” she says softly and then asks, “Does she know?”

“No,” I say quickly. “Not even a clue.”

“Are you going to go for it?” When her eyes connect with mine, I realize at that moment who I’m talking to, who set me up with her. Brian. Fuck.

“Uh . . . no,” I answer, but the lie even sounds stupid to my ears.

“I won’t say anything,” she says. “I don’t care for Brian all that much. I think he’s a tool, and honestly, I think Lia could do better. I don’t know what she sees in him.”

“Me either,” I say softly.

“You should go for it,” Birdy says. “You two have such a strong connection.”

“That’s nice of you, but you don’t have to talk about this. I know it’s got to be weird.”

“Sure, it’s weird, and am I disappointed? Of course. I think you’re amazing, Breaker, and if you asked me out on a date, I would one hundred percent go, but I also know when a guy isn’t interested or is hung up on someone else. I had a feeling that might be the case. I could just tell by the way you two interacted and the way you spoke about her. Something is there, and I really think you should try to figure it out.”

“But she’s getting married in four weeks. Doesn’t that make me look like a giant ass? Like I couldn’t have figured this out sooner? Now I’m going to come swooping in and tell her how I feel? It doesn’t seem appropriate.”

“Not sure there is a standard for an appropriate time to tell someone you love them. But the last thing you want to do is not tell her and regret it forever.”

“That’s what my brothers said.”

“Did they also say I told you so? Seems like something they would pick up on.”

“Yeah, pretty sure everyone picked up on it besides Lia and me.” I sigh heavily. “Jesus, Birdy, I’m just so sorry.”

“Don’t be.” She takes my hand in hers. “I’d rather you tell me the truth. Frankly, this might be the most real conversation I’ve ever had, and I appreciate it.”

“Well, thanks for being so cool about it.”

“Do you still want to go on a hike? Maybe we can talk about Lia, and I can help you.”

“You don’t want to do that.”

“I do,” she says convincingly. “I’m all about true love, and I think you and Lia have that. She just needs to see it too. Plus, I can’t waste this outfit.”

“True,” I say as I hop off the back of the trunk. I hold my hand out to her and help her down. “Can I give you a hug?”

“Of course,” she says as she pulls me in.

“Thank you for understanding.”

“Thank you for being honest.” When we push away, she says, “Now, if you happen to have a single friend who is kind, sweet, doesn’t hurt to have some looks, and can be as honest as you, then I would love to meet him.”

“You know . . . I just might have someone in mind for you.”

Her eyes light up. “Really?”

I shut the trunk of my car and nod. “Yeah, he’s a former baseball player. What do you think about that?”

“Um, I say yes, please!”

I chuckle, and we head up toward the hiking trail.

“GOLDFINCH, RIGHT?” Birdy asks.

“That’s right,” I say, feeling like a proud teacher. “Look at you getting it after the twelfth time.”

She chuckles. “Well, don’t say you can’t teach me anything. Clearly, I’m a master at birdwatching.”

“Clearly.” We make our way up the hill, almost to the crest. “I’m irritated that we haven’t seen more variety.”

“Well, you know, the crow and goldfinch have sealed the deal for me on this birdwatching thing. I think I’m an avid fan forever.”

“Your sarcasm is easily detectable.” I let my binoculars rest on my chest. “If this was a real date, I’d be thoroughly embarrassed by the showing. Here, I’m taking you on some exotic bird tour, and we replace a gaggle of crows and a dozen goldfinches.”

“Could have been worse, could have been just the crows.”

“Very true.” When we reach the crest of the hill, we pause and take a second to check out the view of the city.

“Not too bad,” Birdy says as she replaces a boulder and takes a seat on it. “Care to join me?”

I take a seat as well. “I’m glad we still went on the hike. I think it’s helping clear my head.”

“Good, which means you might be ready and open to talk about all things Lia.”

“Ehhh, not sure that’s the case.”

She bumps her shoulder with mine. “Come on, I have some insight. I’m a girl, and I know Brian. I could give you some pointers.”

