Chapter 25 Fletcher
twenty-five
Fletcher
How do I even bring up that conversation?” I ask, re-racking my weights and then turning to Becca. “I don’t think Casey wants a relationship, but maybe she does. I did invite her to an away game after we went out once; it’s kind of misleading.”
“That’s hard,” she sighs. “It’s not a conversation to have over the phone, but you guys don’t live in the same state, you’re not going to the same school, and I don’t know when you’ll see her again face to face. By the time that happens, things could be—”
“Complicated?”
She chuckles, lying down on the bench and positioning her hands on the weight.
“I think they’re already complicated.” She pushes the bar off its resting place and then lowers it to her chest. “You told me Tate’s been avoiding you.”
“Not avoiding, necessarily. When we’re with other people, things are great, but the second we’re alone, things feel off.”
“And why do you think that is?” She finishes her last rep and then sits up, turning her body toward me.
“I don’t know.”
“Do you think she’s jealous? Or angry?”
“Why would she be jealous?”
Becca laughs.
“What?”
“Fletcher, you can be pretty dense.”
“She doesn’t like me, Becca. We’ve been over this.”
“I think you’re using that as an excuse because you’re scared.”
“Yeah, scared of getting shut down again. I told myself I was going to move one, move forward, that’s what I’m doing.”
“No, you’re not scared she’s going to shut you down. You’re scared she’s going to feel the same way.”
“And why would that scare me?”
“Because that would make it real, Fletcher. And if it’s real, then that means you have something to lose.”
“This is the last time I invite you to the gym with me.” I motion for her to get up so I can take her place. I add back my additional weights, then shimmy below the bar.
“I’m just the voice of reason.”
“Can you be the voice of reason somewhere else?” I ask, pushing the bar up. “Or at least for someone else.”
“All I’m saying, Fletcher, is the longer you let things go on like this, the more distance that’s going to grow between you and Tate. Before you know it, she’ll practically be a stranger.”
“That won’t happen. We have too much history.”
“It’s easy to say that, to feel that way until it does.”
“So, what should I do?”
“I think you need to start turning to your best friend more. I know it’s easy to come to me and talk to me about these things because I’m an outsider, but if my best friend stopped telling me things because they found someone else to talk to, I’d be hurt.”
“You think I should’ve told her about Casey?”
“I think her finding out because you guys showed up to the same bar probably fucking sucked.”
“Yeah.”
“You weren’t happy that she was with another guy there.” The bar clinks against the holder as I set it down. I sit up, shaking out my arms, before unloading our weights.
“It wasn’t that she was with a guy; it was the fact that she was drunk with a guy she barely knew.”
“From what you’ve told me, Tate’s a big girl. She can handle herself.”
“I don’t doubt that. But I also don’t trust douchey-looking guys. Both things can be true at the same time. Tate can take care of herself, but Robby was a douche.”
“So, in turn, you acted like a douche?”
“I—”
Maybe she’s right. I probably went about the whole situation at the bar that night all wrong. I just wanted to make sure Tate was safe, but in the process, I pushed her even further into his arms. Casey definitely didn’t help that situation, either.
“I’ll talk to her,” I promise. “I’m supposed to go over to her place later and help her build furniture.”
“Perfect. Now we just have to figure out how you’re going to talk to Casey about what’s going on between you guys.”
She pats my chest and heads to another machine.
I sigh.
But follow behind her.
Ididn’t realize this was a furniture-building party.” I drop the two pizzas I picked up on the way over on Tate’s kitchen counter. “I would’ve brought more food.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Brinley flips through the instruction manual. “We ate at the diner before we came over here.”
“We would’ve invited you, but the guys said you were with Becca working out.” Tate gives me a weak smile. “You actually just missed them. Well, Declan and Jeremy, I don’t know what the other guys are up to.”
“I think Declan said Jaxon drove down to have dinner with his mom,” Brinley adds. “And the guys never know where Zeke is anymore.”
“Alright, well, what can I help with?”
