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But he doesn’t flinch. “I don’t know if it was COVID and not being able to return to college that semester because of lockdown or what but Whitney went through what I can only assume to be a period of depression. She wasn’t eating or she’d eat everything in sight to the point she made herself sick. She’d stay up for days at a time and then crash and sleep for two days. We thought it was cabin fever but she was crying all the time. She never stopped. I begged her to talk to me, to Michelle, to a therapist, anyone. That just made her cry harder. Chloe seemed to help so she kind of moved in for a while. But it was hard. Seeing your child go through hell and not know how to stop it. Or what was even causing it. This went on for probably a year. Once restrictions kind of lifted and she and Chloe were able to at least go out a little bit, that did seem to help and then shortly after she met Parker. To this day, we don’t know what happened and she won’t talk about it. At one point, Michelle and I had a theory that maybe she was seeing someone and something happened but for her to be acting that way it must have been serious and I can’t see her being serious with anyone and not telling us.”
I knew parts of this through Trey and from what Whitney told me herself but seeing it through her father’s eyes who also happens to be my best friend is different.
“Kev—” I start, not knowing what I’m planning to say but knowing that after he sharedthat, I can’t not say anything about my part in it. But clearly the universe had other plans as I spot Georgina crossing the lawn, a hand in the air and a jacket under her arm.
Kevin waves back. “Hey, G.”
We both stand and Kevin gives her a hug. I’m not sure if she’s expecting one from me but I freeze, still stuck in the conversation Kevin and I just had all the while thinking about Whitney across the country seething with jealousy at the thought of this date.
“Good to see you, Georgina, you look lovely.” I nod, and she does. Her long lean legs were covered by high waisted black jeans and a black off the shoulder top that exposes her shoulders. She’s wearing open-toed heels that would put her just under my chin making her way taller than Whitney who wouldn’t even clear my chest in shoes that high.
“Michelle is inside still getting ready,” Kevin says, and I’m grateful that he speaks just as my mind begins to drift to Whitney.
It pulls me back into the present and I give her a smile.Thesmile. The one that Whitney said had the power to make any woman melt. To be fair, I thought it was just my normal smile but the implication Whitney gave it made it so I never wanted to give that smile to anyone but her. Georgina blushes and moves into the house. As soon as the door closes, Kevin shoots me a look.
“So much for not being interested.”
I snap my head toward him. “What? I already said I’m doing this as a courtesy, but no I’m not interested in dating anyone.”Because I’m in love with your daughter.
“I’ve been your best friend for almost thirty years, I know what it means when you’re interested in a woman.”
Maybe once upon a time he knew, but I’ve gotten good at hiding it having had years of practice. “Mmhmmm.” I down the rest of my beer and I wish like hell I had something stronger.
“What wasthatabout?” Kevin asks me when I make my way into the kitchen behind him. Michelle is still on the porch talking to Georgina who declined to come in probably for the same reason Kevin was about to ream me out for. “Dude, have you forgotten how to date?”
“Maybe? I didn’t date much in Mexico. I guess I’m a little rusty.”
“Are you a little rusty about how to be a human? Because you barely said two words to her.” I felt anxious all through dinner about what Kevin had shared. That mixed with being worried about Whitney had me less than good company. Whitney texted me during dinner and while I should have told her I would text her later when I was alone, I couldn’t, which had us texting back and forth for at least ten minutes. “You were so checked out.”
“I just have a lot on my mind, Kev.”
“Like what?” I don’t respond, I just drop to one of the bar stools circling the island and shake my head. “Since when can’t you tell me what’s going on?”
“I don’t even know where to start.”
“Well—”
“Jacob Maxwell Price!” Michelle screams as soon as the door slams. I wince at the use of my full name as she enters the kitchen. “I know you have better manners than that. Do not make me call your mother. You know what? Better yet, I’ll tell her next week when we have lunch.”
My eyes widen. “You have lunch with my mother?”
“Yes.” She turns her nose up and walks to the other side of the kitchen. “You and Trey are heathens that don’t call her and I’m the wonderful, considerate child she never had. Plus, I’m a girl.” She bats her eyelashes at me. “And I’m going to tell her that I set you up with a very sweet girl and you fucked it all up.” She stomps. “Well, I won’t say fuck because I have manners unlike YOU!” She crosses her hands over her chest. “What was that?”
“Please tell Georgina that I apologize for my behavior, I just… a lot happened while I was in Mexico and I’m just not ready to date anyone.”Coward.
I swallow, trying to ignore the voice inside of me telling me that now was the time to tell them and I couldn’t keep prolonging it.
“Did you meet someone?” Michelle asks, her eyes wide and a smile pulling at her lips like she’s already planning another double date for me and whoever the potential mystery girl is.
Tell them.
I shake my head. “It’s complicated.”
Michelle cocks her head to the side. “Jacob, since when don’t you tell us things?”
“That’s what I said.” Kevin speaks up and I can see him studying me. They both are. The sound of a phone buzzing breaks their stare and I’m grateful for a second to get my thoughts together in preparation when Michelle answers the phone.
“Whitney, hi honey,” she says, walking out of the room.
