Page 85 of It Couldn't Be You
“It is not that simple, and you know it.” If Katie was the fire set to high, Terrence was a consistent simmer, low and steady.
“Oh, don’t I know it. We talk about how un-simple it is a lot lately. It’s like all we talk about. You know what I want for my birthday, Terrence? For you to decide what you want to do with your life!” Katie said.
“You know, you’re not helping any. Tell me what you want me to do, huh? You never just tell me!” Terrence walked over to her, his hands around him.
“I am not going to tell you where to live. I cannot do that.” She started to walk away from him. Like maybe she was going to leave the kitchen entirely, her voice on the verge of tears.
“Katie,” Terrence called after her.
She stopped walking, turned to him, and said, “I’m fed up with you acting like you don’t know what I want because I don’t tell you what to do. You’ve known from the start what I want. I want a life here in this town. I want the coffee shop. I want my regulars. I am not moving. That’s never been on the table,” she said, her voice shaky. “You’rethe one always zipping around. If you want to be around me, behere. It’s that simple. Moving is always on the table for you.”
Terrence looked awkwardly around the kitchen, remembering this boiling conversation had simmered over in the middle of his girlfriend’s kitchen.
“Is it a place or is it me you’re so afraid of choosing?” Katie demanded.
The air left the kitchen.
“I’m going to finish these later,” Gabe said suddenly, turning off the water at the sink where he’d been quietly doing dishes. He started heading out of the kitchen, and like he was the captain of our motley crew, everyone filed out after him except Katie and Terrence.
Gabe turned at the bottom of the stairs and looked at me, his gaze pointed, pressing. We both wanted to talk, to debrief about what had just happened, and to pick up where we’d left off the other night in my apartment. Suddenly he was someone I wanted to talk through everything with.When did our relationship get to this point? And why did I love it so much?
Here we were tonight, and saying goodbye like this felt wrong. He felt it, too. I hung by the door, hearing Terrence and Katie’s voices in the background. He opened his mouth to speak, but Victor and Ricky interrupted our silent conversation, breaking the tension.
They dragged Gabe upstairs. I took my leave and slipped out the door.
I had left that night in such a hurry that I hadn’t been able to confirm that Katie still wanted to ride along with me for a day trip to Austin, as we had initially planned.Here & Therehad asked me to visit a chili cook off in Austin and write about it.
That night, when I got home, after crawling into bed I tried to call her, but it went to voicemail. I had wanted to check in on her after to see how things ended between her and Terrence and to make sure her birthday wasn’t ruined. I sent her a message telling her to call me anytime. My ringer was on. But she didn’t.
She sent me a text.
Katie
No worries, lovely. T & I are ending things on good note. Sorry things turned so dramatic. Talking it all out with him. I’ll fill you in tomorrow. I’m still down for our Austin trip. See you bright and early.
I read her message, remembering how things used to feel unfinished until I talked them out with Katie, and presumably vice versa. But lately, things had shifted for Katie, and her late-night call, the one she talked things out with was transitioning to Canada Man. It was bittersweet. I’d spent years perfecting this role, earning this position, and so easily Terrence had slipped in and stolen my spot.
Thirty-One
Gabe
so tonight was weird
Me
who needs Taco Tuesdays when you can have Taco Turmoil?
Gabe
Taco Tirade?
Me
Taco Tension
Me
you bolted right up the stairs
