"You're sure you're good?" Jase asked as I switched into my chair from his car.
"Yeah." I said distractedly, situating myself as fast as possible. "Alec will drop me off later."
"He's here already?" He asked.
"No but Max is."
Jase didn't move from where he was standing in front of me, arms folded across his chest.
"How are you getting to the movies then?" He asked. "You know what? I'll just stay."
I let out a groan, rolling my head back dramatically. "Go Jase, I'll be fine. Alec will be here."
"I'll stay out of the way." Jase pushed. "I mean shit, I was cool, you remember that?"
"Was...past tense here. Now you're just a single fuck, with a bad haircut, dad jeans and a pair of white New Balances. No wonder Brandy left." I checked the pocket of the hoodie I had on, my phone and wallet resting there.
"Wow." Jase muttered. "Low fucking blow man. Should I remind you you're single too?"
I shrugged. "Yeah but I'm 18 meanwhile all your friends are getting married and having kids."
"Good god." He looked up at the sky squinting. "You're such a dick."
I smiled, "just trying to help a brotha out."
"Yeah uh huh." He muttered. "You sure you're good?"
"Yeah, dad." I rolled my eyes and instantly thought of Mina. "I'm fine."
"What if Alec doesn't show? Does Max even have a car?" He asked.
"Can you go helicopter someone else?" I yelled over my shoulder as I started for the doors of the restaurant. Jase was following me.
"I just don't want you to be stranded." He called after me.
"I have a phone, I'll call." I slapped the silver handicap button on the wall of the restaurant, starting for the doors. "Bye Jase."
He mumbled out some sort of a bye coupled with how I was a pain in the ass but by the time I reached the hostess and glanced over my shoulder he was walking back to his car. Thank god.
"How many?" The blond behind the little podium asked not looking up at me.
"I'm meeting someone."
"Go ahead and take a loo..." She finally raised her head her smile faltering slightly, stuttering for a second as she saw me. Her eyes went wide as she gawked. "Look around."
Smooth.
I let out an annoyed breath, shoving past her. I wasn't but two feet away when I heard Max screaming my name through the busy restaurant. I started heading for him, laughing as he stood on his chair flailing his arms around. Everyone was looking at him like he was possessed. And maybe he was. I never was sure when it came to Max.
He didn't park his ass back down until I was at the table.
"I already ordered some fried pickles." He said. "What the hell took you so long?"
"Jase." That was all the explanation I needed to give.
"He still single?" Max inquired. I barked out some laughter. "I mean you guys almost look identical, I could get over his recent decline in fashion solely because of those cheekbones that run in your family. I mean I get it, heartbreak does things to people."
"He's still single and still straight." I supplied.
Max groaned, burying his face in his hands. "Why? Why does god do this? Why make such beautiful prefect specimens and then make them all fucking straight as a good damn arrow? Why?"
He slammed his hands down on the table, causing a woman next to us to jump. I shot her an apology, laughing as I did.
"What about that one guy?" I asked.
He'd been hanging out with a kid name Kyle recently.
"I mean, I'm seeing him tomorrow." A smile pulled at Max's face.
I snorted. "Then why are you trying to pick up my brother?"
He shrugged his shoulders, both of us going silent as the waitress placed a basket of fried pickles on the table and promised to be back to get our orders. Max grabbed a pickle, wincing as he popped it in his mouth.
"Please, he ain't got nothing on the Savas men."
I shook my head, chuckling under my breath. When Max met Jase, my dad and Pops he had basically lost his mind. Going on for weeks about how it didn't make sense that we all looked alike and age apparently didn't effect us, even Pops with his graying hair and wrinkles. The waitress returned, taking our orders and bringing me a glass of water before she once again scurried off.
"Oh shit." Max said, his eyes widening as they tracked something behind me.
"Huh?" I asked, glancing over my shoulder at whatever had caught his eye.
"We can just...leave." He offered. "I'll go find the server tell her to bag it or something."
I'm not sure what I was supposed to feel when I finally saw them together. But there they were, hands linked, fucking happy.
"It's fine."
"They're assholes." Max said. "Are you sure?"
I nodded even though I just wanted to go punch Drew in the face still. The feeling hadn't left me even with the time that had passed.
"Oh shit they saw me staring at them." He shoved another pickle in his mouth, staring down at the table with interest before peering up through his eyelashes. "Oh fuck, I'm sorry Owen."
"What?"
"Shit."
He looked like he was in distress, turning his head away from me.
"Hey Max, Owen."
Ah that made sense. I shook my head, annoyed that now I was going to have to talk to them. Honestly I was hoping that I wouldn't see Jaelyn or Drew at all this summer and they'd just disappear to college in the fall and that would be that. They had at least waited until after graduation to start dating each other. I didn't have to go the last few weeks of school seeing them all up on each other.
"Jaelyn." I said in way of greeting, completely ignoring Drew.
She'd cut her hair short, stopping just above her shoulders. But she was still Jaelyn, still beautiful and I still wanted to vomit every time I saw her.
"How have you been?" She asked.
"Oh I'm great, fucking great." I said, aware that I sounded like a sarcastic dick. "I'm here, trying to enjoy my day but instead I get to talk to you and that fuck."
"Owen..." Drew started.
But even the sound of his voice was like nails on a chalk board assaulting my ears.
"Nope, fuck you. Don't talk." I told him which made Max let out a snort that he tried to hide.
"I jus..."
"Go fuck yourself." I was trying to keep my voice quiet, the few tables that had taken up interest in our exchange were enough.
"Owen.."
"Get the fuck out Drew."
For the first time in months, I finally looked at him. I stared him dead in the eyes, jaw clenched. I fucking hated him.
"His parents have been asking how you've been." Jaelyn filled in quietly.
I didn't shift my eyes away from Drew. "Tell them my best friend fucked my girlfriend and stepped out of my life when I needed him the most. That about sums it up."
Drew opened his mouth, I didn't want to hear what he had to say. Nothing would fix it. I didn't want to fix it.
"Now get the fuck out of my face."
————————
Oh Owen, always so hostile.
Happy Father's Day to everyone's dad, step dads, or awesome fucking men in their life.
I have to say I'm super blessed to be married to an awesome man and father. He's a pretty cool dude and definitely my best friend.
I'm about to go see my dad which is always a little bittersweet. But at least he's still here, sort of, that's gotta count for something.