Chapter 18
825 Words
Titus continued as though the idea had been forming in his head for a while.
“I could tell Bryson isn’t a friend of Cal’s.”
“He isn’t.”
“And he thinks you still have feelings for Cal.”
“He knows I used to.” I shifted against the pillows. “He hates how close I am to Cal, which is kind of a ridiculous statement considering Cal and I aren’t even that close anymore.”
“Exactly.” Titus’s expression sharpened with the plan. “Then I enter the picture.”
I stared at him. “You have your own life, Titus. Your own friends.”
“And they’d get along with you.”
“You don’t know that.”
“It would be fine.”
He sounded so certain that, for a second, I almost believed him.
“I start bringing you into my life,” he continued. “We hang out. You meet people. You start having things to do that don’t involve waiting around for Cal or Bryson.”
“And I have less time for Bryson.”
“Less and less.”
I studied him.
“Bryson’s going to react,” Titus said.
“So the plan is to make him jealous?”
“In a way.”
“That sounds healthy.”
“He doesn’t have to know the actual nature of our relationship.”
“What nature?”
“That we’re close friends.” Titus’s mouth tilted into a small smile. “Close friends who maybe sit a little closer than necessary. Maybe I put an arm around you. Touch you a little more. You hug me in front of him. We have some fun with it.”
“Why?”
The smile faded.
“Because I don’t like what Bryson is doing to you. He needs to make a decision or walk away.”
I went quiet.
Titus exhaled. “That came out intensely.”
“It did.”
“But I’m not wrong.”
“No.” I looked down at the blankets. “You’re not. It’s just hard for me to get there mentally.”
“We don’t have to do it. It may be a bad idea.”
“No.” I surprised myself with how quickly I answered. “I actually like the idea.”
Titus waited.
“I’m only scared I’ll misread you.”
“I told you. I’ll be honest.”
His arm was still around me, warm and steady.
“I’ll give you the one thing neither of your two friends is giving you.”
“What’s that?”
“Time and transparency.”
“That’s two things.”
“Yeah. I figured out the first one before I came up with the second.”
I laughed.
It felt good to laugh.
Titus smiled. “Besides, you could use a distraction.”
“So you’re going to be my fake friend?”
“No. I’m going to be your real friend.”
“But we’re also doing this to get at Bryson.”
“Yes.”
He didn’t even hesitate.
“And because you need a friend,” he continued. “You need someone in your corner. I think I want to be that person.”
“I’m a lot, Titus.”
“No, you’re really not.”
“You’ve known me for two days, and you’ve already paid for things, driven me to the hospital, carried me upstairs, and listened to all of this.”
“Augie.”
I stopped.
“Let me be good to you.”
The words settled somewhere deep.
“I’m not a charity case.”
“I didn’t say you were.” His voice softened. “You’re a person who deserves good things.”
I looked down.
I didn’t know what to do with that.
“What if this affects Cal?”
“Then it affects Cal.”
“That’s easy for you to say.”
“Maybe he realizes he needs to show up more.”
“Or maybe he realizes I have other people and stops trying altogether.”
Titus shrugged. “Okay. And?”
I looked at him.
“If that’s all it takes for him to walk away, then you deserve to know.”
I didn’t like the answer.
That didn’t make it wrong.
“This is you doing something,” Titus said. “Instead of sitting in your room, letting the world happen around you, and wondering whether you get any say in it.”
He was right.
I hated how often he was right.
“You’re right,” I said.
“So.” He held out his hand. “Friends?”
I looked at it, then at him.
“Friends.”
We shook.
“Friends who act a little cringy around a certain Bryson?” Titus said.
I smiled despite myself.
“Friends who act a little cringy around a certain Bryson.” I replied.
- Writer
