Page 6 of It Should Have Been Me

“Where is Dylan, anyway? He’s supposed to be here already. He could at least call.”

“You know Dylan,” Peter replies with a shrug as he takes a swig of beer. “He’s still learning the ins and outs of common courtesy. He spent the night at Isabella’s place again last night. I only got a text before midnight to say he wasn’t coming home. That’s how he is, so just calm down. You’re so tense all the time. I can’t believe I have to say this to you, of all people, but you need to get laid.”

My father swallows a piece of his steak before he speaks. “You know, if you’re looking for a nice girl—”

“No, Dad. Stop trying to set me up. The women you keep sending me on blind dates with are stage-five clingers. The one from last week already asked me to meet her mother.” I cut into my grilled chicken and lift a piece to my mouth. “Maybe if you told some of them that I wasn’t going to inherit anything from you, I’d stop getting these marriage proposals on the first fucking date. So, thanks, but no thanks. I’m staying away from that flock of matrimonial doves. They make me want tostaysingle...forever.”

“I just...I just want to see you find happiness again,” he says almost helplessly.

My irritation escapes with a light groan. “I’m happy! I’m doing what I love, working my way up the ranks. I’m the youngest member of the academic committee at one of the largest universities in California. I’m happy. Why do I need to be in a relationship to prove that? And by the way, Pete’s single, too. I don’t see you ragging on him to get a girlfriend.”

“There’s a fundamental difference between your single and my single, Scott. I’m single out of choice. I’m still playing the field because I don’t want to settle down. Ever. You’re single because you want to be...alone.”

“What are you talking about? I date all the time because my fatherinsistson sending me on these random blind dates.” I look over at my dad. “Maybe you should listen to Peter more. I do enjoy being alone, so please stop trying to set me up. In fact, you should divorce that psycho wife of yours and join our single club.”

“I’ll be honest,” he replies with a sigh. “You boys don’t make it look very appealing. Peter goes through women so fast he’s going to need a shot soon, and you need to be slapped upside the head to go through any women at all.” He takes a sip of water and resumes cutting another sliver of steak. “Besides, I’m not letting thatpsychoget half of everything. She’s just gonna have to kill me in my sleep.”

I laugh. I went through my whole childhood, never knowing my dad had a sense of humor. We never talked the way we do now. And even though he hadn’t initially agreed with my decision to be with Catalina, it was that very decision that led to us having a relationship in the first place. It took him almost two years to warm up to her, and in the end, it wasn’t even Cat who softened him. It was her mother. She invited him to lunch one Saturday afternoon and her hospitality and kind heart changed him almost instantly – the same way it softened me. She truly has a gift. After that, Cat started coming along to these weekly lunches I have with him. They were beginning to bond, but all that progress means shit now because she’s gone.

“Maybe you should—” I’m cut off when my phone starts ringing. “It’s Dylan.” I look over at Peter as I answer and put it on speaker so we can both hear his pitiful excuse.

“Hey, Scott.”

“What’s up, Dyl?”

“Sorry, I’m late. We’re stuck at this...cake place. Bella’s about to lose her shit with this woman, so I just need to make sure she doesn’t slap anyone.Imight slap someone because her assistant just dropped ganache all over my jeans and sneakers. I’m a mess.” His tone is laced with annoyance. “Listen, I’m looking for Peter. I need to ask him for a favor, but I can’t get hold of him.”

“He must’ve forgotten his phone in the car. I’ll do it. What do you need?”

“Uh...” He suddenly sounds nervous. “I’d rather ask Peter.”

I hear something in his tone, and Peter does too because he reaches for my phone, but I yank it away from him. “You can askme, Dylan.”

“Please let me speak to Peter. This doesn’t involve you.”

That means it does involve me. “This has something to do with Cat, doesn’t it?”

Dylan lets out a defeated breath. “She’s flying in today,” he admits, and my reaction is instant. My body freezes, and my blood feels like ice as it runs along my veins.

“By herself?” Pete asks.

“Yeah. Her boyfriend is only flying over the day before the wedding.”

“I didn’t know she was comingtoday,” I say.

“Well, that’s because you and Isabella have a pact, remember?” Dylan replies with a mixture of irritation and satisfaction.

Hehatesthis pact of ours, but Isa and I felt that it was a necessary arrangement to put in place after my breakup with Cat and her breakup with Dylan. We both agreed to not talk about our exes because having a constant link to our past relationships would prevent us from moving on. Not that it helped much. Moving on from Catalina Diaz has been a very slow, arduous process, one I don’t think I’ll ever get to the end of.

“Anyway, I was supposed to pick Cat up from the airport,” Dylan continues, “but these fucking people are wasting our time and—”

“I’ll pick her up.”

“No! Scott, you stay the hell away from her. If you think I forgot about that voice note you sent me?”

“Why are you bringing that up? It was a long time ago.”

“It was last year.” He groans his aggravation. “Please, just let Peter do it.”

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