“Oh, whatever.” She rolled her eyes and drank from her beer.
William glanced back and forth between them. “Are you guys brother and sister?”
“Psh,” Carson snapped. “He wishes.”
Charlie shook his hand. “Being roommates is the extent of our relation.”
The fries and wings came out first, and Carson ate like one of the guys, getting her elbows on the table, but she also kept her mouth clean with a napkin, eating like a lady with an appetite that rivaled ours.
The two of us got along together so well that sometimes I wondered how she could keep this distance from me. It just felt right, like we belonged together. Once we became completely honest with each other, it was even better than it used to be. Was I the only one who felt that? Was I stuck in my head, in a different reality?
When I looked at William, he was staring at me while he ate a few fries. He didn’t say anything because the intention behind his gaze was clear. He saw the way I stared at Carson.
I just wondered if she noticed the way I stared at her too.
Eight
Carson
Charlie and I sat at the dining table together, both working on our laptops, drinking beer. We’d had dinner hours ago, and now it was late into the night, the brightness from the screen making my eyes tired.
My phone lit up with a text message.
Boy Toy #1: Still seeing that guy?
After I read the message, I went back to my article.
Charlie must have read it because he said, “The apartment has been quiet.”
“You want to get a dog?” I asked excitedly.
He gave me a cold stare before he rolled his eyes. “I meant you haven’t brought any dates back to the apartment.”
I shrugged then turned back to my computer.
“And you haven’t been seeing anyone, as far as I can tell.”
“What’s your point, Charlie?” I spun my earring in my lobe while I read over the last few sentences I’d written.
“That’s a long dry spell for you, is all. What? Four, five weeks?”
I shifted my gaze back to him. “I appreciate you checking in on my coochie, but she’s fine.”
He propped his chin on his closed knuckles and stared at me. “It just makes me wonder if you should forgive Dax—”
“I’ve already forgiven him.”
“Alright, then take him back.”
“Are we seriously doing this?” I closed my laptop slightly, so it was easier to look at him.
“You obviously have no idea what you’re doing, so I’ve got to step in.”
“I’m perfectly fine, Charlie.” I opened my laptop again.
“He’s not going to be available forever, you know.”
“Good for him.”
“Carson.” He raised his voice slightly, his tone turning hostile.
I turned back to him, frustrated. “He put you up to this?”
“No.” His irritated eyes burned into mine. “He doesn’t ask about you. Doesn’t talk about you. I’m saying this based on my own feelings about the situation. You obviously still have a thing for him—”
“I’m attracted to him. I’m not gay, so it’s impossible not to be.”
He shook his head. “Bullshit, it’s more than that. He’s not like Evan, so you’re denying yourself a great guy because of a mistake he made.”
“It wasn’t a mistake. It was intentional.”
“Whatever. That was five weeks ago. You guys are both connecting on a deeper level. It’s so obvious.”
“Because we’re friends. Friends connect.”
He sighed loudly. “Carson, why haven’t you been sleeping around?”
“Because I’m busy—”
“Try again.”
“What? I am,” I snapped. “I’ve got four articles, basketball, now I want to get a dog—”
“Stop it.” He dropped his hand on the table. “It’s because of Dax. If you were really over him, you’d be texting this guy back. You’d be picking up some stud at the bar. You’re coming home alone every night, and I know you aren’t sleeping elsewhere. Do whatever you want, Carson. It’s your life. But another Dax isn’t going to come around, and you’re going to lose a great guy because you’re being too stubborn. Just my two cents.”
I didn’t want to hear his words, didn’t want the truth to hit me so hard in the face.
He stared at me, as if he expected me to say something.
I wanted to change the subject, and since I had to talk to him about this anyway, I used it to my advantage. “There’s something I need to tell you. I’ve thought about it for a while now, and there’s really no good way to go about it. And since you’re my best friend, you’re the person I come to.”
His posture immediately changed, his eyes narrowing. “What is it?”
“Denise and I got a drink the other night…and told me she kinda had a thing for you.”
His reaction wasn’t subtle. His eyes widened in shock, like he couldn’t believe those words just came out of my mouth. His fingers dug into his hair, and he turned away, inhaling a deep breath like the news was so good he didn’t know what to do with it. “When did this happen?”
“Like a week or so ago.”
“And she…” He narrowed his eyes on my face. “I’m not stupid, Carson. I know what you’re really doing.”
“I’m not lying about Denise. That really happened.”
“But you can’t just shrug off what I said about Dax.”
I dropped my gaze and felt touched that he still cared more about me than the thing he’d been obsessing over for months. His loyalty was unshakable, and he cared about me more than himself. He was a good friend, more like family.
“He is a fucking catch. Some other woman is gonna come along and sink her claws into him, and then it’ll be too late.”
“I’m sure plenty of women are sinking their claws into him.”
“And that doesn’t have to be the case. Give him another chance.”
“Look, I’ve heard you.” I raised my hand. “I will consider what you said.”
“There’s nothing to consider. Be with him.”
“You don’t know what it’s like to get your heart demolished, Charlie. You have no room to tell me how to feel, how to brush it off.”
He shook his head. “You’re acting like he did something really terrible to you.”
“I’m not talking about him.”
His eyes softened.
“I gave Dax more of my heart than I realized, and it left me so vulnerable. I’m just not ready for that again. There’s nothing I can do about it. I can’t force myself to be ready…”
“He’ll take it slow.”
“Doesn’t matter. I can’t force this. It’s not fair to him or me. Now, let’s move on because we’ve got bigger fish to try.”
“I’m not sure if I agree with that, but whatever.” He closed his laptop and pushed it to the side. “So, what exactly happened with Denise?”