One Timers

It’s finally Wednesday, which only means one thing since the season ended- grocery shopping. I’m not really sure when I actually started caring about grocery shopping, but for once I have actually started really looking forward to it. Maybe because it’s one of the main things that my childhood best friend Isabelle and I have been doing together. She declared when I came home that I was completely useless when it comes to cooking for myself. My kitchen was bare even after a week. So she’s started helping me take care of myself more.

“Ready to go?” Izzy asks, coming through my open front door.
“Yeah. Lemme just grab a shirt.” I respond, heading up the stairs to my room.

The way her eyes follow my naked chest on the way don’t go unnoticed, and I feel a spark in my entire nervous system. Izzy and I have been best friends since we were kids, but for the past couple years I’ve been feeling more for her.

Of course I could never do anything about it. For a while I was dating this girl Leah. She was nice and all, but I realized she wasn’t the one for me. Three days after I broke up with her, Izzy starting seeing this guy Tim. I hated him. Not just because he was with her, but because I didn’t trust him. I had reason to, though, since he ended up breaking her heart.

The guys all told me I didn’t want to swoop in right after he broke her. I would only be a rebound at that point, and that wasn’t what I wanted to be. So I stuck around as the “best friend” and ended up starting to date this girl Amanda. She was like queen of the puck bunnies, and wasn’t even really worth my time. But she was something to keep my mind off of wanting to be with Izzy so badly.

There was a short period of time after Amanda where Izzy and I were both single and fully capable of forming a real relationship with someone. Our relationship took a huge turn where we started flirting like crazy and pretty much everyone was convinced we were together. I wish we were. But nothing ever really happened since she was still in Ontario and I was in Philadelphia. It didn’t feel right starting a relationship when we were so far away from each other and I didn’t have the balls to talk to her about it.

After that, we spent about a year and a half dodging each other. I would have a girl, then she would have some guy. We were still best friends, but things were weird. I wanted her. So badly. But I knew that she probably didn’t feel the same way.

It took until I came home over the Olympic break for her sister’s wedding for me to find out that my feelings were being reciprocated. Elena actually pulled me aside in the middle of her wedding to tell me to get my shit together.

“Can you please just date my sister already?” She asked.
My face paled.
“What?” I asked.
“You’re in love with her, no?” I blushed. “Exactly. And she’s in love with you. But for the past couple of years you’ve been dancing around each other. You’re both too afraid to ruin your friendship, but there’s nothing both of you want more than to be with each other. So just grow some damn balls, Read.”

“I-I’m going back to Philly in a week.” I argued.
“So do something when you come home for the summer. But don’t let her get away.”
I shifted, uncomfortably.
“I don’t want to mess anything up.” I admit.
“If you don’t make a move, she’s going to find someone else. Someone she’ll have to settle for. And then you’ll both be unhappy for so much longer. You’ll hurt seeing her with someone else. Maybe you’ll find another girl and settle down with her. Then you’ll both suffer for the rest of your lives, wishing you’d done something when you could. That will ruin your friendship, Matt.”

Throwing a shirt on, I take a huge breath. Elena was right. I have to make a move before someone else does.

The ride to the grocery store is silent. When we get there, I grab the cart and push it, letting Iz take over picking things out.

“So I had a date last night.” She says, studying the different types of pastas on the shelf.
“Oh?” I ask, my stomach dropping.
“Yeah.”
“How was it?”

Please don’t tell me it was good. Please talk for an hour about how horrible it was.

“It was good.” She says, breaking my heart. “He’s a doctor. Good looking. Nice guy. He was a gentleman.”
“Oh.” I respond, trying not to show my extreme disappointment.
“Yeah.”

The optimist in me catches on to a slight hitch in her voice, hoping like hell that it wasn’t as good as she said.

“Did you have good conversations and stuff?”
“Yeah. We talked a lot about our jobs and stuff.”
“So what kind of doctor is he?” I ask.
“He’s a plastic surgeon.”

I can’t hold back the snort that comes from my nose. She looks over at me, confusion on her face.

“A plastic surgeon, Iz? Really?” I laugh.
“Yeah. Why?”
“That’s ridiculous.” I state.
“Why is that ridiculous?” She asks.
“Because it is! Is he plastic like his clients?”
“Don’t be a jerk, Matt.” She says, walking away from me.

Damn it. I really just messed up, didn’t I? I follow her as best as I can in awkward silence through the rest of the store, picking up the stuff I need for the upcoming week. When we finally get through and get our stuff to the car, it’s still silent.

“You haven’t even met him.” She says as we pull into my driveway.
“I don’t need to.” I state.
“Why? You know nothing about him.”
“I don’t need to know anything about him. I know he’s not good enough for you. And that means I don’t like him.”

She gives me a strange look.

“You know nothing about what’s good enough for me. Who are you to decide that?” She yells. “You aren’t my father or anything.”
“No, I’m not your father. But I know he’s not good enough because he’s not me!” I snap.
“What?”

Fuck. I didn’t mean to say that. Shit.

“He’s not me, Iz.” I sigh. “He’s not good enough because he’s not me.”
“What are you talking about, Matt?”
“I love you, Iz. Not just that. I’m in love with you. I have been for years. And I realize I spend most of my time in Philly. But I can’t watch you start a relationship with some plastic surgeon prick who isn’t me. It’ll kill me, Isabelle.”

Her face pales, and I’m suddenly so afraid that Elena was wrong. That Iz doesn’t really feel the same way as me.

“Matt-” She starts.
“Fuck, I just messed up our friendship, didn’t I? I’m so sorry Iz. I take it back. Please don’t cut me out of your life. I’m sorry. I’ll support you and plastic dude, okay?” I frantically spit out.

She cuts me off by pressing her lips to mine softly. My heart soars. She tastes like peaches, and her lips are even softer than I’ve been imagining for years. Too soon, she pulls away.

“Matt, you’re a moron.” She laughs.
“What?” I ask.
“I’ve been wanting you to say those words to me for years.”
“Isabelle, I love you.” I say, suddenly finding courage.

Notes

Requested. Hope you all enjoy it!

Just a reminder that this is the last one for a couple days. I'll probably update again on Sunday. Kings and Rangers fans: good luck.