“Hey,” I greeted her. “Thank God you got us a table. This place is crazy busy!”
I had expected her to jump up and wrap her arms around me like she always did after going this long without seeing each other. But that didn’t happen. In fact, she didn’t even bother to get out of her seat. “Yeah, I heard someone say they’ve got live music tonight. I guess everyone decided to get here early and grab a table. I went ahead and ordered you a glass of wine.” She pointed to the glass across from her.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end and sent a shiver down my spine. Something was up with her, and worry started to set in. “What’s wrong?” I set my purse on the empty seat between and pulled out the other chair to sit across from her, which allowed me to study her face.
“Nothing!” Her smile appeared manufactured. But she created doubt in my mind when she went on to say, “It’s just so busy in here I’m afraid if I get up, someone will take my seat.”
That was plausible.
Except I knew her. And she was definitely hiding something.
We’d gone through periods where we would spend tons of time together, and then others where circumstances wouldn’t allow for it. One of the times where our friendship had come second was when I was with Chase. We had discussed it, and we both agreed to never let that happen again, but we also understood that situations would arise, and life happened. It wasn’t something we needed to stress over; no matter what, neither of us would allow anything to negatively affect our friendship. Even so, it still made me sad that we couldn’t spend as much time together as we used to.
“If there’s nothing going on, why do you look like your favorite vibrator just kicked the bucket?” At least that earned me a genuine smile.
She waved me off and shrugged. “Well, I did just have an interesting chat with my brother. So, maybe I should be the one asking you what’s going on.”
As far as I was concerned, there was nothing to tell. I mean, there was something to tell, sure. But Corbin and I had agreed to pretend it never happened, so that was a moot point. Still, I had no idea what Corbin had told her. Or rather, what Nellie had managed to pry from him. I fought the urge to pull my phone out and text Corbin so I wouldn’t put my foot in my mouth.
God was on my side, because at that moment a man bumped into our table, sloshing my red wine all over my skirt. I jumped up, the wet fabric sticking to my inner thighs providing quite a jolt to my system.
“I’m so sorry!” The man turned his apologetic, wide eyes my way. It didn’t take long to see that the wiggling toddler in his arms was the reason for the accidental bump.
“It’s okay.” My irritation immediately receded as I gave him a sympathetic pat on the arm. Considering I was surrounded by overly active children all day long, I could recognize a frazzled adult from a mile away.
“Your skirt!” Nellie exclaimed, obviously paying no mind to the cause of the incident. “You’ll never get that out.”
“It’s not a big deal, Nellie.” I didn’t want the man to overhear her and feel even worse. Then again, I couldn’t expect her to understand the level of humiliation he likely felt. She’d never been around kids and, as far as I knew, didn’t plan to be around them anytime in the future.
Thankfully, she kept her thoughts to herself and handed me several napkins, which I used to smooth out my skirt. Although, they didn’t really do much to help; they instantly shredded due to the liquid. But then it hit me—this was my opportunity to get away from the table and reach out to Corbin. I let out a dramatic sigh and said, “I’m going to go to the ladies’ room and try to take care of this.”
“Yeah, you should. I’ll order you another drink. Some people just don’t have a clue!” She was obviously more irritated than I was, but I had already dismissed it and moved on. The only thing on my mind was texting Corbin.
I quickly locked myself in one of the small stalls and opened my phone.
Me: What all did you tell Nellie? I’m at dinner with her and I’m freaking out!
Within ten seconds, bouncing bubbles appeared on the screen, and I immediately calmed. He wasn’t away from his phone.
Corbin: Don’t worry, she doesn’t know anything. She was fishing for information, but I didn’t give her any.
Me: Phew! Okay. Thanks!
I tossed my phone back into my purse and exited the stall. After diluting the wine on my skirt and then doing my best to dry it under the hand dryer, I made my way back to the table where Nellie already had a fresh glass waiting for me.
“I got them to replace it for free,” she said while handing it to me once I reclaimed my seat. “Although, it’s a good thing you came back when you did, because I was about to drink it for you. What happened? Did you fall in?”
I grabbed a chip from the bowl in the center of the table and scooped up some salsa. “Nope. But I can tell you that using the dryer for anything other than hands is damn near impossible.” I shoved the chip into my mouth and asked, “So, where were we?”
I was hoping she’d be so appalled by my talking with my mouth full that she wouldn’t remember what was said prior to the wine-in-lap fiasco.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. “You. And Corbin.”
“What about us?”
She followed suit by taking a chip and dipping it into the homemade salsa. “You know, all the time you’ve been spending together.”
“Again, Nellie…what about it? You know he’s been filling me in on his progress with Heather.” Maybe if I forced her to divulge exactly what it was that she knew, I could avoid oversharing the truth.
Nellie sat forward with her palms flat on the table. “Come on, Brooke. Be real with me. Pretend for one minute we’re not talking about my brother. Is there anything going on between you two?”