“Yeah?” I ask. “I guess that wouldn’t be too bad to maybe . . . see what you have to say.”

“Glad you’re open to it.” She chuckles. “First of all, you need to know Brian’s weaknesses, and I will tell you right now that communication is one of them. He’s also a workaholic, he’s not very thoughtful, and even though he proposed to Lia, it certainly wasn’t his idea. It was his mom’s because she wasn’t happy with him not being married yet. Do I think he loves Lia? Of course, but do I think he could marry anyone? Also, yes. I don’t think the ability to deeply love and be in love with someone is in his bones. I’ve seen it with his girlfriends growing up. They were more like accessories than anything.”

“Yeah, I got that feeling from him. He and Lia started dating not long after she lost both of her parents, and I believe there was comfort in having him around for that type of affection I couldn’t give her.” I wince and say, “Please don’t say that to anyone. I don’t want Lia to replace out I’m breaking her trust.”

“Don’t worry, Breaker. I’m on your side. I won’t say anything . . . especially since you’re dangling a baseball player in front of me.”

I chuckle. “A good one at that.”

“I’m counting on it, but seriously, I think one of the best things you can do is be there for her more than you already are. Knowing Brian’s relational deficits, why not emphasize your strengths in those areas? She knows you. But is she aware of the man you’d be in a romantic relationship?”

“That’s what my brothers said.”

“Your brothers are smart. And do everything with her, maybe even flirt just a touch.”

“I don’t want to cross the line.”

“Then don’t, but you should subtly let her know that you’re attracted to her. Start hinting at how you feel so that when you do tell her, this isn’t a total shock, and she doesn’t have some assumption that you’re trying to ruin her wedding. Not that I think Lia would process information that way, but just in case.”

“Yeah, that’s actually really smart.” I kick some dirt away. “Fuck, this feels terrifying.”

“Well, feel free to call me anytime and ask for advice. I think you have a leg up on Brian. The only thing that could hold you back is her fear of facing the truth. And the truth is, I don’t think she truly loves Brian. I’ve seen how she interacts with you and how she interacts with him. There’s warmth when you two are together, a connection. I don’t see the same thing with Brian.”

“I don’t either.” I drape my arm over Birdy’s shoulder and say, “We’re going to have to stay in touch, you know. I really appreciate your honesty and help right now.” And hope I’m not putting my trust in the wrong person.

“Just promise me, when you two get married, because I know it’s going to happen, invite me and offer me a plus-one.” That’s something I can do.

“I very well might dedicate a toast to you if this all works out. You gave me a bout of confidence I wasn’t feeling this morning.”

“If you ever need someone to pump you up for overtaking Brian, I’m your girl. He might have introduced you to me, but he still is an idiot.”

“Yup, can’t disagree with you there.”

We both laugh and then stand from the boulder. I was right all along. Brian is a douche.

“Shall we head back? The birds are letting us down today,” I say.

“Yes, and we can go over all the ways you can be flirtatious without crossing the line. It’s time for the Win Your Girl Bootcamp. You in?”

“Teach me all the things, wise one.”

BREAKER: Stopped by Masala Palace and grabbed some chicken tikka, reshmi kabab, paneer korma, and garlic naan. You in?

Lia: Are you kidding me? I think I just drooled reading that text message. I’m home, want me to prepare the gameboard and table?

Breaker: Obviously.

Lia: On it. Please choose your Plunder ship color.

Breaker: Why are you asking? You know I’m always green.

Lia: You’ve lost the last three times, so I didn’t know if you wanted to change it up. Maybe switch your luck.

Breaker: Green for life.

Lia: Okay, prepare to be annihilated. Also, I have a surprise to show you when you get here.

Breaker: Yeah, does this surprise happen to be one of the things you’re checking off your list?

Lia: Yes.

Breaker: Well, I can’t wait. See you soon.

FOOD IN HAND, I step off the elevator of our apartment building and head right to my front door. After Birdy and I made it down the hill, I gave her a hug goodbye and then traveled back up the hill myself, this time thinking about everything. Letting my mind wander, my mind process, ruminating on my true thoughts and feelings.

