Homecoming - Chapter 19
Wednesday
Matt
I was just about to answer the call when James ended it. “I wonder what he wanted,” I said.
Rob shrugged. “I don’t know. I was actually just about to head over there for lunch. Want to come with me to find out?”
I stared at him as he ate a bite of his hotdog. “Is this not lunch?”
“No,” he said as we walked away from the hotdog stand. “This is an appetizer. I want whatever Ellen’s making for lunch.”
I laughed. “Wait, do you always go over to their apartment on hot dog days?”
“I mean, I love hanging out with you. But my lunch break is longer than yours. And Ellen is a great cook.”
“I can take longer lunch breaks,” I said.
Rob laughed. “I don’t think so. You see…I own Hunter Tech. So I set my own hours.”
“You own half of Hunter Tech. The same stake I have in MAC International.”
“Yeah, but I have to answer to James. Who doesn’t care what I do. You have to have meetings with your dad.”
True. Kind of . “James definitely cares what you do.” I polished off the rest of my hot dog.
“Then why does he never ask why I’m at his house every hot dog day?”
“Probably because he doesn’t want to have an awkward conversation about how his brother is running his business into the ground.”
Rob laughed. “We’re having our best year ever. I’m a great boss. Don’t be jealous.”
“Mhm.” We started walking back toward our offices. Or I guess he was heading to James’ place.
“So how’s the breakup going?” Rob asked. “Do you need me to buy you a pint of ice cream for you to drown your feelings in while watching a romcom? I promised Daphne I’d watch one with her tonight anyway if you want to crash.”
“Kennedy and I didn’t break up.”
Rob shook his head. “We’ve already had this conversation…”
“I know, but you were wrong. We’ve actually kissed twice since then.”
“So like…sex with an ex thing? That’s still being broken up.”
“No, it was just kissing. And we’re not broken up.”
“Kiss with an ex doesn’t have the same ring to it. And it’s even less momentous than sex. You and Kennedy have definitely broken up.”
“Then how do you explain the fact that we went on a date last night?”
“I’m guessing it was a dinner as friends.”
“No it wasn’t.”
“So it was just the two of you?” he asked.
Technically Tanner and Nigel had crashed our dinner. But that didn’t mean it was any less of a date…
“You paused. You weren’t alone. That’s not a date.”
“Tanner’s been acting weird,” I said, changing the subject to something that would distract Rob.
“Well it’s about time you’ve realized that! Did you see him with the man bun? Or was it the weird shoes?”
“Neither. But he keeps saying Kennedy isn’t my soulmate.”
Rob was quiet.
“What?”
“I really like Kennedy,” Rob said. “I think she’s great. But…”
“Not you too,” I groaned.
“Do you think that maybe…just maybe…you like her because she reminds you of Brooklyn?”
“She’s nothing like Brooklyn.”
“I guess I mean that she reminds you of your time with Brooklyn.”
I pushed my hands into my pockets and stopped outside my office building.
“Trust me, if being with Kennedy made me think of Brooklyn, I’d be avoiding her.
Not dating her. Kennedy reminds me of being young.
Of a time when I wasn’t hurting. She makes me feel 16 years younger. And it’s because of her and only her.”
Rob smiled. “So when are you going to propose?”
“When she stops pushing me away.”
“I’ll be the first one to congratulate you when it happens, you know that. I just needed to say my piece.” He slapped me on the back. “I’m happy for you, man.”
Finally, one of my friends wasn’t being the worst. “You’re officially my best friend.”
“I know. Are you going to tell Tanner that?”
I laughed. “Nah, it’s more fun this way.”
“I’ll record it next time to really piss him off.”
“Actually, I’ll say it again so you can record it now. Did you know he’s trying to set Kennedy up with Felix because he thinks they might be a better match?”
Rob shrugged as he pulled out his phone.
“What was that shrug for?”
“I always thought they’d be good together. They were practically inseparable the last two years of high school. Minus whenever you’d literally sit between them at lunch and mope.” He held up the phone to me. “Okay, say it nice and slow.”
“I’m not saying it now.”
“Why not?”
“Because you just said Kennedy and Felix would be good together.”
“They would be.”
“What the hell, man?”
“I didn’t say they’d be better than the two of you. But I was always surprised they didn’t hook up. Probably because of that douchebag Cupcake, don’t you think? He really messed her up.”
Yeah. He had. At first I thought what happened with him was why she was pushing me away. But we’d talked about that. I told her we could go slow.
Rob put his phone closer to my mouth. “Say it,” he whispered.
Honestly, Tanner and him were both being terrible. But maybe this would get Tanner to focus on being a better friend instead of ruining my life. “Rob is my best friend. I like him the most of all my friends.”
Rob smiled and stopped the recording. He put the phone back in his pocket. “Tanner is going to be so pissed.”
“Are you not sending it now?”
“Nah, I’m going to send it at the perfect moment. Maybe whenever he gets hitched I’ll text it to him while he’s standing at the altar.”
“Dick move.”
Rob shimmied his shoulders. “You mean big dick energy. I’ve got it in spades.”
“Yeah, that’s not what I said. And would you stop saying that?”
“What was that? I didn’t hear you.” But he stopped shimmying. “I gotta go before they’re all out of food. Sure you don’t want to come?”
“Yeah, I really do have a meeting this afternoon. And I have to leave early because it’s one of the last practices before homecoming. You’re coming this weekend, right?”
“To the homecoming game? We wouldn’t miss it. Pretty sure you’re stuck with all of us coming now.”
I didn’t mind that. I felt like I’d faced all my demons head on. The past was in the past. And I was finally okay with that.