What had likely happened, because Denny knew both of them well enough, was that there had been some sleepy cuddling. Why would that freak Josiah out? They’d cuddled before while tired and watching movies. Not… romantically, but like friends would.
Without thinking it through, he grabbed his phone off the coffee table and called Kristin.
“Denny? Is everything okay?” she asked, voice full of worry.
“Uh, no, not really, I—” To his surprise, a weird, choked sob bubbled up from his chest.
“Oh no, let me… I’m going to move to my mom’s bedroom to talk.”
He waited until she closed a door behind herself and probably sat down on her mom’s four poster bed with the quilt her grandma had made.
“Okay, talk to me. This can’t be about us, right?” she asked, letting out a laugh that he realized was nervous.
“Oh, yeah no. It’s not about us. I… fuck, why did I call you about this….” He rubbed a hand over his face and then stared at the ceiling.
“Because Sammie’s in Europe and—wait, I’m the third most likely person you’d call. Is this about Josiah?”
“What? Why would you jump there?” He frowned at her train of thought.
“Denny, if you couldn’t call Sammie, but you’re calling me, it means that you also couldn’t call Josiah. I also know you were at the cabin for the weekend. Did something happen?”
Denny groaned. Looking at his circle of people, yeah, he supposed she was right. When had he become so predictable?
“Yes. Or… no. I don’t know. Josiah was acting really weird yesterday morning and I just….” He sighed.
“Did something happen on Saturday evening?”
“Nothing special, I don’t think? I wasn’t feeling well, mentally, so I asked him to wait until I fell asleep. I guess he fell asleep next to me in the bed?”
She made a weird sound, and whoa boy was he starting to get tired of those from people he loved.
“What? He was gone by the time I woke up and he’s been weird ever since. What was that sound for, Kristin?”
She groaned, loudly, then he could hear thumping. “Denny, I love you, you know I do, right?”
“Uh, yes? What are you doing?”
“I’m literally hitting my forehead against my mother’s bedpost. You are the most oblivious man I’ve ever known!”
“I don’t know what—”
“Andthat’sthe problem!” She sounded halfway between laughing and crying, and he wasn’t sure if it was in a good way. “You probably did the whole octopus thing you do when you sleep next someone you love and trust, Denny.”
“Yeah, so what?” He still didn’t see a problem with that.
“Honey, have you ever thought about how both yours and his relationships keep failing, and how the only consistent relationship you two have had is with each other and with Sammie?”
“I have, yeah. Why?”
The thumping sound got louder for a moment, and he winced.
“Denny, have you ever thought that maybe what you’re feeling toward Josiah isn’t the same kind of friendly love you feel for Sammie?”
He narrowed his eyes and tried to make sense of yet another thing he kind of… knew? But hadn’t thought of?
“I mean, I always thought he they were both sort of my siblings as much as they were my best friends.”
“There’s that, yes. Now, what if I told you that you need to go find yourself a therapist who you can talk to about this, because while I love you to bits, Denny, this is not a conversation I can have with you right now.” Her voice got tighter and tighter the more she spoke.
