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Shit. Just looking at her makes my jeans tight.
There’s no doubt in my mind that she feels something, too. When we were talking before the party started, there was an undeniable spark between us. There was some kind of connection just begging to be acknowledged.
It’s too fucking bad we can’t do anything about it.
We may not be in high school anymore, but that doesn’t mean the bro code has ceased to exist. She’s still my best friend’s little sister. She’s still off-limits no matter how strong of a connection the two of us might feel.
So, for the duration of the party, I stay as far away from her as possible, not wanting to tempt my self-control.
It’s a few hours into the party when Dani calls out for everyone’s attention. Some people turn to look at her, and she calls out again a few times—“Excuse me, everyone! Hey, guys?”—until everyone is paying attention.
“Thank you all so much for coming today to celebrate Cash’s birthday,” Dani says, smiling at everyone in attendance. “Everyone here knows what a great guy Cash is, and I’m so glad you could all come and make today special for him. And because I know how much you all mean to him, I wanted you to be here for his present.”
She holds up a little box and everyone cheers, a few guys pushing Cash forward as he laughs. He’s grinning from ear to ear. Any fool can see how much Cash loves his wife. Even after all these years, he’s still in his honeymoon phase.
Cash takes the small box from Dani and carefully removes the ribbon tied around it. Then he pries the wrapping paper open carefully. Everyone goads him to just tear it open, but he’s enjoying drawing out the moment.
When he finally gets the box open, though, Cash’s jaw goes slack. He stares down into the box, mouth hanging open as everyone impatiently calls out questions about what’s inside.
But he just looks up at his wife with shocked, happy eyes.
Dani grins at him and nods, and Cash reaches out to pull her toward him for a kiss. Finally, Cash turns back to us all and holds up a small photo.
An ultrasound photo.
Everyone goes wild. Immediately, people rush forward to congratulate the couple on their second child. Through the crowd, I see Jasper take the photo from his dad and look at it curiously for a moment. I’m too far away to hear what Cash is saying, but when he kneels down to talk to his son, I know he’s explaining the news to the kid. Suddenly, Jasper is grinning and bouncing up and down, just as excited as everyone else.
My heart aches as I watch Cash and Dani embrace their son.
I’ve always thought I was satisfied with my life. I’ve got a job I love. I’ve got amazing friends I wouldn’t trade for the world. Despite that, watching Cash and his family reminds me there’s still something missing in my life.
A family of my own.
A wife who makes me smile every time I see her. A son or daughter to pass on my legacy to.
And the older I get, the further away from that dream I’m getting.
I pull myself away from the crowd and head over to the cooler to get a fresh beer. I don’t want to dwell on things I don’t have. This is Cash’s big day. And Iamhappy for them. Really happy. Whatever lack I feel in my own life—well, now isn’t the time to think about shit like that.
The party goes on until the sun starts to set. People slowly trickle out, and it feels like the right time for me to head out, too. I go find Cash and Dani, offering them my congratulations. They both beam at me, clearly still on a natural high.
“Damn, man,” says Cash, clapping me on the shoulder. “I feel like we barely got to spend any time together.”
“It’s all good,” I say. It was a big party, and there were a lot of people for him to catch up with. “There’s always time to catch up later.”
“How about tomorrow?” Cash asks. “Let’s hang out, just the two of us.”
I tell him that sounds good.
As I leave, I catch sight of Felicity on the other side of the yard. She’s talking with a few other women. I pause, wanting to say goodbye to her before heading out. But I also know I probably shouldn’t.
Because the more time I spend near her, the more I want to carry her home with me.
“God,this place hasn’t changed a bit,” Cash says with a laugh as he looks around the diner. The place isn’t much, just a regular old diner that’s been around for ages. And Cash isn’t wrong. I doubt much has changed about the place since it opened.
The food is passable and still dirt cheap, making it the perfect hangout for local teens. Cash and I spent countless days here after school and on the weekends when we were in high school.
Choosing this as our meeting spot today was a no-brainer.
