"Where are you going?"
"I have to stop by the hospital. You know Janie? The tall redhead from our knitting group? She's having some problems with her pregnancy."
He fell into step next to me. "Is she okay?"
"Yes. She's fine now."
"You're going to check on her?"
"Yes and no. I'm hoping she'll be asleep when I get there. I'm mostly going to check on her husband."
"Her husband? You mean that big guy who stares at people and doesn't talk?"
I'd forgotten that Matt had met Quinn when I'd made pizza and watched Jack and Grace. It seemed so long ago.
"That's the one."
"Why are you checking on him?"
"Because he'll talk to me. He'll also talk to Fiona, but she's got enough to deal with."
Matt gave me a weird look. "Talk to you about what?"
"How he's doing, how he's coping, if he needs anything, if I can help."
"Why would you do that?"
"Because, Matt, I care about him. He's my friend. When my friends need me-and even when they don't-I'm there for them."
I didn't look at him, but I could feel his eyes on me.
Eventually, he cleared his throat. "You're a good person."
"Thanks."
"Your friends are lucky. You're one of those people no one deserves to know. You're too good." He looked and sounded so earnest, such that the effect his words had on my heart caught me off guard.
Matt turned away, and I found I was unable to drop my eyes. He looked . . . unhappy.
"Hey," I took a cautious step forward, "you know, we're friends, too. Right?"
Exhaling a short breath through his nose, he slid his teeth to the side before he nodded. "Yes. I know."
Studying him, I decided that if we were actually going to be friends, then we needed the clear the air.
Lifting my chin, I asked, "Can we talk about the friend-zoning comment?"
He sighed. Loudly. And began walking with a quickened pace. "No need."
"Well, I need. And you're going to listen. So here goes." I gathered a deep breath, preparing to launch into my monologue on why he shouldn't have acted so strangely about being friend-zoned.
Before I could, he said, "That was a friend-zone maneuver. I know a friend-zone maneuver when I see one."
"Yes. It was. But not for the reason you seem to think. I wasn't trying to put you in a box or assign a label."
Matt made a slight scoffing sound.
"I was making overtures to be your friend, not to be just your friend."
His eyes darted to mine, then away. I imagined his mind working as though he were a computer and he sought to compile this new information. "Meaning?"
"I like you."
That made him stop, which made me stop and walk backward, because he was advancing on me, his gaze arresting mine. "You like me?"
"Yes." I endeavored to answer simply, but the look in his eyes made my answer less than simple. Forced to place my hand on his chest to cease his forward progress, I did my best to ignore how his attention was now singularly focused on my mouth. "Yes, I like you. You're funny. Odd. Interesting. But even if I was attracted to you, nothing would-"
"So you're not attracted to me." Something shifted behind his stare, giving me the impression that everything he'd wondered about me was now clear.
Jeez, he was pushy.
"Just listen. Regardless of attraction or lack of attraction, nothing can or will happen between us."
"And why is that?" He framed the question as though my words would confirm some theory he already held.
"Because, you said yourself that you've read that book, seen that movie, and you don't want to see it again."
"Meaning?" He blinked, his expression betraying confusion.
"You're not interested in something long-term, right? A committed relationship. Partnership. And," I shrugged, beating back the butterflies in my stomach with a spiked club, "that's what I'm interested in. That's all I want."
Matt lifted his chin and rocked back on his heels, effectively disconnecting my hand from his chest. His gaze met and held mine. "I see."
He stared at me, a thoughtful expression on his features. I stared at him, an open expression on mine.
"Correct." His thoughtful expression persisted; I sensed that my response both surprised and confused him. "Friends it is."
"Good." I nodded, forcing a smile. It felt unnatural, and I had to really think about how wide I should make it because I was distracted by a sinking sensation in my stomach. "I'm glad we're on the same page."