“Ridiculous.” Foxx rolled his eyes and took a sip of wine.
“It’s not!”
“Just drop it!”
“I won’t. Not when you are having feelings for some bastard who will never be what you need him to be! We both know where this is going, and it’s not going to end well.”
“You don’t know anything, Alastair. I’m not?—”
“Don’t lie to me!” Alastair hissed.
“So what if I have feelings?!” The wine glass shattered, and he shook out his hand, glaring at his friend. “Aren’t I allowed to?! Aren’t I allowed to feel?! I like Harlow. What is wrong with that?!”
“Foxx, he’s a psychopath!”
“So?! He’s different, yes, I know that. I fucking live with him. I know how different he is. But that’s what makes it so much better somehow.
“You don’t get it, Alastair. He was there for me. He’s still there for me. The words he says may be clumsy and awkward…” Foxx swallowed hard as tears formed in his eyes. “But he’s there in ways that no one else ever was. And he just…makes me feel safe, wanted... Like he is willing to do everything in his power to not let me down.”
“But he will… He will end up hurting you like everyone else did.”
“He won’t. He’s not like them. He already treats me better than anyone I've ever dated!”
“Foxx, when the bar is at grave level, someone being better than that doesn’t build much confidence.”
Foxx sniffed and rubbed his hand on his trousers, uncaring about the wine staining them. “I don’t get what you are even worried about. He doesn’t want to date me. He doesn’t have feelings for me. I don’t know if he even can have feelings for me.”
Alastair stared silently, his face grim before firmly saying, “Go on that date.”
“I won’t.”
“Just do it for me.”
“No.”
“Foxx…” his friend hesitated. “What if…Harlow does want more?”
Foxx blinked. “I…”
“You’d say yes, wouldn’t you?”
“I…” He swallowed and licked his lips.
“Foxx, answer me.”
“Would that be so bad?!”
“Yes!” Alastair snapped.
“Why?!” Foxx cried. “Why would that be bad?!”
“Because he can’t love you! And you deserve someone who loves you. So, Foxx Honeywell, go on that fucking date. I don’t care if you don’t like him, or that he’s not your type. Because you need to distance yourself from Harlow before it’s too late!”
“You don’t know that! You don’t know what Harlow is capable of. And it doesn’t even matter, because I’m happy with how things are right now. Can’t you just leave it be?”
“Go on that date.”
“No.”