First and foremost, I love her. I let that sink in. I let myself sit in my feelings and understand them. Lia is the most precious person in my life. She’s my ride or die. She means everything to me.

She’s my girl.

After I let myself accept that, I went on to accept that everyone is right. I need to tell her about my feelings, but I need to ease her into it. It might scare her if I jump out at her with these feelings.

Also, I need to give her time to check her goals off her list. I don’t want to get in the way of that. I want her at her best when I approach her with my feelings, which will give her time to adjust to the new way I’ll approach our friendship.

After some time up on the hill and just living in the moment, I made my way back down again and ordered food, knowing Lia wouldn’t be able to say no to Indian food. It’s one of her absolute favorites.

With excitement in my chest, I reach my door, turn the knob, and enter, half expecting Lia to be standing there, waiting for me. When she’s not, I call out, “Hey, I’m here.”

“In the bedroom,” she says. “Come here.”

Confused but also excited, I drop the food off at the table and make my way to my bedroom, where the door is cracked open. Whatever she wants to show me, she sure is making a big deal about it—which I love.

I push the door open and glance in. That’s where I replace Lia standing in the middle of the bedroom, her hands clasped together in front of her. She’s wearing a pair of leggings and a crop top—not her normal type of shirt since it shows off a touch of her stomach, but it looks great on her. Really good on her, but that’s not what’s gathering my attention. Nope. It’s that her long red hair has been cut and dyed. Thin blonde streaks are woven through her hair that now sits just above her shoulders, with long flowy bangs and messy curls that fit her personality so well.

“Holy . . . shit.”

She is wearing a large smile as she says, “Do you like it?”

“Ophelia,” I whisper while I take a step forward. “Jesus Christ, you look hot.”

Her smile glows even brighter. “Really?”

I close the space between us and reach out to touch her short locks. “Yeah,” I say breathlessly.

“It’s a little spunky, but I feel like a new woman with all that hair lifted off me, and I thought the highlights would be fun, but I kept them minimal because I still like my red hair.”

I take her all in as my heart beats wildly in my chest. Jesus fuck, she was gorgeous before, but now, I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep my hands to myself.

And before I can stop myself, I tell her exactly what’s on my mind.

“You look fucking sexy. Not that you didn’t before, but Jesus fuck, Lia. You look so fucking incredible. I love it.”

“Thank you,” she says, a light blush staining her cheeks. “I sent a picture to Brian, still waiting to hear back from him. I hope he likes it as much as you do.” I bet the fuck he does. But I don’t fucking care.

“He will,” I say, still touching her hair as this wave of lust pours through me.

I want to sift my hand through her hair. I want to pull her close. I want to slip my hand under her crop top. I want to show her just how much this transformation turns me on. And it’s not just how she looks. It’s her confidence, her smile, and how proud she is of herself. I want to pin her to my bed and run my mouth up and down her neck.

“And the outfit, it’s not too much, is it? I thought I’d try something new.”

I look down at her crop top and the hint of her lace bra strap lining her shoulder as I shake my head. “No, not at all. You look really fucking amazing, Ophelia.”

“Ooo, two Ophelias. You must really approve.”

I swallow as I squeak out, “Yeah, I do.”

I approve so much that I’m struggling to remind myself that she’s engaged, and that I need to take this slow. That I can’t touch her the way I want to.

Pulling it slightly together, I ask, “But more importantly, how do you feel?”

“Well, after your reaction, I feel really sexy.”

“You should.”

“I’m just excited to see what Brian has to say.” Ah, yes, we’re all waiting on bated breath for Brian’s reaction. Did you hear the sarcasm in that? From the kitchen, her phone rings, and she glances up at me. “Speak of the devil. I bet that’s him. I’ll answer, and you can divvy out the food. Don’t hoard the garlic naan.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” I say as she moves past me, and my eyes follow, falling straight to her rear end.

Fuck, would you look at that?

Bubbly, pert, all shown off in her skintight pants.

