“Might as well come in,” Chuck yells from his recliner. “We both know they won’t give up.”
The sounds of the game fill the room. The squeak of shoes. The noise from the crowd. The announcers dissecting every play. I’m not even sure which teams are playing. Chuck sits in his chair, his eyes glued to the screen, while I take my usual spot on the couch.
“Beer?” he asks.
“Sure. Thanks.”
This awkwardness is almost worse than Chuck not talking to me. But he’s making an effort. Or just being polite. Not sure which yet.
He goes to the kitchen and returns with two beers. He hands me one and motions to the snacks on the coffee table. “Help yourself.”
I grab a handful of pretzels—just for something to do—and take a sip of my beer. We watch the game without our usual banter. But I can’t focus. All I can see is the look of betrayal on my best friend’s face when I announced I was in love with his son.
“Come on, defense! Put your hands up. Cover him.” Chuck has a love-hate relationship with Duke. Each complaint gets louder until the other team—Montana—scores. Chuck lets out a sound of disgust.
“The problem with Duke,” Chuck says, and it sounds so familiar that I feel a pang in my chest, “is they pick these big-name players who leave after one season.”
“One and done. You’re not wrong.” Some of the tension leaves my body. He’s not ignoring me. “You’d think the coaches would get their heads out of their asses.”
He snorts. “Scheyer’s four years in. He’d better figure it out.”
“Agreed.” I take a swig of my beer. And it feels almost normal. When the commercial comes on, I take the plunge. “We should talk.”
“Probably.” He stands, and I worry he’s going to walk out. Hang out in the kitchen until the game is back on. Instead, he goes to the mantel and picks up the picture of Charlie’s graduation. “I love this photo. Charlie was so full of hope.”
I swallow the lump in my throat and stand. He’s never going to forgive me, but I still have to try. “I’m sorry, Chuck.”
His gaze shifts to me. “It was Charlie, wasn’t it?” He returns the picture to its spot on the mantel. “The guy you were telling me about. The one you really like.”
“Yes.”
He shakes his head. “I can’t believe I told you to—” His hands tighten and untighten.
But he doesn’t need to say the words. “Just sleep with the guy already.”
“I love him. And you know me.” I rush on before he can challenge those words. “I’ve never been a relationship guy. Turns out, there’s a good reason for that. I’ve never been in love before.”
He folds his arms across his chest. The game is back on, but neither of us is paying attention to it. “Why now? You’ve known Charlie his entire life.”
That’s not an easy question to answer. “I’ve always thought of Charlie as a kid. Hell, most of the time I’ve known him, he was a kid. But working on this project with him, I got to know adult Charlie. He’s a good man, Chuck.”
He nods and clears his throat. “And if I asked you to end things with him for the sake of our friendship, would you?”
My chest tightens and breathing becomes difficult. I consider his words and push away my fears. Chuck is my best friend. “I wouldn’t give Charlie up for anything. But I also know you’d never ask me to do that.”
A flash of a smile crosses his face, but it’s gone so fast that I might have imagined it. “What makes you so sure?”
“Several things. Minni would have your balls. And you’d never do anything to hurt Charlie.” This last one is a stretch, but I say it anyway. “Plus, you know me. When I care about someone, I do everything in my power to make them happy.” I watch his face, but he’s not giving anything away. “And you don’twant Charlie to end up with some asshole like that guy from Kansas City.”
He spits out the name. “Syd.”
“Syd, huh. Charlie told me about his ex, but wouldn’t give me any identifying information.”
“Oh, trust me. I’ve got all the deets for you.”
I shake my head. “Never say those words again.”
And then we’re laughing. After we calm down, Chuck nods. “If I hadn’t seen the change in you myself, Brad, we’d be having a very different conversation. So yeah, I can get used to you and my son dating. Eventually. Not like I have a choice.”
