Page 27 of Reaching Gavin

“Like where did you meet? Or is there a special place to you? When did you first realize you fell in love with her?” I asked him, hoping I inspired some smaller, more intimate romantic gesture.

“Cassie, you’re a genius!” He didn’t share any answers because at that moment he stood up, almost knocking over his chair as he waved excitedly at the door. It was boyish and charming and part of me melted a little.

I glanced over my shoulder and saw a petite blonde looking around the café. Judging by the way she grinned when she saw him, he was right about the answer he was going to get. She practically skipped over and gave him a big kiss.

“You ready?”

“Tracy meet Cassie.” He didn’t bother to explain that I was his ex, which I was glad for. It didn’t really seem necessary.

I stuck out my hand and smiled back at her.

“Let me go lose this apron and then I’ll be with you.”

Danny abandoned us, and to my surprise, Tracy plopped down into the seat he just left behind.

“How do you know Danny?” she asked, blinking at me innocently. Did I lie? Or did I come clean? My hesitation must’ve been enough, because she giggled. “Oh wait! Cassie. You two used to date.” She said this like it was a matter of fact and not all something that bothered her. I nodded.

“Like 1 million years ago,” I said.

“He told me about you. He said you were just better at being friends,” she repeated as if she had memorized it.

“Yeah. I guess that’s true,” I said. We were really, now that I thought about it. I’d been so obsessed with whether he was still interested, I’d missed that we’d clearly exited to Friend Avenue. At least, it was one less thing to worry about and my java fix wasn’t in jeopardy.

“Danny is my best friend,” she said dreamily as if she wasn’t in the same room as me anymore.

“I thought you two were dating,” I said, momentarily confused.

Tracy perked up. “We are. I mean that’s love. Being with your best friend. I can be myself around him.”

“That sounds… amazing,” I finished. It really did. None of my romantic relationships had ever achieved best friend status. I thought to my two best friends and how little they came to me with their problems now. They were still around when I needed them, but they both had new best friends now I realized.

“It is,” she sighed. “And he’s super hot.”

I laughed at this. Tracy didn’t strike me as the jealous type, so I added, “He is pretty cute.”

Danny reappeared, and Tracy popped up to meet him. They were holding hands before I could blink my eyes. The love between the two radiated off them. I had never seen something so obvious in my life. No matter where he decided to ask her—even if he dropped to his knee right here and now in front of his ex-girlfriend, I knew what her answer would be. Somehow it even made me believe that true love was a possibility.

“Have a good night!” I called after them. My eyes lingered on the door long after they had left.

Danny hadn’t been the guy for me. I had always known that, but I never really stopped to consider what Tracy had said about love and friendship. Maybe that was the one ingredient I’d always been missing. I dated guys but I had never really been friends with one of my boyfriends before. It was dates and sex and work, but we didn’t hang out. Watching the two of them together, hearing how they talked about each other, that was what I wanted.

I’d be an idiot to settle for anything less.