Status: in progress
Promises to Keep
35
"And yeah, that was our promise" Tyler ended his story. Jamie and Katie still stood in place, confused. What did a silly promise made when they were 11 have anything to do with him being upset she was going on a date?
"Okay..." Jamie trailed off, trying to piece together a truth. "But that still doesn't explain why you're upset she's going on a date" he added, looking to Katie, who nodded in agreement.
"Wait a moment" Katie finally realized. "You want to date her, don't you? You have feelings for her?" she asked. And, as much as he didn't want to admit it, he knew they would find out someday, so he nodded.
"So you're going to wait until you're 35?" Jamie asked skeptically. "Why not just tell her now?"
"I haven't really thought about how long I'm going to wait" Tyler told them truthfully. "She's just wonderful, okay? She's known me through some of my worst times and has still been there for me, and stuck by my side. I can't lose that. So if I wait until we're 35..."
"Do you realize how crazy that sounds?" Katie asked Tyler, who was taken aback by the tone of her voice. "It was something you said when you were 11. We all say things when we're young, things that don't happen or have any merit to when we're older" she told him. "Look, I get that you like her, and want to be with her, but you can't wait until you're 35, that's insanity"
"Besides, she may end up married to someone by then, who knows" Jamie pointed out. Tyler simply shrugged, keeping one thing a secret from the pair. It was something he was not proud of, and quite frankly, he was ashamed of it. It was something he was certain would tear his friendship apart with Tayla, which is why nobody could ever find out; not even Jamie or Katie.
"It's cute you've remembered that for so long," Katie began. "And you guys obviously are really close. Why not just tell her? I mean I know she's on a date right now, but it's only one date" she reasoned with him.
"Please don't give us that 'I don't want to ruin our friendship' bullshit either" Jamie told him before he had the chance to answer Katie's question. He remained silent, and Jamie rolled his eyes. "Come on, man. I know it could make things awkward for awhile, but you guys have been friends for so long- I'm sure you'd both move past it at some point" he added, trying to reason with him.
"I don't know" Tyler sighed heavily, running his fingers through his hair.
"You don't necessarily have to decide now" Katie informed him. "But if you don't say anything, anytime she sees someone or goes on a date, you'll get angry. Eventually, that'll put a strain on your relationship" she pointed out.
Tyler remained silent, taking in her words. He knew she was right. There was no way he could hide his displeasure of her going on dates now, especially that they lived together. What if the guy she dated didn't like she lived with him? What if she moved out? He became consumed with the what ifs; they terrified him.
"Well, I guess we hope she doesn't connect well with this guy?" Tyler said, though it came out as more of a question. "I know that makes me sound like the world's worst person" he then added, realizing how it sounded when it came out of his mouth.
"I mean, it kind of does..." Jamie trailed off.
"Yeah..." Katie agreed. "Sorry"
***********************
"So, I had a really great time tonight" Tayla told Nick honestly. He had taken her out to what she considered to be a fancy restaurant, and then they proceeded to head to the bar next door to grab a few drinks and get to know each other better. It was almost one o'clock in the morning, and he was finally pulling back into her driveway to drop her off.
"Me too" Nick confessed, really finding himself more attracted to this girl the longer they spent together. They found out they had a lot more in common than he had anticipated; they both had a love for hockey, a passion for photography, and a love of nature. "It's been a long time since I had that much fun just talking to someone" he added, unsure if it was the right thing to say.
"Me too" she replied softly, the pair looking into each other's eyes.
"Let me walk you to your door" he offered, getting out of the car. What a gentleman! Tayla thought, as he opened the door of his 2017 Ford F-150. She stepped down out of it, and he held her hand on the way to her door.
"You're too sweet" Tayla commented, as they reached the front porch. The light was left on; Tyler had left it on awaiting Tayla's return.
"Can I see you again?" Nick asked innocently, his heart beginning to race in his chest.
"I'd like that" Tayla smiled. She felt it too soon for a kiss, so she simply kissed him on the cheek. "Call me sometime. Goodnight" she smiled, opening up her front door.
"Goodnight" Nick smiled, feeling tingly where her lips had made contact with his cheek. As soon as he replied, she closed the door, trying hard to contain the smile from her face.
The date had gone much better than she could have anticipated. Admittedly, she was a little skeptical of dating since her last breakup, but she did not let the past interfere with the present. They chatted about anything and everything; hopes, dreams, past memories, embarrassing stories, and seemingly irrelevant things all night. She couldn't remember the last time someone had had her smiling and laughing as much as he did. His laugh was cute and contagious, his smile mesmerizing.
"You're home late" Tyler's voice scared her out of her thoughts. It came out a lot more bitterly than anticipated, and he hoped that she would not notice. He was lucky; she was so lost in her thoughts his sudden appearance startled her. He had fallen asleep on the couch, waiting her return, having the conversation he had with Katie and Jamie replay in his head.
"Yeah sorry, did I wake you?" she asked, apologetically.
"Kinda- but I mean I was sleeping on the couch" he said, scratching the back of his head. "How was the date?" he then asked, wondering if he wanted to even know the answer. His heart nearly broke when her face broke out into a big smile.
"It was really great, Ty. We really connected" she gushed, unknowingly breaking Tyler's heart with every word she spoke. "I haven't laughed so hard in a long time. He's really sweet, and funny... we really hit it off" she smiled, yawning. "I'm gonna head to bed though, see you in the morning" she commented, turning on her heels and running swiftly up the stairs in the little black dress that fit her so perfectly.
