“Do you like Ashley?”
The air rushes from my lungs until I feel lightheaded. I was so prepared for the worst, that I almost release a gurgle of relieved laughter. Just as that’s about to happen, I rein it in.
Noah wears a solemn expression which is at odds with his usual demeanor.
“Ummm,” I stall and gather my thoughts.
Of course, I don’t like Ashley. She’s done nothing to endear herself to me. In fact, it’s been the opposite. But still, I don’t necessarily want to disclose that.
Instead of answering his question, I deflect. “Why are you asking?”
“I don’t know.” He lifts his shoulders. “Just wondering.”
His gaze resettles on the game. The clock is running. I’m surprised when he says, “You don’t seem like a fan.”
I nibble my lip and wonder how to handle the situation. “Does it matter what I think?”
“Kind of.”
“Why?” As much as it pains me to say this… “In the end, it only matters how you feel about her.”
“Yeah, I know,” he sighs. “You probably haven’t noticed, but Ashley has a few annoying qualities that are starting to get on my nerves.”
I almost choke.
Um, dude, I noticed from day one. I just never said anything.
“What specific qualities are you referring to?” I ask.
I could easily tick off at least five from the top of my head. Probably more.
He sits up, his elbows going to his knees. “Well, you saw what just happened, right?”
Yup, it was kind of hard to miss.
“She seems picky about her food,” I say, attempting to tread carefully.
“It’s not even that. It’s more that she expects me to jump the moment she says the word.” He pauses. “You know, I wouldn’t have minded running out and exchanging the salad, but her attitude pissed me off.”
Noah is a good boyfriend. And I’m not just saying that because he’s my cousin and I love him to death. He’s dated other girls before Ashley and always treated them well. He’s not one of these jocks who’s looking to bang as many chicks as possible. He’s a relationship guy. I can’t blame him for wanting to be spoken to with respect.
It’s unfortunate that Ashley doesn’t treat him the way she should.
“But it’s always been like that,” I admit. “When you two started going out, you spent a lot of time catering to her, so…” I shrug as if the rest is obvious.
“You’re right, I did.” Noah’s lips flatten. “But I’m tired of her expecting so much from me and not getting anything in return. Iguess it took me a while to realize how self-centered she can be. Now that I do, it really irks me.”
This probably makes me a bad person, but part of me wants to leap off the chair and do a victory dance that Noah has finally opened his eyes to his girlfriend’s behavior. As difficult as it is, I refrain. He might be bothered that Ashley stormed out of here, but that doesn’t mean they’ll break up anytime soon. For the time being, I need to remain neutral. If I express my true feelings and they hash out their problems, then I look like the bad guy who never wanted them together in the first place.
As much as I’m dying to tell him to dump Ashley’s skinny ass, I say instead, “It sounds like you need to talk to Ashley and get all this out in the open.” I’m tempted to pat myself on the back for handling this conversation so maturely.
Olivia would be proud.
“Yeah, maybe.” He drags a hand over his face. “But first I’m going to give her some time to cool off.” His voice hardens. “If things don’t change, this isn’t going to work out between us. I’ve got too much on my plate with law school coming up. The last thing I need is this immature bullshit weighing me down.”
Just as he drops that bomb, cheers erupt from the television.
Noah and I snap our heads toward the screen to see that the Titans have scored a touchdown while we weren’t looking. The heaviness of our previous conversation is forgotten as matching grins erupt on our faces and we jump up, pumping our fists in the air.
