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„Don’t tell me you’re siding with her, too!” I burst out.
He shakes his head pointedly and raises his hands in a defensive motion. „No way, man. Your sister is a piece of shit and her threats are just more proof of that. Dude, I’m not saying you should give in to her. I’m just saying…maybe don’t judge Claire, just because she’s trying to see a way out of it? She’s just trying to help.”
„To be fair, she doesn’t know your sister as well as we do,” Gabe adds for consideration. „I mean, we know what kind of shit show your family can be when you don’t play along. But Claire doesn’t. She hasn’t even met them, has she?”
I shake my head. „Of course she hasn’t. No one knows we’re seeing each other, obviously. No one can know.”
My words are followed by an intense gloomy feeling, pushing me down, until I can barely hold my head up. Why is this hurting so much? Even talking about it depresses the fuck out of me, and I don’t understand why.
„You really like her, don’t you?” Gabe wants to know.
I look up, feeling oddly vulnerable under their intense gazes.
„What do you mean?” I ask.
Logan rolls his eyes at me. „Jesus, Aston. It’s so obvious. Aren’t you supposed to be the emotionally mature one among us?”
„Yeah, if I remember correctly, you were usually the one talking some sense into us when we were behaving like idiots,” Gabe says. „And now look at you. All beat down because you don’t know how to deal with the first little disagreement in your relationship.”
„I’m not sure if relationship is the right word here—”
„Are you for real right now?” Logan cuts me off. „You haven’t told us about a girl ever since…”
„Since that Anya chick,” Gabe adds.
„Yeah, exactly! I don’t know if you’ve been living in celibacy ever since or if you’re just super secretive about your hookups. But fact is, you haven’t told us about a girl in years. And this Claire, she seems to be special, if you’re willing to risk this much for her.”
„Exactly. You’re way too smart to risk your precious teaching position for a simple fuck—”
„Don’t call her that!” I burst out—and they both start laughing.
„I didn’t!” Gabe insists. „But you just proved my point. She means a lot to you. And that shouldn’t change just because she doesn’t always agree on every little thing. Don’t be disappointed, but glad that your girl has a mind of her own.”
„God yes, you want that, trust me,” Logan goes on. „You don’t want to get bored, do you?”
I stare at the two of them and suddenly feel like a complete idiot. They are right on so many accounts, that I’m filled with shame.
„Thanks, guys,” I say, my voice subdued. „I needed to hear that, I think.”
„Yes, you did,” Gabe agrees.
„Now, let’s talk about that research project,” Logan piles on. „Maybe we can help there, too?”
Chapter 33
Claire
Colleen barely looks up from her instant ramen, when I join her at the kitchen table with my takeout food.
„No plans tonight?” I ask in an attempt to break the awkward silence with small talk, even though I know how much she hates it.
She shakes her head, and says „Nope”, before lowering her gaze back to her phone.
„Me neither,” I say, as I begin unpacking my order of Kung Pao Chicken—or Gong Bao, as Aston would call it. „It’s just me and my Chinese food tonight.”
She regards me with a tentative look and seems to realize that I’m looking for a chat.
„How come?” she asks. „You’ve been gone most weekends lately.”
