Page 43 of My Summer Fling

“I don’t need to know—”

I cut him off with a laugh.

“Not those types of pictures, man. I’m talking about pictures ofher. I always have. From the first time I picked up a camera she’s been the one thing I’ve been fixated on. And I’ve kept them all these years. And I gave them to her with the letter.”

I stand to get myself another drink.

“I guess I was hoping that if she saw how much I loved her through the eye of a camera lens maybe she would be more apt to forgive me. Maybe it would be enough proof that I didn’t want a fling, and that I never did. Maybe it would be enough for her to speak to me again, to give me another shot.”

“I don’t think you should give up hope yet,” Teddy tells me as I sit back down in the leather chair across from him.

I smile up at him.

“You know, you reacted to all of this a lot differently than we both thought you would. Has she called you?”

“She has,” he says, not giving anything away. “The day after everything happened I got a phone call from a very angry Millie.” He laughs. “She was pissed that you decided to call and tell me everything before she could.”

“We were scared you wouldn’t approve,” I tell him. “Well, looking back, I think I was more afraid than she was. Until now, I honestly didn’t think I was good enough for your sister. And I definitely didn’t think you would think I was good enough.”

“Noah, no one is ever going to be good enough for my sister.” He smiles at me. “But you worrying that I wouldn’t approve makes you dumb as fucking rocks, dude.”

I give him a confused look.

“You’re mybest friend,” he says, like that should make a difference.

“Which means you know all my faults and you know all the shit I’ve done,” I explain to him like he’s the idiot.

“It means that I’ve seen you grow and learn from every stupid thing you’ve done. I’ve seen you man up and take responsibility for things. I’ve seen you learn how to love yourself and love others. I saw you grow up and help me include Millie in everything we did. Even if you had ulterior motives.”

“Guilty.” I laugh.

“Maybe you didn’t see it because you were too close to the situation or you were too scared of what I would think. But I saw the way you always looked at her, Noah. I saw you take care of her and include her in things even I didn’t want her to be included in. You advocated for her just as much as I did. And even after you fucked up the first time, you never stopped asking about her. No matter how many times I tried to subtly tell you to fuck off.”

“Would’ve been nice to know…” I roll my eyes. “Could’ve saved me a lot of fucking grief.”

“You needed to figure that shit out on your own,” he says with humor in his voice. “I may not disapprove of you two being together, but I was definitely going to make you work for it.”

“Like brother like sister. She’s going to make me work for it for the rest of my life. I can feel it.”

Teddy laughs.

“As she should. But don’t worry, if she does decide to forgive you and give you athirdchance, I don’t think she’s the type to hold it against you for too long.”

“I won’t ever hold it against her. We had a deal. It was just for the summer this time. We weren’t supposed to fall for each other. And I’ll have the memories we made together, and that will have to be enough. Because I love her, I’ll let her go.”

I lean my head back, thinking about how badly I want that third shot. I know I don’t deserve it, but fuck, I want it.

“I also heard you punched out her ex?”

I cringe. “Not my best moment.”

Teddy shrugs. “You didn’t do anything I wouldn’t have done. Sounds like the asshole deserved it. Must’ve been a while since you were in a fight, though.” He smiles and nods to my still-bruised hand. “Hurt yourself?”

“Yeah, man,” I confide. “Shit hurt. I forgot how bad bone on bone kills your knuckles.”

“You ready to see her tomorrow?” Teddy asks.

“Enough about me,” I say, trying to change the subject because I don’t even want to think about having to face her tomorrow. “Areyouready for tomorrow?”

---