Chapter 41
EVERETT
J ahnvi? Despised me. Bank account? Drained. Restaurant? Busier than ever. Flowers? Not tied. Sleep? Didn’t exist anymore. “Well, well, well, look who I found today,” someone remarked behind me, making me turn in the cramped Indian grocery store.
“Manny.” I nodded at him as he leaned against the flower display next to me. “Listen, I never got to pay you back for getting me gas that night I ran out—”
“Don’t.” He raised his hands and backed away from the wallet I was grabbing out of my pocket. His face, usually red and showing a mix between frustration and anger, had broken out into a smile.
I sighed. “Manny—”
“Jesus, Everett, honestly I’m kinda embarrassed.
” He bent down to wipe some dirt off his faded jeans.
I winced mentally when I saw his tattered clothes, a sign of a true hard worker.
And here I was w allowing in pity when I had it way easier than him.
” You really think we aren’t close enough to not worry about money?
You’re like family to me. So, I think I have the right to let you know that you look like those crackheads I find scavenging in the dumpster behind Walmart. ”
“What? One day I wear a hoodie and all of a sudden I’m addicted to cocaine?”
“I’m not talking about the hoodie; I’m talking about those dark-ass circles around your eyes. You look like a garbage panda.”
I snorted. “Raccoon? Honestly, I wish I was one. I wouldn’t have to worry about tying fucking flowers or winning the girl back.”
“Girl? Say no more...”
And then I somehow found myself sitting across from Manny in an Arby’s with a sandwich in hand. There, that was the reason I was always guilty about calling Manny or asking him for help. He’d always drop whatever he was doing to buy me food and make sure I was still alive.
Back when my parents had passed, he was also someone who helped a lot.
Even though he was a small man, he engulfed me in a bear hug as soon as he heard and I quickly found myself sobbing for the first time after the event on his shoulder.
Even though Mr. Patel did so many things for me, and I’ll be eternally grateful, Manny had done things he couldn’t do; things only someone that I saw as a brother figure could do.
He taught me to respect others, care for myself, and other basic things.
All I’d ever wanted to do was show him that he had done a good job. That I was thriving, and it was all because of him.
“So,” he said a few minutes after I finished my story, “you’re upset she thinks you’re a two-faced jerk.”
“A simple way to put it,” I remarked, wiping my fingers free of buffalo sauce.
“Then get over it, bitch.”
My fingers froze.
“ What ?”
“Simple question: Everett, do you love her?”
“Of course I love her,” I said, without a second’s hesitation. “ Of course I love her, that’s not the problem. The problem is that she can’t even tell! And if she can’t tell, then maybe I’m not enough for her.” I shrugged, looking down.
“Then be enough. It’s as simple as that,” he continued, ignoring my words completely. “How many dates have you two been on?”
Silence.
“Everett, you never took her out?”
“I...well...hey! We were so busy with the wedding order! We don’t need to go out though, I did things for her that I wouldn’t have done for anyone.
” I leaned forward and stopped him before he started talking again.
“You know the things I did for her, Manny? I was always chauffeuring her around, looking out for her and her stupid ass, covering up her mistakes...what?” I faltered as I saw Manny’s smile slowly fade.
“Oh, Everett. You...” He sighed. “I get it. You—”
“Spit it out!”
“You tried to be that person you never got, right? Whenever she needed something, you gave it to her. You looked out for her when she was going to make mistakes, and you always made sure she was happy. You think you’ve never had a person like that, so you became one for her.”
“Okay,” I started, after what he had said had sunk in. “Excluding my sad backstory thing,” I tapped my finger against the table in thought. “My case still stands! I really liked her and showed it in my own way, and she couldn’t even tell!”
“Nope, let’s go back to your ‘sad backstory thing’”
“I think we’re good—”
“Everett, shut up!” Manny swallowed. “Not everyone needs a protective figure like that in their life. Sometimes, people just want to know they’re loved. Sometimes they just want flowers, or a cute note, or for you to brag about them to your friends. That’s all there is to it.”
“That’s not the entire issue though. She deserves so many cute notes, flowers, and praise. It’s just, I’m not that guy.”
“Do you love her?”
“Yes.”
“Then become that guy.”
“Oh, for the love of—”
“She wants you to fight for her, Everett! She wants you to prove you love her, and that you won’t let her run away like all those other girls. So, you’re going to fucking fight for her.” He clapped, emphasizing his last point.
“ How ? She won’t even look at me!”
“Give me your phone.”
“What?”
“Give me your phone!”
“Hey! Let go—get back to your side of the table!” But it was no use. Manny had grabbed my phone and had already guessed my password and opened it.
It was my dad’s birthday.
“There.” He slid my phone back to me. “I ordered a bouquet from the boutique I get flowers from when my wife catches me yelling at her cat. Little shit deserves it though. It pooped in my shoe yesterday—whatever. Everett, give her the bouquet and ask her on a date to the movies.”
“Manny,” I hissed, “are you insane! I literally have a whole wedding to prepare for in two days. You think I have time, and the money, to take her out to see some Avengers movie?”
“Put in the work and be enough for her.”
“Ha! And then I’ll be out of work when I have to shut down the restaurant!”
“Then stop sleeping. Listen, all she wants to know is if she’s worth it—so show her she’s worth it. Be enough. Fight for her!”
Fight for her.
“Fight for you too,” Manny added, quieter.
“Huh?”
“You deserve someone to make you happy. I can tell she means a lot to you, and you deserve someone in your life like that. Fight for you too.”
Fight for...us.
We shared a silent moment, me coming to terms with what he was saying and Manny watching my face. I finally nodded.
“You’re right.”
“I always am.”
“She’s too important.”
“She is.”
“And...she makes me happy.”
“I’m glad.”
My face heated up, but I got up and pushed my chair in before he noticed. “I gotta leave now then. One of my stupid new hires broke the deep fryer and I have to fix it.”
He stopped smiling instantly. “Just get a replacement.”
“Please”—I threw all our stuff away as Manny got up from his seat too—“you think I wouldn’t have gotten one earlier if I had the money?”
“I just don’t want you hurting yourself, that’s all.”
I smiled, opening the door for him. “I deep fried my hand once; it won’t happen again.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”