“Ahh.” Ollie adjusts his glasses and sets his paintbrush down. “Now he doesn’t want to force you into staying because you’re on two different paths.”
Even the thought of losing him now is too much to bear. It’sCharlie. The one person in my life I can always count on. Who’s always been there for me.
I…
“I love him.”
“We know.” Ollie has a duh look on his face.
“No, I mean I’m in love with him.”
Hunter is smiling at my confession. “Took ya long enough to get there.”
I roll my eyes at him. “I’ve always loved him, but it’s different now.”
Hunter and Ollie exchange a look. “What’s?—”
“So you love him.” Hunter is quick to interject, changing the subject.
“Yes. He’s the best person I know and I don’t want to lose him. But I don’t know how to keep him.”
“Have you tried telling that to him?” Ollie asks.
I voice my biggest fear to these two. “But what if he doesn’t want to stay in a relationship with me? What if he can’t get past the whole not getting married thing?”
Hunter drops his paintbrush and looks at me. If I weren’t used to him by now, I’d cower under his stare.
“You know what I know about Charlie?” Hunter asks.
“What?”
“It’s not so much the marriage, but the tying two lives together.”
“Isn’t that marriage?” Ollie asks.
Hunter smiles at him before continuing. “It doesn’t have to be. Charlie wants someone to commit to him. To show the world that you two belong to one another. Charlie wants that more than anything.”
“How do you know that?”
And why do I not know this about my best friend.
“Read between the lines, Brooks.”
My gaze flicks to Ollie’s before settling back on Hunter. “Didn’t you need to talk to me about the website?” Hunter asks, changing the subject.
“Oh. Yeah.” I forgot about that. “Can we maybe do it on Monday?”
“Sure. We can talk about some long-term ideas I have then.”
“Really?” I ask. “I thought you only needed me for the website revamp.”
Hunter nods. “I did. But you did a great job. Your ideas are good and I could use someone like you.”
“Wow. Just like that?”
“Just like that.”
“Even if Charlie and I break up?”
