Chapter Sixteen
Don
“Ithink she really missed you,” Jill says, looking at Kaylee who is curled up in the crook of my arm fast asleep.
“The feeling’s mutual.”
“So, how are things going in New York? Still banging your way through the city?”
“Nah, I’ve slowed down quite a bit.”
My phone chimes with a text from Abby.
Abby: The package has been acquired and is safely in your apartment.
Me: Thanks, Abs. I owe you one.
Abby: Dinner’s on you when you get back.
Abby: Well, not on you. I don’t want to eat off of you. I mean, you will have to buy dinner.
She’s adorable.
Me: Deal.
I must not realize what my face is doing because Jill asks, “What’s got you smiling so hard?”
“Oh, it’s just my neighbor. Abby. She brought in a package for me and was giving me some shit.”
“Must be some neighbor. None of mine have ever made me smile like that.”
“Well, we’re friends too. A few weeks ago, I saw her crying, and I went to make sure she was okay.”
Jill interrupts, “Of course you did. You just have the biggest heart.”
“We sort of hit it off and have been hanging out almost every night since.”
“Tell me about her.”
“What do you want to know?” I ask.
“Whatever you want to share.”
“Well, her name is Abby, and she is awesome but has no idea how great she is. She thinks she’s just weird and awkward because she’d rather stay home and knit things for the children’s hospital than go out to a party. She’s cute and mousy but will sometimes ramble like crazy. We have a ton of fun just hanging out and watching Gilmore Girls.”
She stops me. “You are watching Gilmore Girls?”
“Yeah, it’s actually pretty good.”
“How long have you been sleeping with her?” She asks.
“We’re just friends. We haven’t had sex.”
With a very confused face, she asks, “Why not?’
Now, I’m the confused one. “What do you mean why not? Weren’t you the one who told me to stop having sex for a while?”
“I told you to stop screwing random women you had no real interest in.”
When I still have a blank look on my face, she goes on, “You know, sometimes you just don’t see the big picture. Clearly, you have feelings for Abby!”
“What are you talking about?”
“Don, you smile when she texts you…and when you talk about her. And everything you’ve told me makes it even more obvious.”
“I don’t—”
“Save it. I’ve known you your whole damn life. I can tell when you like a girl. And I can tell this one is pretty dang special. Let me ask you this—do you think about her when you’re not together?”
Constantly.
“A little,” I fib.
“And do you get excited when you know you’re going to get to spend time with her?”
Every time.
I nod.
“Do you think of what it would be like to take things further?”
“Jill, none of this matters. I don’t want to ruin our friendship.”
“Who says you are going to ruin anything? What if you find the love of your life?”
“Or what if it ends terribly?”
She sighs and looks at me. “Look at Paul and me. We were friends for years before we got together. And when we finally stopped fighting our feelings, it was the best thing we could have done. If we would’ve kept being stubborn, Kaylee wouldn’t be here today.”
Maybe she’s onto something. My sister is insanely happy and is married to her best friend. She has the whole thing figured out.
I swallow hard before asking, “What if I ask her out, and she shoots me down?”
“I doubt that will happen. Most women seem to love you.”
“Abby’s not most women.”
“Which is exactly why you don’t want to let her get away. Just give it a shot. If it doesn’t work, prove that you still want to be her friend.”
Knowing I may not be convinced, she says, “Just think about it, okay?”
“Yeah, okay.”
She tells me she’ll be right back as she picks up Kaylee to put her in bed.
Everything Jill just said plays through my head. Since the moment Abby and I started hanging out, I can’t seem to get her off my mind. She may be the most awesome woman I’ve ever spent time with.
And I would love to get to know her better—in every way possible.
I have no problem dating every wrong woman, and now, I may have found the right one, and I’m second-guessing it?
Maybe it’s about time to make a move.