Page 58 of Force Play
If we can’t be friends, we can at least be friendly.
I’m happy enough with the thought of that.
I sink back against the plush cushions of the sofa, enjoying the last of my peppermint mocha as I watch more reruns ofModern Family.This has been my comfort show for at least a decade.
I hear footsteps behind me and find Ari sullenly trudging his way to the living room, eventually flopping himself on the other end of the sofa and staring blankly at the screen.
“Everything okay?” I ask.
“Peachy,” he says flatly, and I can tell he’s trying to pretend everything is fine.
It’s a feeling I recognize since I’ve mastered the art myself.
“I can tell it isn’t, Ari,” I say lightly, giving him a soft, reassuring smile. “You can talk if you want.”
He stares at the TV for a few more moments before sighing. “Just got off the phone with my dad, that’s all.”
This is exactly how he acted the last time he talked to him, too.
“Why do you still answer his calls?” I ask honestly. “I can see how upset he makes you.”
Ari mulls it over. “I don’t really know. It’s better to just answer when he calls, though, rather than get my ass chewed out the next time we talk for not answering before.”
God, his dad sounds like a nightmare.
“I’m sorry he gives you such a hard time.”
He smiles softly. “Thanks, Luc.”
I decide now that I should take his mind off this. He was so happy after talking to his mom, and I want him to feel that again.
“Ari Morgan, I have a very important question for you.”
He looks at me, confused and curious. “Okay…”
“Andy or Dylan?”
Ari’s head falls back as he laughs, and I can feel some of the tension slip off his shoulders. “Dylan. Always Dylan.”
“What?!” I shout. “Haley was so much better with Andy!”
“You’re so wrong,” he jabs, still smiling. “The whole point ofModern Familyis that Haley is exactly like Claire. Dylan is just her Phil.”
“But Andy was so good for her!” I exclaim, and I can’t believe we’re arguing over who this fictional character should’ve ended up with.
Ari cocks his eyebrow. “And Dylan wasn’t? He may have been, to put it bluntly, an idiot, but it was always clear how much he loved her. He grew a lot through the series and worked hard. He was perfect for Haley.”
I shake my head in disbelief. “I cannot believe you picked Dylan over Andy.”
“How about this then?” he asks, his smile growing wider as he forgets about his talk with his dad. “Arvin or Bill?”
“Bill. Hands down, Bill.”
“Right answer,” he chuckles.
“Him breaking up with Alex was so stupid. And Arvin just sucked.”
“He did, didn’t he?”
