My Best Friend’s Brother

We woke up a little late, and he invited me to go to lunch at the same restaurant where he asked me to get engaged, and I felt amazed.

As we walk out my apartment door, he holds me and kisses me again, making me laugh.

But as soon as I look toward the elevator after our kiss, I see him there, Chris. I am no longer angry with him like yesterday, but I also don’t want to talk to him after all that has happened. I don’t wish Colin doubted that there might be something between us.

If I have to, I will never talk to Chris again.

But as he walks past me, I notice that his face is all marked, as if someone has beaten him up. Then I realize it might have been Colin because Colin is smiling as soon as their eyes meet.

I feel the tension, but I don’t want them to fight here because of me.

But that doesn’t happen, and he just keeps going toward his apartment.

… Chris…

“What happened to your eye?”

Julie stares at me at the table at lunchtime.

”It was nothing. I just disagreed with a guy, that’s all.”

She still looks at me suspiciously.

”But, is everything all right?”

I answer:

”Yes, yes, it’s over.”

She doesn’t insist on knowing more; I thank her for that.

…

I go to my room.

I turn on the TV to some movie and head toward the bathroom.

It doesn’t matter much what the movie is about, and I want to have something to listen to that isn’t my mind repeating to myself that scene I saw earlier today.

”How can she be so stupid?”

I spend some time in the shower thinking about this and telling myself.

I guess I didn’t feel like punching that piece of shit in the face anymore because I enjoyed kissing her. And maybe what Colin did to me was make me realize that this would not be good for me.

Where is the guy who promised never to like any woman again?

I had been putting that promise aside these last few days and what happened in that bar was an eye-opener for me.

Let this girl go, let this all go, and go back to being who I was before she confused me with all those little games and looks.

…

I finish my shower, and I can’t believe that I am still thinking about this, thinking about her. I look in the mirror again, and I should break that piece of shit’s face for leaving my face like that.

But the thing is, I understand her in a way. I knew she was going to be upset after what happened. She looked crazy about him as he threw it in my face.

I don’t want to think about this girl again. I don’t want to believe that I tried to break up with him this morning, not because of what he did to my face yesterday, but because he was kissing her. Because he was holding her body, I ran my hands over my face.

I feel frustrated, and I can’t possibly be jealous of her.

Not at all!

I pause for a moment as I stare at my reflection in the mirror.

I end up punching the sink.

What a mess!

… Molly…

We are at the restaurant. I know I shouldn’t ask about what happened, but it’s inevitable for me not to.

So I take a more subtle risk:

”Did something happen between you and Chris that I need to know?”

Colin doesn’t even look at me when he says:

”I just did to his face what he deserved.”

I question his attitude:

”Colin, you promised that…”

He looks at me and interrupts me by saying:

”I would never feel right again if I didn’t do this, okay?”

I don’t want to start another fight with my fiancé because of Chris, so I say:

”Okay. I don’t want to fight about it again.”

He breathes a little more relieved.

…

It is already Monday afternoon.

Colin went to his apartment, and I’m home. Julie says she just came by to say hello because she is already late for work.

She didn’t go to college today and sent me a message saying that Brennan had a cold and she stayed with him all morning.

I avoid saying what happened because I don’t think she would have time to listen to me right now. These stories usually require hours of conversation, with lots of hot chocolate.

And telling your best friend that you kissed her brother that you hate so much will not be easy to say.

I’ll decide to tell her later if I find the courage.

I wait until Julie is already at work and then go to her apartment to talk to Chris. He works past 1:30 in the afternoon after lunch, which is still 12:30.

I knock on the door, which is just leaning against it, walk-in, and see that he is in the living room playing video games.

I say:

”I need to talk to you.”

He looks at me, then looks away, concentrating again on the game he is playing and says:

”No, you don’t have to.”

He looks a little annoyed.

I move closer and say:

”I didn’t know he was going to do that. I never wanted him to take any satisfaction from you, and I hate violence and…”

He interrupts me by saying:

”What part of “you don’t have to come and talk to me” don’t you understand?”

Hearing this made my face burn with anger. I’m trying to be polite and say that it’s not my fault that it happened, that I’m sorry, and Chris comes at me with rudeness? Is that it? Does he want to do this?

Then let’s play his game, shall we, Molly?

I say:

”Listen here, I came here because I felt terrible when I saw that Colin had done the most damage to this face of yours, but I see that somehow you deserved it!”

Chris stands up and stares at me.

He breathes heavily.

He looks furious. I don’t care about it now. However, I am also furious now.

He takes a deep breath, he opens his mouth, and I think all kinds of insults are going to come out of it now, but he says:

”I only ask you one thing: Leave Julie out of it. I don’t want her worrying about something that will never happen again!”