Page 61 of Faking It with the Off-Limits Doctor

“Seriously, how are you doing that?”

“I just know you, man. I know you like you know yourself.”

“And me being back in the city?”

“Oh, Jake saw your car yesterday. It’s a pretty distinctive car.”

Jake is my middle nephew, and though he’s probably the craziest of all of them, I also suspect he’s the smartest.

“So,” Mike continues, “are you going to spill, or are you going to make me drag it out of you?”

I spill, mainly because I know he won’t stop hounding me. Even If I hang up, he’ll just call back. My brother’s like that. Like a dog with a bone. Deep down, I know it’s because he cares. He also worries because he thinks I don’t have anybody.

Which, I suppose, I don’t. Not anymore, anyway.

When I finish telling him everything, there’s silence on the phone. For all my brother’s usual witty repertoire, he can be serious when he needs to be.

“Wow, man. I’m sorry.”

“Me too. But hey, I misjudged her.”

“I don’t think you did, and if I may be frank, I think it’s you who has the issue here.”

“What?” I blurt.

“Think about it. You drop this bombshell on this poor girl, and land all this responsibility on her shoulders. Did you really expect her to make such a huge decision without talking to her girlfriend?”

“I… I don’t know… I suppose,” I flounder.

“You have to understand, Alex, there was never any comeback for you. You might have bought that house, but you could up and leave Riverdale and never have to look any of those people in the eye again. It wasn’t the same for her. You were asking her to lie to people she grew up with.”

“I know that. She knew that too.”

“Sure, she did. But it’s not exactly the easiest decision in the world to make. Even with you dangling the money carrot in front of her face. The way I see it, she’s a woman with principles. I’ll bet it was really hard for her.”

I nod, realizing my point of view has been completely myopic. “It was.”

“There you go. And now, you’re going to judge her for talking to someone she trusts?” Mike exclaims. “I assume this friend of hers never spoke a word about what she knew, given the fact that the whole town still thinks you guys are an item.”

“Not anymore, thanks to Mark,” I quip.

“You only have yourself to blame for that, brother. You should have trusted Mark with what you were doing. He’s your best friend. And you know what I think?”

I sigh because I’m already feeling like a complete jerk, and I have no doubt that my very wise brother is going to drop another truth bomb on me.

“I don’t think you’re angry at Dara at all. I think you’re angry at yourself because she did what you should have done. She trusted her best friend.”

And as the truth explodes and showers me with far more clarity than I had before, I feel like an even bigger jerk. A double jerk, with pickles and ketchup on the side.

For a moment, I have no words. There’s nothing I can say. As usual, Mike has been my voice of reason, and he’s hit bullseye on every single thing.

How have I been so stupid? How have I been so blind?

You were hell bent on bagging that deal. You had tunnel vision.

“You still there?” Mike says.

“Yes,” I sigh. “Your idiot brother is still on the other end of the line, contemplating what a complete fool he’s been.”

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