AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Why do you think?” I look pointedly at my brother.
“What, you mean Austin?” Kara's laugh sounds forced. “I don't know why you'd think his dating someone would bother me. I'm dating Gary and I'm happy. You know, I'm actually thinking he could be the man to tame me. I'm really happy with him”
“Sure you are.”
I smile to soften the sarcastic words I've just repeated back to my friend, but Kara looks fired up anyway. “I don't know why you don't like Gary. He's everything you'd normally look for in a guy. I found my own version of your list.”
“Yeah, well, maybe the list isn't all it's cracked up to be. Besides, you're the one who told me my list sucked.”
And yes, I also don't like Gary. Not that I've ever come right out and said that. I didn't need to. When Kara asked me straight out what I thought of the guy, I was as tactful as I could be about the smarmy guy who seems...a little off in my opinion. Turns out, Kara saw through my bullshit and hasn't really forgiven me for not seeing all of Gary's ‘good points’.
It's always a difficult position to be in, not liking a friend's boyfriend. For the first time, I realise how my friends might have felt when I dated those guys who ticked all the boxes on my list but didn't really make me happy.
“Well, I may have been wrong about your list,” Kara returns.
I shake my head. “Now you tell me.”
“I'm beginning to see the validity of knowing what you want and going for it.”
“Are you sure what you want isn't Austin?”
The stricken look on Kara's face is masked so quickly that I might have thought I'd imagined it if I didn't know my friend better.
“Claire, I know you had some stupid idea about me ending up with Austin, but seriously, it's never going to happen.”
“Aw, Kara, you can't mean that.” Kara turns around to glare at Austin, who's just appeared at our table. “We would have been awesome together.”
“We would have been a disaster.”
He grins as he takes the seat next to Kara, pulling on her ponytail gently. “Nah, you don't really believe that.”
“Please don't tell me what I do and don't believe, Austin.”
Austin holds up his hands in surrender. “Okay. We would have been a disaster, just like you said.”
Instead of being placated, Kara just looks infuriated. “I don't even know why we're talking about this.”
“Agreed. I've asked you out and been rejected enough times to not come back for more. Lucky for me, one woman's trash is another woman's treasure. If you'd actually agreed to go out with me, I wouldn't be dating a movie star right now.”
I stare at Kara. I had no idea Austin had asked out my best friend and been rejected. Why did Kara say no?
And why did she look so cut up and grief-stricken over the mention of Austin's new girlfriend if she really isn't into Austin?
Kara refuses to look at me, instead keeping her eyes glued to some point over Austin's shoulder. “I'm happy for you, Austin.”
Perhaps her words are meant to be a peace offering, but they sound so full of pain and despair, I hurt for my friend.
“Good,” Austin says softly. “Maybe now that romance is completely out of the equation, we can be friends.”
A small noise is ripped from Kara's throat, one that sounds suspiciously like a whimper. “Friends, yes, that sounds good.”
Austin chuckles, tugging softly on Kara's long ponytail again before letting his hand trail down her back, causing Kara to shiver.
I watch my brother stand up, turning his attention from Kara to me.
“You doing okay?” he asks.
“Of course. You and Kara keep asking me that, but I'm fine. Absolutely fine. Why wouldn't I be?”
