Chapter 15
1043 Words
It felt like a nightmare and a fantasy at the same time.
Titus was in my room wearing nothing but his underwear.
Technically, that meant he wasn’t naked. My brain didn’t seem interested in technicalities.
This god of a man—the one who took my breath away whenever I saw him—was sitting only a few feet from me, his chest bare, his long legs stretched out from the cot. A few days ago, he hadn’t known I existed.
Now he was staying the night in my room.
Why?
I had questions.
Apparently, so did he.
That was where the nightmare part began.
“So,” Titus said, “those are your friends.”
I went quiet.
“Yeah.”
There wasn’t much confidence in the answer.
He caught it immediately.
“There seem to be some stories there.” He shifted on the cot, resting his arms against his knees. “Maybe something connected to why you were alone having a moment on the dock before you fell?”
“It’s a lot, Titus.” I adjusted myself against the pillows, trying to find a position that didn’t pull at my knee. “I’m still trying to figure it all out.”
“You could tell me. It might help.”
“Why would you care?”
The question came out sharper than I intended.
Titus almost looked hurt.
“I realize I’m only getting to know you,” he said, “but I’m literally staying here tonight because I’m trying to help you. Obviously, there’s some level of care coming from me.”
I looked down.
“Yeah. Sorry. You’re right.”
“There’s that word again.”
I ignored the comment.
“It’s just complicated.”
“I gathered that.”
I took a breath.
“Cal’s my best friend, like you already know. What’s happening with him is normal, I guess. He has a girlfriend. He doesn’t have as much time for me anymore.”
“How little time are we talking?”
“Tonight was the first time we’d seen each other in a month and a half.”
Titus’s eyebrows lifted. “That long?”
“Yeah. That isn’t typical for us, but it’s becoming the new normal.” I stared toward the opposite wall. “Even tonight, when he offered to help me, he immediately started listing everything he would have to rearrange. He’s built his entire home life around Margie.”
“You dislike her?”
“No. That’s the thing. I like Margie. She’s nice, and she actually encourages him to spend time with me.” I rubbed a hand over my face. “I still feel neglected.”
Titus remained quiet, giving me room to continue.
“It probably wouldn’t bother me as much if I had anyone else.”
“You’re sure you don’t?”
There was something careful in the question. He was prying, but not blindly. It felt like he had already noticed pieces I hadn’t explained.
“If I do,” I said, “I don’t really have them.”
Titus studied me as though he were connecting dots but wasn’t quite ready to say what picture they formed.
“So what’s the story with the other guy?”
“Bryson?”
He nodded.
“Bryson is supposed to be my other best friend.” I paused. “The worst part is that he actually tries to make time for me. At least, he used to try a lot more.”
“What happens now?”
“He’ll show up for a little while, and then Kelly calls. His girlfriend constantly needs something, so he leaves. It’s always an apology followed by another apology, followed by the exact same thing happening again.”
“And he always chooses her.”
“He’s always going to choose Kelly.” I shrugged, although it felt heavier than that. “She’s his girlfriend. I understand why she comes first. She just doesn’t seem willing to accept that I want time with him too.”
Titus leaned back slightly. “So both of your best friends disappeared into relationships.”
“Kind of, but the dynamics are different. Cal revolves around Margie, but she would probably be fine if he spent less time with her. She actively tells him to include me.”
“And Kelly?”
“Bryson revolves around her too, but Kelly demands his attention constantly. Even when he doesn’t seem to want to give it to her.”
“That sucks, man.”
“No, it doesn’t.”
Titus looked at me.
“I should be fine,” I said. “I should have my own life. I shouldn’t care this much.”
“But you do care,” he replied. “So it sucks.”
I didn’t have an argument for that.
“So that’s what set you off tonight?” he asked.
“Yeah. Bryson was kind of cruel.”
“How?”
“He said and did some things he knew would—” I stopped. “I probably shouldn’t say anything.”
“No. Go on.”
I hesitated.
“He said and did things that directly played into my insecurities. He knew exactly what he was doing.”
Titus’s expression hardened slightly.
“At the hospital, he looked guilty,” he said. “Like he thought your injury was somehow his fault.”
“He knew he caused me to get upset. Had he not done that, I wouldn’t have gone to the dock. I wouldn’t have slipped, and none of this would’ve happened.”
“And then we wouldn’t be here.”
I looked at him.
“No. We wouldn’t.”
The air felt different for a second.
I glanced away first.
“Bryson and Cal don’t seem to like each other,” Titus said.
“Bryson doesn’t like Cal.”
“What about Cal?”
“Cal’s a golden retriever. Bryson confuses him.”
Titus smiled faintly at that.
Then he looked at me more closely.
“You care about these guys a lot.”
I froze.
My eyes dropped to the blankets gathered across my lap.
“Yeah,” I said quietly. “Probably more than I should.”
- Writer
