Total pages in book: 32
Estimated words: 30218 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 151(@200wpm)___ 121(@250wpm)___ 101(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30218 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 151(@200wpm)___ 121(@250wpm)___ 101(@300wpm)
“I… I finished the Christmas event in Vegas a few hours earlier than I thought I would,” Justin said, explaining himself like he was on trial, or something. As if he was the one doing something wrong. “I knew if I caught a quick flight to Denver, I could be here until tomorrow afternoon. I wanted to surprise my Dad…”
He trailed off, looking completely dazed.
“Fuck,” I muttered.
I realized that I was still squeezing Rome’s thigh under the blanket. I let go, bolting up from the couch and tossing away the blanket.
“But I didn’t think you’d still be here, Casey,” Justin finally continued.
“I fell asleep,” I said, pacing over toward him. “I fell asleep while we were watching Die Hard.”
“I can see that,” Justin said. “Yes.”
“I can explain,” Rome said, but when I glanced back at him, he truly seemed at a loss.
“Did you guys actually hit it off?” Justin said, with a look on his face like he was trying and failing to solve a complex calculus problem. “Good God. I thought I was just imagining it, when I saw how you looked at my dad at the Christmas tree lot. But I’m pretty sure I wasn’t imagining it, now. I was treating it like a joke—”
“I’m going to leave,” I said, walking over toward my boots by the door.
Justin’s hand came out to stop me. “Casey.”
“I need to leave,” I said.
I was panicking internally. This wasn’t a situation I ever thought I’d find myself in, and I had no fucking clue what to do.
I was sure that I was about to lose my best friend. About to ruin his trust with his father, too, and the catastrophe of that was too much to bear.
Justin gripped my forearm, stopping me. “This,” he said, “is the weirdest moment of my life, and I can say that with certainty.”
“Same here,” I told him.
“I was joking when I said you should date my dad, Case, but—”
“You said that to him?” Rome groaned from behind us. “Jesus Christ.”
“I was joking,” Justin reiterated. “And I am going to be thinking about how weird this moment is for weeks, probably. Years, maybe. Or maybe forever. But if you guys actually… hit it off, then I want you both to be happy, I guess.”
I was sure I had to be dreaming, at this point.
“Justin, you don’t have to say that,” I told him.
“I repeat—this is the weirdest fucking thing I’ve ever seen,” Justin said. “But screw it. Sometimes life sends you weird curveballs, doesn’t it? I don’t know, dude. I’m… Dad, can I talk to you alone, for a minute?”
“Yes. Sure, Justin. Anything. I’m so fucking sorry—”
Justin held up a hand. “No worries. I just need to talk with you.”
I nodded. I tossed on my boots, sweater, and scarf, and I was very glad for the opportunity to take a moment on the front deck alone.
Holy God.
The night air was a refreshing, bracing chill, and when I sat down on the short steps, I felt like I had just been electrocuted.
I breathed in. Breathed out. Watched the cloud of my breath in the night air. Watched the dance of lights on the house across the street.
What the fuck was going on with my life, this Christmas?
And… had Justin said he “wanted us both to be happy?”
And was it possible, maybe just slightly, that Justin wasn’t going to stop speaking to me forever?
That everything wasn’t completely ruined?
It was another twenty minutes before I heard the sound of the door swinging open behind me on the front steps.
My heart rate ticked up again. Justin appeared a moment later, slowly sitting down next to me. We both looked out at the lights, not talking yet, even though there were about a billion things I needed to say.
“I just want to say it again, Case,” Justin finally murmured, looking over at me. “Weird. As. Fuck.”
“Justin, I am so fucking sorry,” I blurted out, like a dam inside me was breaking. “I never meant for this to happen, it just—”
He held up a hand, stopping me. “No need,” he said. “I’m not mad at you. I’m certainly not mad at him. You know what the worst part is, actually?”
I bit the inside of my cheek. “That I didn’t tell you?”
Justin gave me a nod. “Bingo.”
“I couldn’t have.”
“I know, I know,” he said. “I get why you didn’t. I mean, for God’s sake, he’s my dad.”
I winced. “I am a horrible person. But I already told you, and it’s true, I didn’t know he was your dad when I met him.”
“I know that too. But it just made me think about how much I’ve been gone. I haven’t been around as much, and I never want to lose our friendship. It would kill me. Losing you as a friend would be worse than… the apocalypse. Hell, it would be worse than you banging my dad.”