Page 3 of Never Really Mine
BEAU
PRESENT DAY
“It’s because of her, isn’t it?” Ashley whines. My eyes widen as I stare at her from across the small table. The restaurant is dimly lit, and a few couples at other tables glance over as Ashley’s voice rises in pitch.
Sighing, I run my hands through my hair. In retrospect, I should have done this a long time ago. “No, it’s not,” I mutter.Liar. “I… I don’t see this being long term.”
Tears stream down her face, black streaks from her mascara lining her heavily made up cheeks. “Why are you doing this to me?” she cries. “I thought you loved me. I thought we had something amazing.”
I hold back my scoff at her words. I know I seem like a dick right now, but I don’t exactly know where she got the idea that I loved her. I’ve kept her at an arm's length for the last six months we’ve been together, if that’s what you could even call it. I’ve been her emotional punching bag, and she’s been a distraction for me. We’ve never even slept together.
A distraction for what, you might ask? My best friend. The very person Ashley is accusing me of breaking up with her for. She’s not wrong, but she’s also not right.
Marley will never be mine. Not in the way I need her to be.
I’ve loved her since we were kids, playing in the treehouse in the backyard or pretending to be detectives solving a murder mystery. I’ll never tell her, though, not after I tried to take things further with her when we were eighteen. Not after my dad, and her dad shot down any ideas I had of making her mine.
I kissed her, and it was the best fucking kiss of my life. The most intoxicating thing I’ve ever felt was having her lips on mine. But she shut me down. Shut any concept ofusdown. It hurt. I was ready to give her my all, to give my heart over to her on a silver platter, but between her shutting me down, and our dads telling me no, I was done. All hope shattered of a chance at a future with her.
I had a taste of her, just one, and I was going to fight for her. I was. Two days after that kiss, I went over to her house when she was working.
I knock on the old wooden door, a giddy excitement coursing through my veins. This is it. I know Marley said she didn’t want to risk our friendship, but I don’t think she sees just howamazingwe could be.
Heavy footsteps make their way to the door, and I tamper down the small burst of anxiety. It’s fine. Gabriel isn’t going to disapprove of me, in fact, I think our parents will collectively be excited for us, for this new chapter.
Gabriel opens the door, a soft smile on his face as he greets me. “Beau, what are you doing here?”
My mouth goes dry, feeling like someone shoved three cotton balls in it. I clear my throat, hoping my voice doesn’t crack when I speak, when my own father strides up to the door. “Beau? What’s up, kiddo?”
Shit, this is already not going how I planned. “I- uh-” I cough. “I just wanted to talk to Gabriel about something.”
Both Gabriel and my dad’s brows lift in confusion. “Come on in,” Gabriel says, gesturing for me to come through the door. I kick off my sandals, following him inside. “We were just having a drink.”
He leads me through the living room to the kitchen table where they were clearly sitting. Two cans of beer sit on the otherwise empty table. Gabriel pulls out a chair for me to sit in.
I follow their lead, sitting when they do, my body stiff and uncomfortable. I don’t know whether or not to continue with my plan since my dad is here, or what to do. I don’t know when I’ll get another opportunity before I leave for school to see Gabriel without Marley nearby, so maybe I just have to do it.
My palms sweat, and I rub them up and down my thighs, attempting to dry them off. I take a breath, ready to say what I came to say, but Gabriel shocks me by speaking first.
“Beau, I think I know why you’re here,” he softly says. He glances over to my dad, who nods.
“You do?” I murmur, raising my brows. Am I really that obvious?
“You want to ask Marley out, don’t you?”
Seems like I really am that obvious. “Yes, sir,” I say.
He cackles with laughter, easing some of the panic I feel. “You have never called me sir, and I think we should keep it that way.”
“Noted,” I say with a small laugh.
My dad shakes his head, eyes bright as he tries to hold in a laugh. His once dark brown hair is starting to gray at his temples, hair thinning as well. He looks more and more like Gramps everyday.
The mood changes in an instant as Gabriel speaks. “Beau… You know I love you like a son of my own, right?”
I nod.
“With that being said… I don’t think,” he pauses. “I don’t know if this is the right thing for you two.”
