Page 85 of Some Sort of Love (Happy Crazy Love 3)
When we hung up, I texted Sebastian. Can you grab a beer after work?
Sure. Time and place?
Jolly Pumpkin at 7 work for you?
See you there.
• • •
I’d asked Sebastian to meet me because I needed advice, and he was the closest guy friend I had these days. Plus he was married to Jillian’s sister and might have some insight as to what I could do to make things right.
He was there when I arrived, sitting with Natalie Nixon’s fiancé Miles at the bar, and I shook both their hands before sitting next to Sebastian.
“Hope you don’t mind my joining you,” Miles said. “I had to get out of the house. Working from home can be a little stifling.”
“I hear you. I did it for a while too.” I ordered a beer and took off my coat.
“So what’s new?” I asked Sebastian. “I haven’t talked to you for a couple weeks. Thanks again for putting me in touch with Skylar about the photo. It was perfect.”
“You’re welcome. I heard she loved it.”
“She did.”
“I’m glad. Jillian is a great girl.”
“She is, but I…” I sighed, running a hand over my beard. “I fucked up.”
Neither of them said anything while our beers were set in front of us. Once the bartender was gone, Sebastian asked, “How so?”
I gave them the bare bones of what happened, and it was amazing to me how much clarity came from telling someone else the story. As the words poured out, it was almost like being able to take a step back, see things from her point of view, or even an outsider’s, understand my fear and defensiveness better, and put them in perspective.
“Wow,” Sebastian said, taking a drink of beer. “So she said no to giving you more time? That
doesn’t sound like her.”
“I think it was the way I asked. She wasn’t convinced I would use the time to work through anything. But I have—I just don’t know what to do now.” I closed my eyes and exhaled. “I need advice.”
Sebastian recoiled. “Oh Jesus. I’m the last person who should give relationship advice.”
“Why not? You and Skylar have a great relationship.”
“Yeah, but that’s because of her. I tried to sabotage it a thousand times before I realized how lucky I was that she understood me and accepted me, and that I had to stop trying to drive her away.”
“Why did you try to drive her away?” I asked.
“Fear. Plain and simple.”
“I did the same,” put in Miles. “I was such a dick to Natalie after I realized I had feelings for her. Just because that was easier than facing them and upending my life.”
I nodded, understanding. “That’s it exactly. And I’m so fucking tired of being afraid. I love her. I want her in my life. In Scotty’s life.”
“Then go get her,” said Sebastian.
“I don’t even know if she’ll have me. I might have missed my chance. She said she was done waiting.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah, Skylar says that shit to me to sometimes too. It’s because they know we need to hear it in order to quit fucking around and get our shit together.”
“Agreed,” said Miles. “I actually know for a fact that Jillian’s fucking crazy about you. I shouldn’t say this, but she came over to the house last Saturday night and she was a mess.”
