Loving My Best Friend's Dad(27)

“Would you?” I ask, holding my breath. Because this was one thing that’s bothered me so much, a big reason as to why I didn’t talk to Nate at all about our relationship. The fact that Renee is telling me she would be okay with it gives me so much hope.

“I think so,” she says slowly. “You know, there’s a lot about Sebastian that my family would disapprove of too.”

I look at her, suddenly curious.

“Mhm. I didn’t say it either, because I wasn’t sure what you would say,” she confesses. “Sebastian used to be a drug dealer and addict. He’s got the prison tattoos and record to show for it. His teeth’s all messed up, so he has fake ones, not that anyone would know, but yeah. He went to rehab and did his time though, and now he’s getting a degree in social work. He wants to help kids like himself who’ve been through the system to try and help them, provide them with opportunities so that they don’t turn to the gangs and stuff.”

“Oh wow,” I say. I’m pretty stunned.

“Yeah, it’s sort of a lot to take in, isn’t it?”

“A bit,” I admit. “And if you’d told me earlier, I probably would have warned you away from him too. So I understand why you didn’t tell me at first Renee.”

She gives me a knowing smile.

“I wouldn’t blame you for it either. I know you’d do it because you care about me. But sometimes I think the universe has a funny way of doing things. I mean, people expect me to marry some other rich dude who’s got a family home and ten Bentleys like my own family does right? But that’s not how it happened. Actually, Sebastian doesn’t even know I come from money. I made extra sure.”

“So is this it?” I ask her. “Is he the one?”

Renee gives a shrug.

“Who knows? I don’t. But I’m not too worried about that. If it’s meant to be, it’ll all turn out good in the end. For now though, I know that we’re good together, really good. And I think that’s enough for me to take a chance on it.” She puts her hand on my arm. “If you feel the same way Em, I’m telling you, give it a shot okay? Give the universe a chance to catch up and make things happen between you guys.”

With every word she says, my heart is swelling up more and more with hope. Even though I tried to reason with myself, tell myself it’s for the best, the truth is that deep down, I want what Nate and I had. I want it so badly. And I do want to give it a try. I want to give it a shot like Renee has, because even though I can’t control and plan it all out, even though I don’t know what the future is in store for Nate and I, what we have is special enough to risk it. I listened to Renee once and the universe brought me Nate. If I listen again, maybe it’ll bring us together.

“I’ll think about it,” I tell her, and she nods, satisfied.

We finish up our burgers and shakes and slide out of the booth.

“Here,” Renee says, tossing me the keys. “I have to go to the bathroom really quick.”

She turns towards the back of the joint and I head outside, pulling out my phone. My heart is hammering in my chest, and I don’t know what I should say to Nate at all. Nothing seems right to me at all. Just then a car honks, and I jump, dropping my phone. There’s a guy in a Jeep waving furiously at me to get to the side of the road. I hadn’t even realized where I was walking I was so consumed with texting-

“Crap! My phone!” I quickly pick it up, but it’s truly submerged. I hurry to the side and the Jeep drive flips me off as he heads to the drive-thru, but whatever, I have more important things to think about. I try to dry my phone, rubbing it against my coat. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do next. Power it off? I push the button, but when I try to power it off, the touchscreen doesn’t respond. My heart sinks like a stone. I’ve never backed up any of my stuff because it was too expensive to do cloud storage. Nate’s number is lost, this time for good.

The universe just gave me its answer.





Nate


“You’re acting like an asshole,” my secretary informs me. She’s been with me for almost ten years, so I guess she has earned the right to talk to me this way. “People come back from vacations relaxed and happy, but you’re worse than before. Whatever’s going on in your life, you can’t take it out on me.”

With that she slaps down the contract and stalks out of my office. She’s right though. Damn if she isn’t right.

When Emilia first left, I thought that I’d be a little hung up on it, but that would be that. I mean, it was just sex. We’re compatible, that part is undeniable, but our situation is a whole other story. I thought we could never work out. After all, Emilia is still a student with her whole life ahead of her. I’m at the point in my life where I’ve already established my life, I know where it’s going and I’m not about to take my time on things that matter. It would be unfair to do that to Emilia. And so I decided the best thing was to let her go.