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“Oh,” Grady’s brow furrows, “I thought you were doing a couple’s costume with someone. That I do remember because I thought it was dumb.”
“Thanks, man.” I roll my eyes. “Anyway, I showed up at the Halloween Party and found Nina. I was going to talk to her about letting you know what was going on between us. I heard her tell Tati, she was just using me. She just wanted to sleep with someone, and since I was there, she went with it. I didn’t mean anything to her.”
Grady stares at me for a full minute and then shakes his head. “That’s why you left town? You fucking pussy.”
“What?” I didn’t expect that reaction out of him.
“She told me about Tati and her talks,” he says. “Tati manipulated Nina. She was a serious bitch. They had a falling out not long after that, and never spoke to each other again. She told Nina she was in love with a guy—who I now realize was you—and was going to make her move at the party. Then Nina told her what happened between you.”
“Okay,” I don’t know where this story is going, but I feel my heart cracking down the middle all over again, being reminded of that night.
“Nina told me she downplayed her relationship with the guy to Tati because she was scared of what Tati would do. On top of that, Nina told me she’d just found out the guy she thought she loved was bringing someone else to the party.”
My gaze widens and morphs into confusion, “What, why the hell would she think that?”
Grady winces and scratches at the back of his head. “Considering I didn’t know it was you, now looking back and it’s a bit hazy, but I think that was my fault. I told her you were working on your couple’s costume.”
I could literally punch myself in the face right now. “Seriously?”
“Yeah, man, she asked where you were that night, and I told her.”
“You remember this?” I am impressed.
“Of course. When my sister told me this story, she’d only ever kissed the guy who didn’t have a face, but now does.” He pauses. “I still kind of want to punch you in the face right now.”
“That’s fair,” I say, nodding.
“Just go and talk to her,” he huffs, and for the first time tonight, I think maybe he could accept Nina and me together. “You two need to talk about that night and figure out what really happened. It makes sense now why she didn’t want you to live with her,” he says, tossing the football at me.
Unprepared, I catch it clumsily.
“Yeah, I guess I can go back to the apartment, and hash everything out.” Rising from the couch, I feel a little better. I’m glad Grady knows now and didn’t try to beat my ass. I’m also glad he didn’t say he hated me.
When I get to the door, he turns to me and grins, “Just don’t ever tell me anything about my sister again, okay? It’s way too disturbing to think about her doing very adult things with my best friend.”
“Deal.” I chuckle before fist-bumping him and walking back out to my car. I feel more optimistic than I have in a long time. I’m not quite ready to talk to Nina, not after the way I acted. First, I need to do something to prove to her she’s it for me. That it’s always been her and me.
NINA
I need to be a big girl and let Sam know what’s going on. It’s already after dinner time, but I don’t want to wait until tomorrow. This isn’t going to be an easy conversation. Part of me knew since the first time Sam and I hung out romantically that it wasn’t going to work out. I had such an image in my head about what the two of us together would be like, and it just didn’t happen. There really wasn’t any chemistry.
Practicing in the mirror what I’m going to say, I start talking. “Sam, it’s not me, it’s you.” Wait, I said that backward, didn’t I? “Sam, I have to move away.” That won’t work. I work with him, and I’m not quitting my job. I shake away the nervous anxiety I have over this.
I’d be a coward to do something like this via text, so I decide to do it in person. Calling him, I ask if he wants to come over.
Before we hang up, I tell him, “There’s something I need to talk to you about.”
“That sounds ominous,” he replies, “I’ll be over in a half-hour, and we can talk.”
I don’t like disappointing people, so this is going to be uncomfortable for me. When Sam comes over, I have him come in and sit on the floor with me.
“I like you,” I start, setting my hands in my lap, “we’ve had a great relationship at work, and I’m so happy I have you there to keep me sane.”
“But you’re not into me romantically.” He finishes, surprising the hell out of me.
“No.” I confirm, nodding, “I think we’re good as friends, and that’s it. I’m really sorry, Sam.”
“You know, I’ve thought about what it would be like to take you out. We get along so well, and you’re so funny, but I agree with you.” The smile he gives me is weak but enough to take some of the sadness off.
