Page 133 of Love Not Qualified

“Fucking Chad Bitt,” he murmured, and Haelyn and I burst out laughing.

This—the three of us, together at a table, eating dinner my girlfriend made—made me feel like I won the lottery. I was sure I didn’t need something else in life to be happy.

Except for a baby. But I was going to convince her about that later.

FIFTY-TWO

TRISTAN

“I got it,” I said, taking the wheelchair from under Merielle’s fingers.

She looked up at me, wiping a drop of sweat form her forehead with the bridge of her palm. A smile hooked on the corner of her lips as she threw a glance at Haelyn.

“Thanks. He’s pretty massive for a short girl like me.”

“You usually don’t mind it,” David retorted, then clapped the hand I had on his shoulder as a thank you for taking over.

Merielle laughed. “When we’re in bed, not when I have to push two-hundred pounds with my bare hands.”

I let Merielle and Haelyn walk in front of us inside Old Town while I guided David’s chair on the wooden floor and between the brown chairs.

The last thing I wanted was to spend a Sunday night around wasted guys who smelled like piss and in a place where the vomit stains on your shirt determined who was cooler. But Haelyn asked and I couldn’t say no.

As soon as the word “yes” flew out of my mouth, her arms jumped around my neck with a squeal. I thought all I had to do was to agree, but when I showed her my first outfit choice—a white buttoned shirt and jeans—she shook her head, placeda hand on her hip and immediately dialed David for a clothing emergency.

So, she made me drive to their house and let David dress me with an old grey pairs of sweatpants and a washed-out t-shirt with Nirvana written on it. It was a little short for me, but the sweatpants were fine.

I felt like I was floating in my clothes and I didn’t despise it that much. What I hated was how they looked on my body.

My eyes swept to Haelyn back when she threw her head behind with laughter at something Merielle said and I forgot all the reason why I didn’t want to be here.

“You don’t have to push me, you know that, right?” David looked at me over his shoulder. I frowned. “I can use the wheels.” He demonstrated by planting his hands on them and rotating. “But I made Merielle do it as a punishment.”

I took a moment to squint my eyes of him before a husky laugh brushed past my lips. I shook my head. “Your secret is safe with me.”

“Appreciate it,” he said as we found a table at the end of the bar, the same one where I found Haelyn the first time I stepped foot in here.

“Is Chris not coming?” Haelyn asked when I dragged a chair back so she could sit before pushing it under the table. She offered me a soft smile and I sat next to her after securing David next to us, kissing the side of her forehead.

“No,” David replied. “His mother isn’t feeling well.”

“Oh,” Haelyn pouted. “I hope she’s all right.”

We sat in silence for a while, the news about their friend bringing a shadow to our table. Though my last encounter with Christian wasn’t pleasing, I couldn’t feel any resentment against his mother. I knew better than anyone what it was like to have someone sick in your family and it wasn’t nice.

Plus, Christian was doing his job as a friend, no matter if I believed he saw Haelyn as more than that.

A guy with an apron around his waist came to our table. For some reason—maybe it was the look in his eyes—I felt the need to wrap my arm around Haeyln’s shoulders. She stiffened and offered him a soft glance.

What was that?

The guy swallowed harshly, then turned his attention to Merielle. “What can I get you?”

“Two Hugos for us,” the blonde said.

“No, I’m not drinking. Just a water for me, please,” Haelyn addressed the guy and squeezed my leg under the table. I knew she was doing this for me.

I could admit it was a strange feeling to be in a bar after I successfully avoided any kind of alcohol for two weeks, especially with the terrible headache I had. And to have my girlfriend skip her drink for me… it was like I finally had a team and I wasn’t supposed to do everything alone anymore.

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