Nick & Jason

Chapter 2 - Jason

Jason

It's easy to just fall into this pattern with Nick. She would come over, we would have our fun and forget that the world exists and then she left, repeat. I didn't have to set a label on things; she would still come and see me. It was a constant I could rely on, and one I couldn't fuck up. She left last night even though her puppy dog eyes made me want her to stay, but I had a bar date planned and couldn't miss it.

Well, I could have missed it.

Her name was Kelsey and that was maybe the most interesting thing about her as I had never met a Kelsey before. She ordered an IPA and with every sip it left her face all scrunched up, I don't know why she would make herself suffer so much.

"Jason, I am talking to you. Are you thinking about Nick again?" My mom yelled through the FaceTime call which was propped on my kitchen counter.

Heat flew to my cheeks as I stifled a laugh, refocusing on her face as she sat in her living room. I wasn't surprised that people said I was basically my mom's twin, it's like I stole her blue eyes and high cheek bones and ran with it.

"No mom, I was thinking about work." A lie, a small one, I doubt it would matter what I was really thinking about anyway. People from her generation didn't really understand dating, it was you choose one person and get serious and if it works it works, if it doesn't you try again with someone else. I didn't think that was really practical, I mean look at my mom, a divorce in the books and a marriage that's just 'okay'.

"...so anyway, it would be nice if you could come up for Hannah. She really misses you Jase."

Hannah, my little sister. I haven't seen her in maybe one year, I was back at home last year for her birthday, but I haven't been back to Washington since. Hannah is also on the spectrum, and she's not super high functioning, so anytime spent with her is so special. Getting an internship for my bachelors in Illinois was a true commitment as I didn't want to leave her back at home alone with my mom and stepdad. But my mom confirmed to me that my life is just as important as hers and I couldn't push back on my dreams just because I didn't want to leave Hannah behind.

Taking a deep breath, I finished washing the last dish I had in my sink and placed it on the drying rack. "I know mom, I've been wanting to fly up there. It's just been difficult with work."

"I know honey," she also took a deep breath, looking over the phone at something, probably Henry, my stepdad. "You know, if you do come, you can bring Nick. We have been dying to meet your new girlfriend." a smile pinched at her cheeks as again, heat flooded mine.

I wasn't sure why I told my mom about Nick especially since she wasn't my girlfriend, she's just a girl that's my friend that has sex with me, watches TV with me, eats dinner with me, talks to me, sleeps with me...

She's just a friend with benefits.

An important friend. I mean, I still cared for her a lot.

God, what am I saying.

"I'll ask her," I smiled back, unsure if that was something I would do.

I was thankful that the workday was quick for me. All the clients I had seen were just regular appointments, catching up on their lives, stuff we wanted to work on, and what I had them do until the next appointment. There's maybe one client I'm worried about as their anxiety hasn't been improving, either they aren't taking what I'm saying, or what I'm telling them to do is simply not enough. That's the true struggle of being in the field of psychology, you only know what the patient tells you, you can't do an x-ray and see if they are lying to you, you can't do a blood test and see what mental illness is present.