Charlie was glad that had all worked out, but he wasn’t sure his circumstances were quite the same.
“I don’t think… I don’t know if that applies here. I don’t know Scott well enough to know if this is actually new for him, and I don’t even know if that matters.”
“Can I be a little harsh, here?” Jude asked. His face and tone were kind and soft, and Charlie trusted him not to be mean for the sake of it.
“Sure. I probably need it.”
Jude nodded. “You do. You need to trust that Scott is smart enough to figure this out for himself. The fact that you always want to solve everyone’s problems for them is sweet, and it comes from a good place, but sometimes you have to let them come to their own solution.”
Jude reached out across the table, taking Charlie’s hand. “Even if that means it doesn’t work out the way you want.”
Charlie swallowed past a lump in his throat. That was what he was afraid of.
“I really like him,” he whined.
Jude’s face softened. “I know, honey. I know. But if he’s not meant for you, then he’s not meant for you.”
An uncomfortable ball of nerves formed in Charlie’s stomach. He didn’t want to lose Scott. The thought made him feel sick.
But Jude was right. If Scott didn’t want him, he didn’t want him. If that ended their friendship? That was on Charlie.
He couldn’t earn Scott. He didn’tdeservehim, any more than anyone deserved anyone else. Two people got together because they both wanted things to be that way.
Charlie couldn’t change that. No matter how much a small, sad part of him wanted to.
“You’re getting really good at this wise older man thing.”
“I’m three years older than you,” Jude pointed out. “That’s really not a meaningful gap at our age.”
“No no,” Charlie insisted. “You’re a dad now. That automatically gives you a ton of wisdom points.”
“And makes me a lot older?” Jude raised an eyebrow.
Charlie shrugged, sipping his tea. “I don’t make the rules, sorry.”
“Weird, because those sound suspiciously like rules you just made up,” Jude said. “Listen, Charlie… I hope things work out for you. Honestly, I do. You and Scott are cute together, and Idothink he likes you but isn’t sure how to say so.”
“Thanks.”
Charlie wasn’t sure what to think anymore, but he was glad that someone else had apparently noticed what he was sure he was noticing. Scott seemed so warm toward him, and he’d encouraged Charlie to practically cuddle with him while they’d been in the bar.
“But even if it doesn’t work out, you’re still so loved. And you’re coming to dinner tonight.”
“I…” Charlie started, and then decided that actually, that sounded good. “Are you cooking?”
“Yes. I wouldn’t inflict Owen’s cooking on you when you’re already suffering enough.”
“He’s not that bad,” Charlie defended automatically. Owen more or less had the hang of cooking, but he was still struggling with seasoning. Jude was being very patient with him, gently nudging him toward improvement. One day, he’d know what he was doing.
Charlie was hoping that would be before next summer, since he’d had to chew his way through a few very tough, bland grilled steaks this year already.
“I love him,” Jude said. “But he is that bad. Don’t worry. I have a lasagna assembled in the fridge and ready to go in the oven when you get there, okay?”
“Okay.” Charlie drained the last of his tea, getting up to rinse the cup out. Jude was still working on his own.
He needed to get some sugar-free treats for the staff room if they were going to have regular conversations like this. Maybe Marcus could come up with something that wasn’t totally depressing.
“Thank you,” he added before Jude could respond. “For listening. And advising. You’re right, I did need to hear that.”
