Page 80 of The Other Half

“You should have told me how you felt about her, Matt.”

“How do you tell your best friend you’re crazy about his girl?”

“Well, screwing her was definitely not the best way.” I arched a brow.

Sucking the air through his teeth, he gave me a sheepish grin. “Yes. I can see that now. Hindsight and all.”

My soft snort snuck out, and the corner of my lip almost pulled into a smile. I missed his sense of humor.

“So. Now you know. And if it makes you feel any better, after years of thinking she was the girl I wanted, of fighting my attraction to her, it turns out we wanted nothing to do with each other. I’d been wrong all along. So, all I got out of my massive fuck up was a shattered life without a friend in the world.”

I scowled. “I know how that feels.”

“Not good.”

“Nope. Not good. Though, I would be lying if I said I didn’t find some enjoyment in the fact you got your heart crushed, too.”

“It is well-deserved.”

“Very well-deserved.”

The water lapped at the dock and I heard a fish breech the water. We both looked toward the sound. “Fish are biting tonight,” Matt said.

“Yeah?” I asked, now itching to catch one.

“Grab your pole. We could try to snag a few?”

The weighted question hung between us. With the bulk of my problems settling on my shoulders, all I wanted right now was to have Matt help me sort through this mess. He’d been my sounding board even as children. My partner in crime. And tonight, more than ever, I missed the way he could always help steer me out of the dark.

“Okay,” I answered.

His eyes lit up. “Yeah?”

“Don’t get too excited. I just want to snag that fish.” I pursed my lips.

But even with my hesitant stare, I saw the smile start on his face. “Got it. Just grab your pole. They’re biting on white.”

With a sharp nod, I turned back to my boat and grabbed my rod and tackle box. Matt cast into the water while I got set up, using the white lure like he’d suggested. A fish grabbed his lure and the whirring of the reel got us both excited while I watched him fight the fish. The line snapped.

“Damn it!” He laughed.

“My turn.” I grinned and cast where I’d last seen the ripples.

“You’re on.” He cast beside me, and we exchanged a familiar smile while we reeled simultaneously. It was the same look we’d shared as boys, then teenagers, and eventually grown men when we’d race each other to catch fish off this dock.

The fish grabbed my lure, and I set the hook.

“Lucky cast!” Matt jibed while I fought him in. “Bet you lose him, too!”

“Watch and learn, Matt. Watch and learn.” I battled the fish for a minute before the tension on my line disappeared without warning. “Shit.”

Matt’s laugh echoed across the water. “Watch and learn? Learn what? How to lose a fish?”

“Shut up.” I laughed.

We tied on new lures, and with a challenging look, we both cast back into the water.

“So, you gonna tell me what’s got you in shit up to your neck?”