An Old Fashioned book two Full Circle Series

Starting Over

"Frankie will be back. This is her home." He grumbles like I should just wait her out. "We only need one."

"Frankie is a lot of things but indecisive isn't one of them. She's moved on, we need to do the same." I don't bother to look at the glare he's giving me or that he's frozen in mid pull of his weights. "You knew she wanted to go, Harper. Frankie didn't hide it."

"Her place is here." The angry declaration is muttered under his breath.

"Not if she's miserable and doesn't want to be here anymore." Pausing, I try to be gentle on how I break this to him. "Frankie needs to find her dream and follow it. Just like you do."

Harper stops and sits forward. This whole thing has really messed with his head and his heart. The guy has been half in love with Frankie for a long time now, years really but he didn't want to see it. Couldn't believe it until she kissed him months ago. Now he's so screwed up over it he can't admit he fucked up.

And he did mess this up, big time

"What happened, man? I thought you were going to put on your big boy pants and fight for her. Do you not want her or you just can't sort out your big boy shorts from your diapers?" I know what it's like to have love kick you on your ass and feel like the world has changed your reality. I know it takes someone to point out the hard shit for him to see it. I know my brother didn't want to feel the way he does about someone who has been like a sister to him most of his life.

Harper in his frustration stops working out and begins to pace. Watching him through the mirror on the wall, I could see this wasn't anger at me or even Frankie but with himself. He knew what was coming if he didn't step up now he has to deal with it. "I tried okay! I fucking tried to tell her."

"Okay..." I stepped off the machine and sat on the weight bench. This wasn't going to be a simple conversation. It might take some time before we get to the heart of it. "What happened?"

"She said she was done waiting for me to decide if I wanted to keep whoring around or if I wanted her. She was just done with me." He looks like his dog just got run over by a car. The eyes that match my own are shimmering in the bright fluorescent light, his shoulders hunch as the look of defeat crosses his face. "She doesn't want to watch me flirt with every girl that comes in anymore."

"Can't blame her there." I tell him knowing that is hard to see when you're on the other side.

I know Maggie has been good about understanding my job but then I've never flirted with customers in front of her. I won't do that to her or our relationship. I stopped being interested in any other female the moment she walked into my bar.

"I don't. I just don't know what we are to each other. We aren't together. We aren't just friends. We're not family anymore. I don't know how to act with her." His dilemma seems to be more convoluted than I anticipated. "I don't like the idea of her dating some asshole but I don't know if I want to commit to her. I'm a dick for wanting one thing for her and another for me."

Yeah, can't argue with her reasoning

"Harper you can't have it both ways." I know he knows this.

"I know! I know! She knows it! I don't know how to act around her now. Every time I see her I get all possessive of her. I've even messed up some of her dates to keep them away from her." He's handling this all wrong. Frankie isn't the kind of girl that wants to be possessed. She's the one you stand by, holding her purse while she kicks ass.

Harper used to see that. He knew Frankie better than the rest of us. He was her party buddy. They stood by each other all through school and everyone wondered why they weren't together. He's lost sight of that friendship.