I swear the universe is testing me and will decide my fate on how I can control myself in this situation. My best friend, who I’ve always thought was incredible, turned into a smokeshow in a few short hours.

I reluctantly remove my eyes from her ass and fall in step behind her. While she reaches for her phone, I open up the bag of Indian food while my eyes casually drift in her direction, taking another opportunity to check her out.

Even her tits look incredible in that shirt.

Yup, the universe is testing me for sure.

“Hey, Brian,” she says cheerfully. “How are you?”

I try to block out her conversation because I don’t want to hear him tell her how much he loves her new hair, so I focus on dividing up our food.

That’s until I hear her say, “What? You don’t like it?”

That snaps me to attention. I forget all about the food and focus on her instead.

The confidence—which was propping her chest out only a few moments earlier—vanishes.

Her beautiful smile that had stretched from ear to ear falters.

And I can feel the pained disappointment in her voice as she lowers her voice to reply.

“I wanted a change,” she says. “Because I wasn’t feeling myself. Yes, I feel like myself now.” She pauses and then turns away from me. “Brian, can we talk about this later?” Another pause and then, “For how long? A week? I mean, it’s not like I can stop you, right? Business is business.” I crumple the paper bag in my hand as I continue to listen, my hatred for the man growing stronger. “Yes, but we’re supposed to get married shortly. It would be nice if you were here.” It would be great if he wasn’t. “Okay, fine. Yeah, talk to you later.” She hangs up and drops the phone to the side of her.

I wait a few moments, and when I notice she’s not going to move, I decide to move to her. I sit down next to her on the couch, lift her eyes so she’s looking at me, and that’s when I notice the tears.

I’m going to fucking kill him.

“I’m sure you got the gist of that conversation,” she says. “But he didn’t like my hair. Said it was a mistake.”

Yup, murder is in his future.

“He’s wrong,” I say as I cup her cheek and swipe the tears away. “He’s so fucking wrong because the moment I saw you, my heart skipped a beat, Lia. You look gorgeous. So fucking stunning that I had to remind myself that you’re my best friend.”

“You’re just saying that.” She shakes her head.

“I’m not,” I say as my eyes fall to her lips and then back to her eyes. “I’d never just say something to appease you. Brian is an idiot because the fact that he can’t see how you shine with this new hair, can’t see your confidence, is his loss.”

“He thinks his mom is going to be really mad.” Who the fuck cares? Is he still attached by his umbilical cord, or what?

“Good,” I say. “I hope she is mad. Gives us more fodder to fuck around with her.”

She lightly chuckles. “He’s also going to be gone for a week, maybe more. I guess what he’s dealing with in San Jose requires more attention than he initially thought, so that’s great. Not like we’re getting married or anything.” She sighs. “God, why did he have to be such an ass? Maybe he’s stressed.”

“Being stressed does not give anyone an excuse to be a dick. And he was a dick. Flat out. I need you to realize that. What he did was an inexcusable dick move. Do you hear me?”

She blinks and then nods. “Yes.”

“Good. Now, we’re going to forget that just happened because we have a fun night planned, and I’m not going to allow him to ruin that. Understood?”

“Yes,” she says again, and then she falls into my chest. I wrap my arms around her and let her cry it out for a few more minutes. All the while, I think about what I would have done if Brian dismissed her boldness in person.

“YOU’VE BARELY TOUCHED YOUR NAAN,” I say. “That’s unacceptable.”

“I’m sorry,” she says, pushing it to the side. “I’m just . . . not in the mood.”

“Is that why we haven’t started playing Plunder?”

“Maybe I should go back to my place.”

“Yeah, okay, as if I would let you do that,” I say. “With that frown you can’t seem to shake, no way would I allow you to just sulk away. Nah, sorry, you’re here with me for the rest of the night.”

Her eyes well up again, her lips tremble, and I tug on her hand to sit on my lap right as she bursts into tears again.

“I’M sorry about all of this,” she says quietly as we sit on my couch, watching old reruns of Family Feud.