She heard her door close, and Tyler let out a huge sigh. Well, fuck.
"Okay..." Jamie trailed off, trying to piece together a truth. "But that still doesn't explain why you're upset she's going on a date" he added, looking to Katie, who nodded in agreement.
"Wait a moment" Katie finally realized. "You want to date her, don't you? You have feelings for her?" she asked. And, as much as he didn't want to admit it, he knew they would find out someday, so he nodded.
"So you're going to wait until you're 35?" Jamie asked skeptically. "Why not just tell her now?"
"I haven't really thought about how long I'm going to wait" Tyler told them truthfully. "She's just wonderful, okay? She's known me through some of my worst times and has still been there for me, and stuck by my side. I can't lose that. So if I wait until we're 35..."
"Do you realize how crazy that sounds?" Katie asked Tyler, who was taken aback by the tone of her voice. "It was something you said when you were 11. We all say things when we're young, things that don't happen or have any merit to when we're older" she told him. "Look, I get that you like her, and want to be with her, but you can't wait until you're 35, that's insanity"
"Besides, she may end up married to someone by then, who knows" Jamie pointed out. Tyler simply shrugged, keeping one thing a secret from the pair. It was something he was not proud of, and quite frankly, he was ashamed of it. It was something he was certain would tear his friendship apart with Tayla, which is why nobody could ever find out; not even Jamie or Katie.
"It's cute you've remembered that for so long," Katie began. "And you guys obviously are really close. Why not just tell her? I mean I know she's on a date right now, but it's only one date" she reasoned with him.
"Please don't give us that 'I don't want to ruin our friendship' bullshit either" Jamie told him before he had the chance to answer Katie's question. He remained silent, and Jamie rolled his eyes. "Come on, man. I know it could make things awkward for awhile, but you guys have been friends for so long- I'm sure you'd both move past it at some point" he added, trying to reason with him.
"I don't know" Tyler sighed heavily, running his fingers through his hair.
"You don't necessarily have to decide now" Katie informed him. "But if you don't say anything, anytime she sees someone or goes on a date, you'll get angry. Eventually, that'll put a strain on your relationship" she pointed out.
Tyler remained silent, taking in her words. He knew she was right. There was no way he could hide his displeasure of her going on dates now, especially that they lived together. What if the guy she dated didn't like she lived with him? What if she moved out? He became consumed with the what ifs; they terrified him.
"Well, I guess we hope she doesn't connect well with this guy?" Tyler said, though it came out as more of a question. "I know that makes me sound like the world's worst person" he then added, realizing how it sounded when it came out of his mouth.
"I mean, it kind of does..." Jamie trailed off.
"Yeah..." Katie agreed. "Sorry"
***********************
"So, I had a really great time tonight" Tayla told Nick honestly. He had taken her out to what she considered to be a fancy restaurant, and then they proceeded to head to the bar next door to grab a few drinks and get to know each other better. It was almost one o'clock in the morning, and he was finally pulling back into her driveway to drop her off.
"Me too" Nick confessed, really finding himself more attracted to this girl the longer they spent together. They found out they had a lot more in common than he had anticipated; they both had a love for hockey, a passion for photography, and a love of nature. "It's been a long time since I had that much fun just talking to someone" he added, unsure if it was the right thing to say.
"Me too" she replied softly, the pair looking into each other's eyes.
"Let me walk you to your door" he offered, getting out of the car. What a gentleman! Tayla thought, as he opened the door of his 2017 Ford F-150. She stepped down out of it, and he held her hand on the way to her door.
"You're too sweet" Tayla commented, as they reached the front porch. The light was left on; Tyler had left it on awaiting Tayla's return.
"Can I see you again?" Nick asked innocently, his heart beginning to race in his chest.
"I'd like that" Tayla smiled. She felt it too soon for a kiss, so she simply kissed him on the cheek. "Call me sometime. Goodnight" she smiled, opening up her front door.
"Goodnight" Nick smiled, feeling tingly where her lips had made contact with his cheek. As soon as he replied, she closed the door, trying hard to contain the smile from her face.
The date had gone much better than she could have anticipated. Admittedly, she was a little skeptical of dating since her last breakup, but she did not let the past interfere with the present. They chatted about anything and everything; hopes, dreams, past memories, embarrassing stories, and seemingly irrelevant things all night. She couldn't remember the last time someone had had her smiling and laughing as much as he did. His laugh was cute and contagious, his smile mesmerizing.
"You're home late" Tyler's voice scared her out of her thoughts. It came out a lot more bitterly than anticipated, and he hoped that she would not notice. He was lucky; she was so lost in her thoughts his sudden appearance startled her. He had fallen asleep on the couch, waiting her return, having the conversation he had with Katie and Jamie replay in his head.
"Yeah sorry, did I wake you?" she asked, apologetically.
"Kinda- but I mean I was sleeping on the couch" he said, scratching the back of his head. "How was the date?" he then asked, wondering if he wanted to even know the answer. His heart nearly broke when her face broke out into a big smile.
"It was really great, Ty. We really connected" she gushed, unknowingly breaking Tyler's heart with every word she spoke. "I haven't laughed so hard in a long time. He's really sweet, and funny... we really hit it off" she smiled, yawning. "I'm gonna head to bed though, see you in the morning" she commented, turning on her heels and running swiftly up the stairs in the little black dress that fit her so perfectly.
She heard her door close, and Tyler let out a huge sigh. Well, fuck.