Damn! She should have listened to Gabby when she had the chance. A new hook-up was exactly what she needed right now so she wouldn’t still be thinking about her ex-boyfriend. Maybe Jordan would stop insisting they hang out if he thought she was in a committed relationship with someone else.
It was a good thing Gabby was coming over for a much-needed girl’s night tonight. After what had just happened, Cassie needed some quality girl-time with her best friend.
Later that evening at Mickey’s Tavern, Jordan and Nick were enjoying mugs of beer together as they filled each other in about what’s been happening in their lives these past few years. Then the topic turned to Cassie.
“I get the feeling Cassie doesn’t want to hang out with me,” Jordan said, taking a swig of his beer, his right hand firmly wrapped around the handle of the frosted mug.
Nick wasn’t surprised by his friend’s sudden remark. He knew it couldn’t be easy for Cassie to see Jordan after she had made a life here without him. Running into Jordan would send her mind right back to the past she’d shared with Jordan. Back then, Cassie was a vulnerable and fragile young woman, whose future looked bleak because of an unplanned pregnancy. Because of that moment in her past, she had been forced to grow up way too quickly as she prepared to take on the role of a lifetime—a single mother on her own. She had made it clear she was over feeling hurt and betrayed by Jordan and the way he broke her heart, because it was unhealthy to hold a grudge for someone who wasn’t even present in her life anymore, but Nick figured a small piece of her—at least her heart—was still torn into a million little pieces because of Jordan.
He wanted to make one of his oldest friends feel better, but he felt like he owed it to Cassie to stand up for her. “Nah, man,” Nick said, shaking Jordan’s comment off, raising his glass to his lips but not taking a drink yet, “I think she’s just had to move on in life. She hasn’t had much of an opportunity to sit and plan out when she can catch up with her ex-boyfriend. Let’s face it—you are her ex-boyfriend. What person looks forward to running into someone they used to date?”
“I know; you’re right. It can’t be easy to see me again, especially the way our relationship ended like it did. Anyway, she’s obviously doing well for her and her son at least.”
Nick was so stunned to hear those words come out of Jordan’s mouth he choked on the mouthful of beer he was trying to swallow. Jordan chuckled, slapping his friend on the back.
“You know?” Nick asked when he found himself able to speak.
Jordan nodded his head. “I went to her place this afternoon. She was unloading groceries from her car. She looked busy, so I didn’t get to talk to her for very long, but I did catch a quick glimpse of her boy.” Jordan rubbed the stubble on his chin.
Nick smiled. “Yeah, he’s a good kid, but then again, I’m probably biased, because he’s also my godson.”
“Oh, yeah? Well, he’s one lucky kid then.”
Nick soon realized it hadn’t dawned on Jordan that he could possibly be Jake’s father. He wondered how quick of a glance Jordan had of Jake. It couldn’t have been too long or close not to pick up on the fact Jake was the spitting image of him.
“What’s his name?” Jordan asked, and Nick figured it was for no reason other than to be polite.
“Jake,” Nick simply stated, wondering if Jordan would figure out the significance of the name.
Nick and Jordan continued to drink their beers in silence while watching the basketball game playing on the plasma television mounted to the wall of the bar, and then five minutes later, Nick was taken by surprise when Jordan asked for Cassie’s number. He didn’t want to be rude to his childhood best friend, so he read it off to him as Jordan saved it to his phone. Plus, what harm could come from giving a friend’s phone number to another old friend?
“I can’t believe he had the nerve to come see you at home. Doesn’t he realize you don’t want to see him again after the way he broke up with you?” Gabby said bitterly, a glass of red wine in her hand as she sat down on the beige-colored sofa in Cassie’s living room and tucked her legs up underneath her. Gabby flipped her curly black hair over her shoulder. “Why would he even assume you’d want to make small talk with him? But on the other hand, he’s brave to try.”
“I don’t know. I guess I can’t really blame him if he really wants to talk to me. I was his first love…and I am very desirable,” Cassie said with a laugh, not being able to say it with a straight face as she twirled a strand of blonde hair around her finger. Gabby giggled with her. Shit, now she sounded like Jordan.