18
As soon as she sees me, she drops her bag in the middle of the floor and demands: “Tell me everything.”
I look over to Sam, unsure if I want to have this conversation in front of him.
“Don’t worry about him, he’s basically one of the girls,” Luna says with a laugh, waving a hand at him.
“It’s true. I have four sisters. I’m great at girl talk.” Sam takes a seat on one of the stools.
I let out a defeated sigh. If I want to talk to Luna about this, I have no choice but to include Sam.
I lean my back against the kitchen sink and tell them all about giving in and messaging him last night, Harper coming out of Brooks’ apartment this morning, the text message he sent me, and bumping into him at the deli.
“Should I go first?” Sam asks, waiting for Luna’s approval. She nods, and I can’t help but smile.
“I have never known Brooks to have a girlfriend, but he’s had many, many, many, many girls.
They come and they go, apart from Harper, and he never has to put in too much work to get the next one.
He never follows up with a girl the next day either, it’s like he’s seen what they have to offer, so what else does he need them for? ”
“But he did follow up. He took me out, remember?”
Luna rolls her eyes. “Yeah, and then the next day we saw him with Harper going on an actual date.” I give her my best whose side are you on glare.
“Has he mentioned me at all since that first weekend?” I ask.
“A little,” Sam says, and sighs as he sees my eyes light up. A little? That’s better than not at all.
“What did he say?”
“Look, he’s my friend. He’s a fun guy, but would I want him to date one of my sisters? Never in a million years.” His eyes meet mine with a sudden vulnerability. “Abi, you deserve to be called the next day.”
I let Sam’s words sink in, blushing at his subtle compliment. Luna raises her hand as if she’s waiting to be called on in class.
“I personally think he’s a wanker,” she says proudly.
Sam walks towards the living room, taking a seat in the middle of the couch. I guess we’re done talking about Brooks then.
Luna and I take a seat on either side of him.
He passes the remote to Luna as she hands him the phone.
She picks a movie as Sam orders dinner. They move like a well-oiled machine, like a couple that’s been married for sixty years, always conscious of where the other person is and what their next need will be.
They clearly belong together. And I should be with Brooks.
My mind begins screaming his name on repeat, erasing any evidence that Sam briefly occupied my thoughts.
Luna’s eyes flick from the TV screen to my face.
She can tell I’m not paying attention. She knows my racing thoughts won’t allow me the luxury of losing myself in the movie she’s selected.
While she’s caught off guard, Sam snatches the remote out of her other hand.
“Hey!” she shouts, trying to wrestle it from his grasp. Sam pulls her arms toward him, causing her to fall forward, her top lifts revealing her bare stomach, and he tickles her.
“Fucking stop it!” she screams, wriggling out of his grip. “Oh my God, you’re such a child.” She throws herself back on the couch dramatically.
“Well, if you didn’t pick this boring bullshit, I wouldn’t have to try to educate you on what a good movie is,” he teases, rolling his eyes as he flicks through the movies on Netflix.