Page 28 of Damaged
“Of course I am,” I say, dropping my purse on the small, wood table by the door. “I’m here to talk.”
Crossing his arms, those damn muscles trying to distract me from my mission, he smiles. “Sure, what’s up?”
I give him a small smile and reach out grabbing his hand. “Brett, I had lunch today with Payton…”
“Whoa, what?” he asks, a little louder than I’d hoped for.
“Listen, don’t you go all asshole on me. I’m here as your best friend. I’m trying to help and when you get all nasty asshole, all it does is make me want to punch you in your throat. So, please just shut up and let me say this,” I say.
He nods and I smile. Okay Payton, maybe I do have a little more input than I think.
“I had lunch with Payton. She called and invited me, because she said she wanted to talk. It was a very nice lunch in which we mainly talked about you and Asher. He needs his friend and don’t stand there and act like you don’t need him. Being my friend isn’t the same. You have history with him. He knows things about you that no one else ever will. I don’t know what the fight was about, but it’s time to let it go. Answer the phone when he calls.” I blow out a breath and really want to pat myself on the back.
“As my best friend, I gave you the chance to say what you wanted. Now as mine, you’ll listen to what I have to say, alright?” I nod and he continues. “Yeah okay I’ll admit it, I miss my friend. He’s stuck with me through more shit than I can even remember. He’s the only one who's ever had my back. This fight is because I walked in on them having sex.” I widen my eyes and he laughs. “They were in the kitchen, it’s not like I went wandering around the house looking for them.” We both laugh, but he keeps going. “He yelled, told me to get out and not come in unless I was invited in. It sounds harmless, I know. But he made me feel like I’m no longer welcome in his life, unless it’s his conditions. I’ve never had to be invited into his life, I was just a part of it. So, I know he’s sorry and I know I need to forgive him and move on, it’s just taking me a while.”
My heart hurts. It literally hurts in my chest after listening to him. Grabbing his hand, I lead him to the couch. We sit down, but I don’t let go of his hand. “Brett, he’s not saying you aren’t welcome in his life. He’s saying you need to learn to welcome Payton into your life. He loves her. Like happily ever after, knight in shining armor, kiss the sleeping princess, loves her. You need to understand he’s not replacing you, you were never that person for him. You’re his friend, his brother. But she’s his entire world and he wants you to be a part of that world, just maybe not walking in while they have sex part.”
He searches my eyes, for a while. I’m not sure what I see reflecting in his bright blues, but I just patiently wait. “So, just no walking in while they have sex huh,” he says, grinning. I laugh and he squeezes my hand. “I’m not sure I’ll ever understand it, but okay. I’ll answer the phone when he calls me.”
Well damn. Look at me. I’m like the Brett whisperer. It makes my heart beat a little harder knowing he listened to me and opened up to me. This does mean more than just sex to him.
He trusts me.