I wasn’t foolish enough to fall for that. She may have thought she wanted the truth, but we both knew that if I told her, nothing would ever be the same again. She’d made no secret over the years about how much she hated it when her friends would hit on Corbin. And until now, I’d been one of the very few who hadn’t crossed that line. Our friendship would be in the toilet if she knew about the inappropriate thoughts I’d been having about him. It’d be in the sewer if she found out the things I’d actually done to him in real life.
I took a sip of wine and then cleared my throat. “Why on earth would you think that? Is it because we’ve been hanging out? Well, let me put your mind at ease. There’s absolutely nothing going on between Corbin and me. You have nothing to worry about.”
She pushed away from the table, sitting in her chair like normal, and my heart rate began to return to a more regular rhythm. That was, until she said, “Then what happened at my parents’ house last weekend?”
“What do you mean?”
“You and Corbin disappeared. Where did you go?”
This would’ve been a fantastic time to know exactly what Corbin had told her earlier. I made a mental note to ensure that we had our stories straight next time—before being confronted about it. Then I reminded myself that there wouldn’t be a next time. It would’ve been nice if I didn’t have to keep reminding myself of things I should’ve already known.
Hell, it would’ve been even better if I just didn’t do anything to begin with.
Especially where Corbin was concerned.
“We went outside. You should know, that’s where you found me, isn’t it?”
She glanced around the crowded room, likely comparing her assumptions to what she’d been told. When her eyes met mine again, I could tell she still wasn’t fully convinced, which made me sad. “Did you guys go in the back yard?”
Where was the “phone a friend” option when I needed it?
“Not that I remember.” That was the best I could do.
Skepticism clouded her brown eyes. “So there’s a chance you did but forgot?”
“I don’t know, Nellie. I had a lot to drink that night. No, I don’t think we went to the back yard, but the last
thing I want to do is inadvertently lie to you because I was drunk and might not remember everything I did or said.”
There were times I wished I could forget that evening, forget the things I’d done and said to Corbin while under the spell of alcohol. But if I were being honest with myself, I hoped I’d never forget a second of it, because drunk or not, it was one the hottest nights of my life, no matter how embarrassing it was.
“Rather than beat around the bush for whatever answer you’re looking for, why don’t you just ask the question. We’ve never played these kinds of games with each other, so why start now?”
“You’re right.” She met my stare, and I immediately recognized the agony and turmoil that swirled in her chocolate orbs. “I guess I’m just paranoid that you’ll end up falling for my brother and then I’ll lose you.”
“What do you mean you’ll lose me? Why are you even worried about that? You’ll never lose me, Nellie.” I reached across the table and placed my hand over hers.
“Growing up, I’d gotten used to all of my friends having crushes on Corbin. Granted, he never paid any attention, and if he did, he was more than likely annoyed by it. But that doesn’t change how I felt. Then you came along, and even when he was around, or when we had to get him to help us cover something up, you never looked twice at him. You’ve always been my friend, Brooke. And as much as I’d love for you and my brother to date and get married so we can be sisters for real, I just know what happened when you were with Chase, and I don’t want that to happen with Corbin.”
Suddenly, it all made sense. She was worried that our friendship would come second to my relationship with her brother, and after feeling like she came in second place behind Corbin in all aspects of her life, I could see why the idea of it happening with me would bother her.
I leaned forward and made sure I had her undivided attention. “Listen to me, Nellie…you never have to worry about that, Got it? Trust me, I understand what you’re saying and why you’re concerned about that happening, but all you’re doing is working yourself up for no reason.”
“So you honestly have no desire to be with him?”
“Hell no!” God, I prayed that was convincing. “Eww, that’s just gross. He’s like my brother.”
“Interesting…he said the same thing about you. Well, that he sees you like a sister, I mean. Not that you’re like a brother to him.” Her laugh helped to ease the tension between us. Unfortunately, though, I was still on edge, and I doubted that would go away anytime soon.
“Well, shouldn’t that be enough to calm you down and make you stop obsessing over something that isn’t even real?”
“Yeah, it should. But if I’m being honest, I don’t think I’ll completely relax until this whole scheme with Heather and Chase is over.” She ate another chip, but unlike me, she waited until she’d swallowed it before speaking again. “I just can’t stand the fact that he gets to see you more than I do.”
“I get it, but that’s only because my phone was broken last week. It won’t be like that for the rest of the time he’s trying to woo her.”
“For the love of God, Brooke…never say woo again. Got it?”
I almost spit out a mouthful of wine when she made me laugh. “Yeah, got it.”
“All right, now that we’ve got that taken care of, let’s move on.”
“Oh my God, I thought you’d never suggest that.” Life was always so much simpler when we could be our goofy selves with each other. Which would come to a screeching halt if she ever found out about Corbin and me.
I’d decided right then and there that she could never find out. No matter what, I’d take it to my grave. And beyond that, it could never happen again. As much as I’d enjoyed being around him, and regardless of how well we got along or how much we had in common, things could not continue between us. Being around each other was too risky; not to mention, Nellie had made it clear just how much it bothered her that we had spent time together.
