Page 8 of Ghosted By Texas
“You said yourself that your moms were best friends. The two of you grew up together in that regard. I’m sure your parents had a whole life of you two becoming a future couple planned out.” The grimace he wore was enough indicator that I was correct.
“There’s this huge history there, and you complicated it so much by adding a sexual element to your friendship. She has certain expectations, that her late mom probably had a hand in fanning flames for before she passed. Any woman you date will have to deal with the insurmountable obstacle that is your family, your best friend, and all their expectations going unfulfilled.”
“It’s my life to live, not any of theirs.”
“That’s true, but you gave her hope that they were all right.” He shook his head, as if remaining in denial about what I pointed out would make it less true.
“She’s not wrong,” another man’s voice spoke up from over by the kitchen. I damn near jumped off the couch at hearing another person, since I thought we were alone.
“I’m Houston,” he remarked as I put a hand over my heart, as if that would calm the damn thing back down so it would stop beating the hell out of my ribs.
“Houston, I didn’t realize you were still here,” Austin said as he got to his feet. “This is Becs,” he introduced as I also stood and moved beside him to hold my hand out to Houston.
“Good to meet you,” he told me. “I was just about to head out. Didn’t mean to eavesdrop on your conversation,” he apologized to his brother before turning his attention back to me.
“You have good reason to be worried and very valid points, but for what it’s worth, my brother has never talked about a woman so much as he has you. I feel like I already know you and that means a lot. He’s a bit clueless where Jordan is concerned, but I don’t think that will be an issue anymore, if you’re willing to give the idiot another chance.”
Houston didn’t wait around for my response. He moved around us and left the apartment as quickly and silently as he had shown up.
“It’s true. I talked to Jordan last night and told her that we’re done with anything beyond friendship and we both agreed to take a little time away from one another. I think she needs that separation more than anything, to come to terms with whatever she thought was going to happen.”
“I don’t know, Austin. It’s still a hell of a mess you created for me to have to walk into.”
“What if we just take it slow, date, and don’t worry so much about the future, family introductions, and whatnot for now?” The hopeful look in his eyes almost did me in, but the idiot kept talking.
“I’ll talk you up to my family during that time and make sure they understand that nothing was ever going to happen between Jordan and me. Houston already knew that. I thought everyone else did, too. According to you and my brother, I thought wrong. I understand now, and I’m working on fixing any misconceptions. I don’t want to lose what it felt like we were working toward. I’ve never felt that type of connection with anyone else, Becs. Please, don’t take it away now because I messed up by being a clueless jackass.”
His pleading stare pulled me in and held on tight. How could I tell the man no, when I felt the sincerity coming off him in waves.
“Please,” he pleaded with me.
“Can I be honest with you?” I asked quietly.
“I prefer it.”
“Okay then. There’s a part of me that really wants to give this a shot because I feel that insane connection to you, too.”
“But?”
“But, I’m not sure how to handle your best friend being someone you regularly have sex with.”
“Had,” he corrected as I rolled my eyes.
“It’s all the same, Austin. It wasn’t that long ago that you were rolling around in the sheets with her. She wants you, as more than just a friend or fuck buddy. That will be hard to deal with for both of us, even if you don’t see it as a big deal.”
“I already told you that we’re taking a break away from one another. There will be plenty of space between us when she gets back.”
I laughed at his ignorant assertion. “Seriously? You think that just a little time and distance will cure her of her broken heart or me of the fact that I’ll never trust her around you?”
“You don’t have to trust her. You need to trust me.”
“And considering the fact that you kept your relationship with her a secret until it was shoved in my face, and likewise never told her about me or that you broke off your arrangement because you were seeing someone, I think we have a bit of a problem there as well.” He leaned back almost as if I’d smacked him.
“It’s the truth. We’re brand new. There wasn’t even time to establish any kind of trust with you before you lied by omission and put your friend and me in a very awkward position. Then, you want me to simply have faith in you, that when you say you’re spending time with her, no matter how mundane, that nothing is going on. It’s a huge ask and one I’m not entirely comfortable with. You have to see my point there.”
“I told you that nothing sexual will take place between her and I while we’re dating, and I meant it.” He seemed incapable of processing the point I was trying to convey, so I decided to flip the script and allow his lizard-man brain to figure shit out the old-fashioned way.
“What if I told you Clea was a silly nickname for my best friend, Clarence, and that we sometimes have sex when we aren’t dating anyone else?” The scowl on his face said it all, but I carried on because the only way to get him to understand my point of view was to make him feel a little of what I had at the end of our date.