Travis," she said in a clear, crisp voice. "By the end of this week, actually. Pretty exciting..."
Her ability to speak, to smile at him, vanished.
The look on his face. The quiet shock. The way he cleared his throat before smiling broadly. That smile was beautifully tragic. It wavered around the edges then pulled taut like his body language. It didn't reach his eyes, and in that moment she wished she didn't know him so well. She could read him as easily as he must be able to read her. Maybe if she hadn't been looking for it, she might not have noticed at all. But she had. She'd seen everything he tried to cover up and more.
"H-he, um... he can't stand her either," she stammered out. "Mrs. Habberdash, I mean. Travis can't... And it was time you know? To get a new place, take the next step."
"Wow. Big step," he whooshed out. He cleared his throat again and said, "Congratulations, Nicole. I'm really happy for you."
Liar.
Her mind kept whispering it. This time she wasn't sure who it was condemning. Was it him, for saying he was cool with her leap into the future with another man? Or was it her, for believing she'd completely left her feelings for this one in the past?
Chapter Four
"Say 'Groupies'!" Jonny called out while he aimed his phone and got ready to take one of a thousand pictures that night.
Gabriel, Nuke, Q, Riley Dansik from Take Cover, Trish, and Nicole all huddled in together and yelled, "Groupies!" as the camera flashed.
Jonny looked at his digital handiwork with a grin and said, "Nice," before turning it around and holding it out in front of him. Everyone leaned forward to see, muttering the requisite "Aww"s and cheap shots that most group photos inspire.
Gabriel's eyes immediately focused in on the image of Nicole, who was still under his arm. He turned his eyes to hers and smiled down at her. She smiled up at him, blushed, and then tucked her hair behind her ear. His heart stopped in his chest, and then beat harder than his body should have let it when she did that. The urge to lean down and kiss the shyness away from her beautiful face was almost overwhelming.
But then her gaze turned away from his. She looked over her shoulder and up at Travis as he pulled her towards him and out from underneath Gabriel’s arm. Her smile broadened and she turned into Travis’ embrace. Just like that, the spell was broken, the moment they shared dissolving into the world of fantasy as he watched her wrap her arms around her boyfriend’s waist and melt into his kiss.
The picture, just like the feel of her next to him, was an illusion too sweet to last. It was too much to ask that she stay a little longer. That she pretend a little longer.
Even at his thirtieth birthday celebration, a cordial distance was essential.
Gabe turned to another random acquaintance giving him birthday wishes, and laughed when Jonny hopped on his back. "Happy birthday, old man!!"
He smiled and laughed, but caught Nicole looking in his direction. She used to call him that, one of her teasing nicknames for him. She laughed at the antics of the two guys. But something wavered in him. Something about the happy scene was wrong, askew. He tried to pinpoint it. Maybe it was the comment about being an old man for real now.
Thirty.
Three. Zero.
He was getting older. But it wasn't just him. Everyone, everything was moving forward in time. He was older, and so was Nicole. This time two years ago, he’d taken for granted that she would be in his life now. He hadn't thought ahead to how and in what capacity. He only saw her beside him. His best friend. The girl he realized he loved too late and too soon. But he hadn't been a very good friend to her lately. Time and distance had tightened their hold around him, until he was standing across the room looking at her growing older and happier without him. He'd missed her last birthday. He'd missed a year of her life. And that was what made him feel the sting of this day when the age itself was
Her ability to speak, to smile at him, vanished.
The look on his face. The quiet shock. The way he cleared his throat before smiling broadly. That smile was beautifully tragic. It wavered around the edges then pulled taut like his body language. It didn't reach his eyes, and in that moment she wished she didn't know him so well. She could read him as easily as he must be able to read her. Maybe if she hadn't been looking for it, she might not have noticed at all. But she had. She'd seen everything he tried to cover up and more.
"H-he, um... he can't stand her either," she stammered out. "Mrs. Habberdash, I mean. Travis can't... And it was time you know? To get a new place, take the next step."
"Wow. Big step," he whooshed out. He cleared his throat again and said, "Congratulations, Nicole. I'm really happy for you."
Liar.
Her mind kept whispering it. This time she wasn't sure who it was condemning. Was it him, for saying he was cool with her leap into the future with another man? Or was it her, for believing she'd completely left her feelings for this one in the past?
Chapter Four
"Say 'Groupies'!" Jonny called out while he aimed his phone and got ready to take one of a thousand pictures that night.
Gabriel, Nuke, Q, Riley Dansik from Take Cover, Trish, and Nicole all huddled in together and yelled, "Groupies!" as the camera flashed.
Jonny looked at his digital handiwork with a grin and said, "Nice," before turning it around and holding it out in front of him. Everyone leaned forward to see, muttering the requisite "Aww"s and cheap shots that most group photos inspire.
Gabriel's eyes immediately focused in on the image of Nicole, who was still under his arm. He turned his eyes to hers and smiled down at her. She smiled up at him, blushed, and then tucked her hair behind her ear. His heart stopped in his chest, and then beat harder than his body should have let it when she did that. The urge to lean down and kiss the shyness away from her beautiful face was almost overwhelming.
But then her gaze turned away from his. She looked over her shoulder and up at Travis as he pulled her towards him and out from underneath Gabriel’s arm. Her smile broadened and she turned into Travis’ embrace. Just like that, the spell was broken, the moment they shared dissolving into the world of fantasy as he watched her wrap her arms around her boyfriend’s waist and melt into his kiss.
The picture, just like the feel of her next to him, was an illusion too sweet to last. It was too much to ask that she stay a little longer. That she pretend a little longer.
Even at his thirtieth birthday celebration, a cordial distance was essential.
Gabe turned to another random acquaintance giving him birthday wishes, and laughed when Jonny hopped on his back. "Happy birthday, old man!!"
He smiled and laughed, but caught Nicole looking in his direction. She used to call him that, one of her teasing nicknames for him. She laughed at the antics of the two guys. But something wavered in him. Something about the happy scene was wrong, askew. He tried to pinpoint it. Maybe it was the comment about being an old man for real now.
Thirty.
Three. Zero.
He was getting older. But it wasn't just him. Everyone, everything was moving forward in time. He was older, and so was Nicole. This time two years ago, he’d taken for granted that she would be in his life now. He hadn't thought ahead to how and in what capacity. He only saw her beside him. His best friend. The girl he realized he loved too late and too soon. But he hadn't been a very good friend to her lately. Time and distance had tightened their hold around him, until he was standing across the room looking at her growing older and happier without him. He'd missed her last birthday. He'd missed a year of her life. And that was what made him feel the sting of this day when the age itself was
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