“Clearly,” I mutter as I watch the sun begin to brighten the sky, turning it into pinks from the light blues that have started covering the horizon.
“What’s got you up at the butt crack of dawn?” Cornelia asks.
“Just…thinking,” I say, because admitting that I kissed Carly to these two would make it too real.
And right now, I don’t know if I’m ready to face reality.
“You fucked Carly, didn’t you?” Margie states.
I groan. “No.”
“You kissed her, then,” Cornelia says.
I put my head in my hands. “Yes,” I admit, because clearly, I can’t lie to these two.
“I knew it. You owe me a hundred,” Cornelia says.
I turn my head, aghast at what she said. “You bet on whether I’d kiss her?” I state.
“Maybe. Doesn’t matter. What matters is that you finally pulled off the bandage. You took a leap. You did it,” she says as if she’s a proud mom.
“But should I have? I acted impulsively,” I mutter.
“Boy, you don’t act impulsively enough. You need to take life by the horns and ride it. Stop overthinking everything. You never know what’s going to happen next. It could be good; it could be bad,” Margie says.
“What if it’s bad?” I voice my biggest worry.
“Then, it’s bad. But bad is better than living a life of what-ifs, isn’t it?” Cornelia points out.
“I suppose. It’s just…scary. I don’t want to lose her. I want her in my life, even if it’s only as my friend,” I say.
“Then, try this out, and if it doesn’t work, you’ll need to figure out how to be friends again. It’s not the end of the world. I fucked Jerry for two years, and we still talk,” Margie states.
“Jerry’s an ass,” Cornelia says.
“Shut up, Cornelia. He’s not that bad. He’s way better as a friend. He actually gives great dating advice,” Margie says.
“Whatever. Back to Brayden. I think you should be honest with yourself. You love her. You won’t survive her marrying another man. You need to be that man. You need to be with her. You two are thick as thieves. You belong together. I might be old, but I’m not blind,” Margie adds.
I look back at the sunrise. It feels like more than a new day; it feels like today could be the beginning of an entirely new life. It’s scary, but also exciting.
“You really think that?” I ask.
“Yes,” they say in unison.
“Please go fuck your best friend,” Margie encourages.
“Yes, do it for us. And for you. You two need to consummate your relationship. I think it will finally wake you up out of this crazy state you’ve put yourself in,” Cornelia says.
“Cornelia,” I groan.
“What? It’s the truth. Now, go and get your woman. I want to see you making out on that dance floor later. I want to hear her coming all the way across the property,” Cornelia says.
I glare at her. “You have issues, you know that?”
She shrugs. “Nah. I’m just old with zero fucks to give. I speak the truth, and if you can’t handle that, then too damn bad.”
I laugh and stand. “Fine. I’ll go…talk to her. But I swear to God, if things get fucked up between us, you will never hear the end of it.”