I liked Corbin. More than I should.
But I cared about Nellie more.
So, right then and there, I made the decision to only communicate with Corbin through texts, and only about the Chase situation.
“Oh, before I forget…” Nellie snapped her fingers, breaking me out of the trance my thoughts had me under. She wiped her mouth with her napkin and then pushed the bowl of chips to the side, signaling that she was done with them. “Did you have dinner with him on Friday night?”
There it was—the surprise attack. It was a classic move. Make your victim feel safe, lead him to believe that danger had passed, and then, when he least expects it, pounce. In a way, I felt betrayed that she’d pull this trick on me. Then again, I guess I deserved it. After all, I had kind of lied to her.
“Uh, yeah. I did.” The only way out of it would be to tell the truth, crossing my fingers that Corbin hadn’t gone rogue and lied about something he didn’t have to lie about. “I got my phone back that day, and I sent you a text, asking if you wanted to meet up for drinks. Well, I had meant to text you, but all the names and numbers in my contacts were all switched around, Apparently, there was some glitch when I tried to sync it the first time. Anyway, I guess it mixed up yours and Corbin’s numbers, so instead of texting you, I’d accidentally texted him. I had no idea until he showed up.”
“That’s what he told me, but it just seemed too weird to be true.” In a strange twist of fate, that appeased her, as well as effectively ending all talk of Corbin.
She finished her drink and raised her hand to signal for another, obviously ready for one she could enjoy. You could only appreciate a glass of wine so much when you’re on edge thinking your best friend and your brother are hooking up behind her back.
“So, tell me, how have things been with you at work?” I wasn’t hungry, but that didn’t stop me from grabbing another chip. If Nellie wasn’t going to finish them, then I might as well. No sense in leaving food behind that would end up being tossed once we left.
“Eh, same old bullshit story, different day. But I don’t want to talk about work. How are you doing? I feel like I don’t even know how you’re feeling with the whole Chase thing anymore.”
I hated the predicament I was in. This was the person I’d told everything to since I was twelve years old. We’d seen each other through countless breakups, the death of my mother, career changes, and triumphs. Yet I couldn’t tell her something as simple as how I was handling the breakup—mainly because her brother had been the only reason I was getting over it as well as I was.
Rather than go into all of that, I decided to confide in her with something else. “Chase texted me. I don’t know what to do about it, or if I should do anything about it. He said he misses me and that he needs to see me.”
“What? Are you kidding me?” With her back ramrod straight, she leaned forward. “What the heck did you say? Are you actually thinking of seeing him?”
“No, I’m not kidding. I haven’t responded, and I don’t know.” I gave her the answers in the same order as her questions. This was how our conversations were supposed to be. I could manage topics like this, even though it was hard bringing Chase’s name up and talking about him this way.
“So what are you going to do?”
“I have no idea, Nellie. If this had happened a couple of weeks ago, I would’ve responded right away and told him where to find me. Then I would’ve jumped into his arms and forgiven him for everything, likely even excusing it as an accident on his part. If you would’ve told me last week that he’d reach out and say he misses me, I would’ve laughed and gotten the middle-finger emoji ready to send back to him. But now, I honestly can’t say what I want to do.”
“Do you miss him?”
“Kind of.” And that was the sad truth of it all. “But I think I miss the idea of him most. You know? But more than anything, I just want answers. If we never get back together, that’s okay, but I need closure. I need to know why he left.”
She patted my hand from across
the table. “You say that now, but I don’t think there’s anything he can say that’ll make you feel better. Whether he tells you the truth or he lies to your face, it’s going to hurt and leave you feeling no differently than you do right now.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I figured I’d leave his message unanswered for a few days, and then see how I feel midweek. If I respond, I’m going to need a lot of strength and willpower.” I no longer knew if I was talking about Chase or Corbin.
“Well, I know what you can do to take your mind off of him. You should go out with us for St. Patty’s Day. A bunch of us are getting together downtown to drink and watch the parade. It’ll be a lot of fun, and after the month you’ve had, you deserve a night of green drinks and lucky clovers.”
“That’s not this week, is it?”
She nodded. “Well, technically it’s on Sunday, but that’s less than a week away.”
“Damn, a week without my phone and calendar really screwed me up. I feel like I haven’t truly recovered,” I joked. While, yes, I’d been lost without my device, more than anything, I believe it was spending a weekend with Corbin that had messed with my head the most.
“So will you forget about it being a school night and come out with us anyway?”
She was right; I needed an evening of carefree fun with my friends. And St. Patrick’s Day had always been one of my favorite holidays. So rather than come up with a hundred reasons why I shouldn’t go, I nodded and said, “Yeah, I’ll be there.”
“Yay!” Nellie clapped, and the excitement on her face fooled me into believing that everything was right with the world again. “Oh, you should go ahead and plan to have dinner at my parents’ house that night, too. They’re doing the traditional meal—corned beef with potatoes and cabbage. That way, we can just ride downtown together.”
The unEXpected Plan Page 13