After she ate a few more bites of her food, we packed everything up in containers and stuck it in the fridge. Since she wasn’t in the mood for a board game, we both took a seat on the couch, where we’ve been mindlessly watching reruns ever since. I’ve wanted to pull her in close several times, to stretch her legs across mine, to massage her feet, to do anything to touch her, and to make her feel better.

“Don’t apologize,” I say.

“I know, but I didn’t even ask you how your date with Birdy was. I just kind of bogarted the night with my issues.”

“You didn’t bogart anything. You have the right to be upset. Brian let you down, and you need to work through those feelings. There’s nothing to apologize for.”

“Still . . .” She turns toward me now. “How was birdwatching with Birdy?”

I shrug casually, keeping my eyes on the TV as I say, “We decided just to be friends.”

“What?” she asks. “Why?”

I shrug again. “Just don’t think I was into it like she was.”

“And she was okay with that? She said she was so excited about meeting you.”

“She was,” I answer. “We had a real honest conversation about it, actually. She could tell I wasn’t feeling it and said it was okay. She’d rather know now than have me drag things on. We still went on a hike together. Did some talking, and I told her I would hook her up with one of my friends who I think would be perfect for her.”

“Who?” she asks as her lips lightly turn up.

“Penn.”

Momentarily forgetting her woes, Lia leans over and grips my forearm. “Oh my God, Breaker, they would make the cutest couple.”

“I think so, plus Penn is really honest, and is the kind of guy she’s looking for.”

“Is he dating?”

“I think so, just hasn’t found anyone he wants to be serious about. I think that could be Birdy.”

“Well, look at you being a matchmaker. I’m sorry it didn’t work out, though, I thought you were looking for that kind of relationship,” she says.

“I was, but she wasn’t what I wanted.”

“What do you want?” she asks.

You.

Everything about you.

Your soul.

Your mind.

Your heart.

Your body.

I want all of you, every last fucking inch of you.

“Still processing that. I’ll let you know when I’m ready.”

“Oh, you have an idea?”

“Yes, I have an exact idea, but it’s going to take some finagling, so let’s put this conversation on pause.”

“Okay, that’s not evasive at all.”

“Not at all.” I wink, which causes her to push me with her foot.

“That’s annoying.”

“At least we’ve moved past Brian being a dumbass.”

She leans against the back of the couch. “He really was being a dumbass, wasn’t he?”

“He was because from where I sit, he’s completely missed the fact that you’re a total smokeshow with that hair.”

“Smokeshow, huh? What was I before?”

“A smokeshow,” I answer. “But without confidence. This new haircut just makes you shine brighter.”

“I was feeling really confident.”

“He’s a certified troll for saying anything negative. Bet you he thinks you’re too hot now, like you’re out of his league, and he’s worried you might wander off.”

“Well, if he keeps acting like an ass, I very well might.”

That’s the spirit. Wander off, straight into my arms.

Not wanting to push the subject, I turn back to the TV and say, “Are we going to apply to be on Family Feud again this year? We have Kelsey and Lottie, who we can add to the team, as well as JP, so I think the odds are in our favor. Kelsey would have precise answers, JP would have the funny covered, and Lottie will cover the wildcard topic.”

“We’ll never get picked.”

“That’s not the kind of attitude I like to hear. We must manifest this shit. Come on, we were born to be on Family Feud. You and me during fast money? We’d annihilate. Steve Harvey wouldn’t know what to do with himself because we’d destroy it. And who knows, I’m not opposed to paying people off to get on the show.”

“I told you, we’ll get on the show on our own merit, not what number you can write down in your checkbook.”

“Yeah, but the checkbook would be a surefire way to make it happen.”

“Where are your morals, Breaker Cane?”

“Iffy at best when it comes to Family Feud.”

“I can see that.” Growing more serious, she says, “Thanks for hanging out with me tonight, and being my own personal hype man about my hair and my outfit. It truly did make me feel special.”

“Well, you should feel special. Because you are. I’ll hype you all day, every day.”

“And that is why you are my best friend,” she says.

Yeah, if only I was so much more.