Like Real People Do

Red Bell Pepper

After conducting an intensive interrogation of the other people in the room, which consisted of simply asking if they knew where Jaxon went, I made sure the twins were occupied and stepped into the hallway, turning to make my way towards catering. It was in the line for the build your own fajitas that I found Jaxon, his lips pursed in concentration as he loaded his tortilla with chicken strips and grilled vegetables.

He noticed me coming, not even bothering with a greeting when I came to a stop beside him in line. "Did Amy send you in here to convince me to date Natalia?"

"Yep." I nodded, figuring there was no point in bullshitting.

He shrugged and turned his attention back to the buffet line. "I'm not gonna do it."

"You said that," I replied slowly, trying to decide the best way to get him to let down his walls a little. "You didn't tell her why, though."

"Do I need a reason besides just not wanting to?" He didn't look at me, shaking a generous dollop of sour cream onto his creation and complementing it with a helping of guacamole the same size.

"No. But that's not the reason." I said that with a lot more conviction than I felt, because honestly, not wanting to seemed like a good enough reason to me, but the fact that he was avoiding making eye contact with me suggested that he had something to hide.

He glanced towards me for a full nano second. "What are you talking about?"

"You're scared," I shot back, hoping that analysis sounded as insightful as I needed it to sound.

Apparently it worked its magic, because he shifted uncomfortably and furrowed his brow as he grabbed plastic utensils from the end of the buffet line and turned towards the seating area to find an open table. "No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are," I grinned, relieved to no longer be grasping at straws, "You're terrified to go out with her because you're afraid that you might actually like her, which means you'll be forced from the life of solitude you seemed to be determined to live."

Rather than retreat further into denial, he fixed me with a glare as he settled himself into a plastic chair. "My life of solitude keeps me and my kids safe."

"Maybe," I shrugged, sliding into the chair across from him and watching as he folded the tortilla over the contents within and lifted it to his mouth. "But does it keep you happy?"

"I don't think that really matters."

Despite the fact that he spoke through a mouthful of food, there was a hint of sadness in his tone and I did my best not sound as though I pitied him when I responded. The last thing he probably wanted was for anyone to feel bad for him. "It should."

He paused in the midst of taking another bite of his fajita. "Cecily..."

"Look, just hear me out, okay?" I continued, not wanting to lose momentum now that I had figured out what was actually bothering him. "Cause I get it. Lauren broke your heart, so the idea of opening it to someone again is scary as shit. But you can't be alone the rest of your life just because you're too afraid to try."

Contemplating my wisdom for a moment, he sighed and set down his mid afternoon snack, brushing his hands off against his denim covered thighs. "It's not just about me. I'm protecting my kids as well."

"What do you mean?" I cocked my head to the side, genuinely curious, because I hadn't really taken the twins into account.

"You know," he began, pausing for a few seconds to collect his thoughts before he continued. "I think that in way, they were lucky that they were so young when Lauren left, because it means they don't remember the fact that they formed any sort of attachment to her. And I don't want to risk bringing someone else into their lives that they're going to fall in love with only to have that person leave as well."