Will
Chapter Eleven
Theo Barnes was a decent enough guy.
We got together on weekends, drank some beer, went camping every once in a while. And he was one of the few people in town who didn’t feel obligated to fill a beat of silence with nonsensical chatter.
So, I guess by extension, it meant he was my ‘best friend.’ I didn’t really like labels. I wasn’t eight. But that was the role he filled in my life, for all intents and purposes.
Which meant, when we were kicking back on the couch, watching the game and drinking Budweiser, he usually didn’t say anything to piss me off.
But there was a first time for everything.
“Hey, did you know there’s a new girl in town?”
I sat up straighter, taking a long sip of my beer.
“Yeah,” I said, and then, realizing he needed more than a syllable, added, “I’ve run into her a few times.”
He was focused on the television, but I was suddenly alert.
“Why?”
“What?” he said, still attuned to the game.
“Why are you asking about her?”
“I ran into her at the hardware store today,” he said casually, still not looking at me. “With Ava of all people.”
“Oh,” I said, hoping the conversation would die off after that.
“She’s cute.”
Clearly, my luck had never been that great.
“Is she?” I asked, busying myself with staring into my beer.
“You saw her,” he said.
“I didn’t notice.”
He laughed. “You’re full of shit, man.”
“Whatever,” I said, a bit rougher than I’d meant to.
“And she’s funny, too,” he added. “A little quirky, but I think I like it.”
Funny? What could she have possibly said to him in the two-minute encounter I’m assuming they had that led him to that conclusion?
“Yeah, she’s something, all right.” I grimaced, praying to any deity there was that we could go back to watching the game in silence.
“So, should I go for it?”
I felt my jaw clench.
“Go for what?” I said, grip tightening around the beer.
“Should I ask her out?”
I turned, trying to analyze his expression.
Did he really like her? Did I care that he liked her?
No, no way. Why the hell would I care who was dating who?
But still, she was all wrong for him. That much was obvious from the handful of run-ins I’d had with her.
I couldn’t name a specific reason. It was just how I felt about it.
“I don’t know,” I said, feeling on edge about it all. “She’s not going to be here for long. I wouldn’t bother.”
“I don’t really see how that’s an issue.” He shrugged. “I’m not looking for a soulmate or anything.”
“Then why bother?”
He shot me a look as if to say, ‘Seriously?’ which sort of pissed me off. Because, yeah, seriously, I wanted to know why he was going after her without knowing anything about her. So, I arched a brow in response, waiting for his explanation.
He rolled his eyes.
“Just because you’re fine without any semblance of human contact,” he laughed, “doesn’t mean we all are.”
I guess he was right. I didn’t really crave anyone’s company. I liked being alone. It didn’t make me feel lonely; it made me feel peace.
“Besides,” he continued, “it would be nice to go out with someone who doesn’t have memories of me peeing my pants in the third grade.”
I snorted. “Yeah, you’re never living that one down.”
“Hey, Mrs. Davies wouldn’t let me go to the bathroom!”
“Because you asked to go twelve times a day!”
“Yeah, well, that time I clearly had to.”
“Hey, you remember that story about the boy who cried wolf?”
“Whatever.” He waved me off. “The point is, it’s nice dating someone without any history between you. And you know better than anyone that’s hard to find here.”
“Dating?” I whirled. “Like, you’re going to take her out to dinner and ask her about her life and dreams and all that shit?”
“Well, yeah.” He shrugged. “I mean, why not?”
Well, I don’t know why not, but I’m sure there are plenty of reasons that I’ll think of later.
Or, more likely, I was just being completely irrational to a mind-bending degree for probably the first time in my life. It unnerved me that I was letting the girl affect me. I knew I had to nip that in the bud right away.
Who cares if Theo liked her? What did it matter to me, anyway?
“So,” Theo asked again, raising his brows in a question that had my insides twisting uncomfortably, “what do you think? Should I go for it?”
I looked back at the television, took a swig of beer and said, “Yeah, you should go for it.”