Page 14 of Best Friends

Thank you. Finally he got a little support from the peanut gallery. Jesse eyed Benji before turning to glance between Adam and Clay.

Clay shook his head. “We can’t make the world right on cue just because it makes your life easier, Jesse.” He rose and eyed Adam. “Life happens. People grow up. They move on. It’s just the way of things.”

Clay turned and headed for the door. Jesse followed him. “Moving on? Seriously?”

He paused and turned to look at Jesse. “I love you guys. I do. But don’t pull this shit again. Adam and I… we just need space. Don’t force us to end up saying things we don’t mean to say.”

Jesse watched as Clay left, realizing the issue was even bigger than he’d realized.

Adam meandered over. “I don’t appreciate being lied to.”

Jesse turned to look at Adam. “I figured this was one of you guy’s usual fights… and you just needed a kick in the ass to clear the air.”

“I realize you had the best of intentions, but leave this one be,” Adam said before wrapping an arm around Jesse’s shoulder. “Time heals all wounds.”

“What the hell happened?” Jesse said.

Adam took a deep breath and released it slowly. “Bad shit, Jesse. The kind friends don’t get over.”

Jesse tilted his head, a sense of loss stabbing him in the gut. The five of them had been friends since college. They’d remained tight ever since. If Adam and Clay couldn’t work out their differences, they’d all be forced to make choices… one or the other. That wasn’t cool.

“I suppose you’re not going to tell me anything more.”

Adam shook his head. “Nope. I’m not. Like I said. Leave it be. Maybe after the wound heals, we can learn to be around one another again, but that’s going to take a long, long time.”

After the wound heals? Shit. “We’ve all been friends for too long to just let things be. If it’s this bad, you guys need to talk it out.”

“Stop,” Adam said.

“I don’t want to end up having to choose between you. You’re both my friends, and you need to fix this.”

“Maybe we can… but forcing us both into the same room isn’t the way to make that happen.”

Jesse frowned.

“Promise me you won’t do it again.”

“I promise,” Jesse muttered.

“Good,” Adam said. He released Jesse’s shoulder and glanced out the glass doors. “I think he’s likely gone now. I’m heading out.”

Adam didn’t even want to be outside at the same time? Shit. “If he’s gone, you could still come hang with us. You said you needed something to drag you out of this funk.”

Adam smiled, looking weary as hell. “Not tonight. Maybe next time.”

Jesse sighed as he watched another friend take off. By the time he returned to the table, he realized he was once more the odd man out. Delilah and Hayden were still eating each other’s faces again, and Benji was stuck up Mac’s ass. “I think I’m heading out, too.”

“What?” Hayden said, pulling from Delilah. “No… no, man. It’s guy’s night.”

Jesse widened his stare, looked to Delilah, and then back to Hayden. “No. It’s not guy’s night. Night, all.”

He grabbed his cell and keys from the table and marched to the front door. Seconds after he’d made it out the restaurant’s front door a hand grabbed his arm. Jesse spun, ready to defend himself…

And saw it was Hayden.

It was too dark in the parking lot to really see his friend’s face, but he sensed anger coming across.

“You planned a night out and then bail?”

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