“You could actually take over this.” I walk over to where the girls are sitting, and Brinley hands me her manual. “It’s in Swedish, I think. I don’t know Swedish, so.”
“What’s it supposed to be?” I flip through the pages, and it’s a bunch of pictures with words I can’t understand.
“It’s an entertainment center.” Ember points to the front page. “It will provide extra storage around her TV.”
“Ah, got it.”
“Those three boxes have the pieces for it.” Tate points across the living room. “The guys made sure all the pieces were there, but they gave up the second they got to the instructions.”
“Which is why I was making it my mission to put it together and hold it over their heads for all of eternity.”
“But the directions are in Swedish.”
“Exactly.” Brinley smiles. “Speaking of, I have to run.”
“What does the fact that the directions are in Swedish have anything to do with you leaving?” Tate’s eyebrows furrow.
“Oh, nothing; I just thought it was the perfect point to throw in that I have a sorority meeting. Mollie’s already been making my life a living hell since Declan ditched her at the banquet. If I’m late, she’ll have my head.”
“I’m out too.” Ember stretches. “I have to go pick Maia up from her shift and then help her with routes to her classes that will avoid Cam.”
“Sounds eventful.” I chuckle. “See you guys later.”
“See you.” Tate waves at the girls as they head out, and then it’s just us.
“Sorry, I got here later than I thought. The pizza place was swamped.”
“No problem. I honestly didn’t think you’d remember.”
“Of course I did. You’ve been waiting for this delivery since your birthday, but everything kept getting put on back order.”
She gives me a small smile as if she’s happy I remembered that.
“Yeah, well, Declan and Jere pretty much helped me get most of the big things done. The girls and I have just been building some of the smaller things since no one really wanted to attempt that.”
“Happy to be of service.” I drop my jacket over the back of her new couch. “The couch looks good. It fits perfectly.”
“Yeah, we were worried once it was pieced together, it’d be too big, but it worked out.”
Things seem normal between us. Our conversations don’t seem any different than they typically are, but she’s barely looked at me since I walked in. I want to chalk it up to her being focused on her current project, but I can’t help but wonder if it’s because of Casey. Or maybe even Becca.
I sit down on the floor and flip through the instructions, hoping something will jump out at me. I look at the pieces in the box. Honestly, I don’t know how they decided which pieces to group together, and nothing in the box resembles the pictures in the manual.
“Jere told me that you’ve started posting covers and your original music online.”
I feel like this is a safe talking point. I know Becca thinks I should bring up the distance, the tension that’s been between us the last few weeks since New Year's Eve, but I know Tate better than Becca does. Sure, she knows the female mind, but I know Tate’s mind.
“Yeah. Brinley’s been having a lot of fun with it. She and Alex edit the videos, making the sound clearer and cutting out anything unnecessary before or after I sing. It’s been good.”
“I’m happy you decided to do that. You’re talented, Tate; the world should get to witness that.”
“Thanks, Fletch.”
“Have you been getting a lot of views?”
She shrugs. “I just started posting like two weeks ago, right after the first. I only post two or three times a week, so I guess, given how often I’m posting, things are going well. I don’t know, I’ve never done anything like this.”
“How many followers do you have? Or subscribers? I’m not a big social media person, as you know, so I don’t really know the terminology.”
“Last time I checked on YouTube, I had about 250,000 subscribers.”
My jaw practically hits the floor.
“Holy shit, Tate. That’s a lot. Especially for only three weeks.”
“It’s alright.”
“Have you thought any more about auditioning for one of those shows to really put your name on the map?”
“I think I’ll stick with this for a while. If I’m supposed to do a show like The Voice or something, a time will present itself.”
“Well, I think what you’re doing is pretty awesome. I’m happy for you, Tate.”
“Thanks.” Her eyes soften as they meet mine. “Now let me see those instructions.”
She studies the pages, and I watch her do so. If there’s anyone who can figure out the entertainment center, it’s us.
We work better together.
We always have.