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“Love?” Andy asked. “Oh, I don’t know, man. Love is driving my sister back home because you knew it was the right thing to do. Love is knowing she had a dark secret and you held it in, knowing you’d be there for her. Love is waiting for that dark secret to show up and stepping in.”
I turned my head. “So, what, I have your approval now? Is that all I’m good for to you and her? I’m just some guy who will throw a punch when the time comes? That’s really refreshing.”
“Fuck, Seb, it’s not about that,” Andy said. He stood up. “It’s about you and her. Man, I’ve known from the second she saw you that she liked you. That puppy dog look in her eyes when she was younger. You were always good to her and took care of her. She trusted you more than anyone else in the world. I just always feared…” Andy shook his head. “I feared her getting hurt. And now she did get hurt. Which had nothing to do with you. I feel like the asshole here too, Seb. You’re my best friend. She’s my sister. She’s loved you longer than any of us realized. And if you say you love her and you mean it, then I respect it. What else am I supposed to do as your best friend? I respect you both. I love you both. Deep down I secretly hate the thought of you and my sister together. But if she’s happy and you’re happy…”
“Yeah, really fucking happy,” I said.
“You know what I mean, Seb. Don’t be a fucking prick right now, okay?”
“What the hell did you just say to me?”
“You heard me. You’re a fucking idiot if you just sit around here and do nothing. The woman you love is waiting for you. And you’re going to sit here in sorrow, drink beer and act like a victim? Grow a pair of balls, Seb.”
I threw my beer bottle off the balcony and went for Andy.
He backed up, waving me on, luring me into my own apartment.
That’s when he stopped and allowed us to tangle up.
I threw my right hand around his neck, he grabbed my ribs and picked me up.
He tossed me into a wall.
I bounced off and went for him again.
Another headlock, and this time I took him to the floor.
He elbowed me in the ribs.
I punched him in the ribs.
He let out a yell of pain and swung a backhand to my mouth.
My head snapped back and I threw a punch but missed.
Andy got up to his feet and as I climbed up, he grabbed the back of my shirt and pulled it over my head.
Like a hockey fight, without the skates and the ice.
I threw my right shoulder into his stomach and he fell back, grabbing and gasping for air.
I put my shirt on the right way again and grabbed at his shirt.
Pulling him toward me, my right hand cocked back with a hard fist.
“Go for it,” Andy said with a smile. “Beating the shit out of me won’t fix your heart, you fucking idiot. This is why I didn’t want you to fall in love with her. Your brain is scrambled and you don’t know what to do.”
Andy started to laugh as I pushed him away.
He jumped at me and threw his arms around me.
“I love you, Seb,” he said.
I made a fist with my right hand and patted his back.
“Yeah. Love you right back, Andy,” I muttered.
“You don’t need my blessing to do a thing,” he said. “But you do have it. You love her. She loves you. Just take care of her, okay? Make her happy. Make her feel safe. That’s all I could ever ask.” Andy backed up. “And, fuck, if there’s one person in this world that can do all of that… it’s you, Seb. It’s you.”
