sorry.”
“Hey, don’t be sorry. ” I sighed. It was true. She most probably wanted to tell me no. I mean, it wasn’t like she knew anything good about me.”
“I just don’t know you that well. Not everyone should have a kid.” She looked away from me.
“That’s true.” I look ed at a Disney photo on the wall next to our table. “I think I’d be a good brother, though. I’d do whatever I can to make her happy. I’d be her family. It’s what my mom would have wanted. She’s old enough to go to kindergarten while I take classes and I can work from home. I can make this work.” I chattered excitedly.
“Wait what?” Anna interrupted me. “Brother or father? I’m confused here.”
I look ed at her in shock. In my excitement I had spoken too much. “I can’t talk about it, Anna.”
“I’m so confused.” She sh ook her head. “Maybe you can just take me home?”
“It’s my sister.” I blurt ed out. I didn’t want to be alone. Not now. I needed to talk to someone. “You can’t tell anyone. But I have a little sister. I can barely believe it as I say the words. I want to adopt her.”
“Wow.
“She’s Lexi’s sister as well. My dad is the father and her mom is the mom.”
“What?!?!” Her jaw dropped and I realized that she didn’t know about the affair.
“She never told you?”
“There are many things that Lexi and I never shared,” she sighed. “So how old is your sister?”
“Four , I think, maybe five.”
“So this happened while we were in high school?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s funny , isn’t it? In high school we think that our lives are going to end if something doesn’t go our way. Little do we know that there’s a whole world waiting for us to show us that there’s not a lot that’s going to go our way.”
“That’s pretty deep.”
“For a girl from Jonesville?” She laughed and I stared at the length of her throat. And then the curve of her lips. She’s not the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen, but she has a lot more character than I’ve ever witnessed.
“I’m surprised you didn’t tell me I’d make a great dad.”
“You mean lie?” She raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah, even if to protect my feelings. I feel like Lexi would have told me I could do anything.”
“I bet she would have.”
“But it’s not true. And it’s a lot of responsibility to live up to.”
“What is?” She took a sip of her drink and I watched as her tongue darted in and out of her mouth as she sipped. Look away, Bryce, I lectured myself, internally. What was I doing? I was not attracted to Anna. I could not let this situation become even more complicated than it was.
“Being the perfect guy. It’s a nice label. But it’s a hell of a lot to live up to.”
“I don’t think anyone thinks you’re the perfect guy anymore, Bryce.” She laughed and I felt like she had slapped me in the face.
“I can be a good guy.”
“I’m sure.” She smiled. “Every guy can be good.”
“You don’t think so?”
“I don’t know.” She sighed. “Life is never what we think it’s going to be. And neither are people.”
“You know , Anna, you’re a lot more different than I thought you were as well.”
“Like you ever thought of me before.”
“Sure I have.” I lied, not wanting to make her feel bad.
“No, no you haven’t.” She gave me a half smile. “And that’s okay. Maybe I never wanted to be noticed. I didn’t want to be the poor kid with the dead mom.”
“I’m the poor kid with the dead mom now.”
“Oh Bryce, I’m so sorry.” Her face collapsed as she realized what she had said.
“It’s okay.” And in my heart it was. “I like you, Anna.”
“I like you too , Bryce.”
“Maybe we can go for another shake again soon?”
“I don’t think so.” She shook her head and sighed and I felt a pang of regret at her words. “I don’t want to do this to Lexi. No matter what happens to our friendship.”
“We’re just hanging
“Hey, don’t be sorry. ” I sighed. It was true. She most probably wanted to tell me no. I mean, it wasn’t like she knew anything good about me.”
“I just don’t know you that well. Not everyone should have a kid.” She looked away from me.
“That’s true.” I look ed at a Disney photo on the wall next to our table. “I think I’d be a good brother, though. I’d do whatever I can to make her happy. I’d be her family. It’s what my mom would have wanted. She’s old enough to go to kindergarten while I take classes and I can work from home. I can make this work.” I chattered excitedly.
“Wait what?” Anna interrupted me. “Brother or father? I’m confused here.”
I look ed at her in shock. In my excitement I had spoken too much. “I can’t talk about it, Anna.”
“I’m so confused.” She sh ook her head. “Maybe you can just take me home?”
“It’s my sister.” I blurt ed out. I didn’t want to be alone. Not now. I needed to talk to someone. “You can’t tell anyone. But I have a little sister. I can barely believe it as I say the words. I want to adopt her.”
“Wow.
“She’s Lexi’s sister as well. My dad is the father and her mom is the mom.”
“What?!?!” Her jaw dropped and I realized that she didn’t know about the affair.
“She never told you?”
“There are many things that Lexi and I never shared,” she sighed. “So how old is your sister?”
“Four , I think, maybe five.”
“So this happened while we were in high school?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s funny , isn’t it? In high school we think that our lives are going to end if something doesn’t go our way. Little do we know that there’s a whole world waiting for us to show us that there’s not a lot that’s going to go our way.”
“That’s pretty deep.”
“For a girl from Jonesville?” She laughed and I stared at the length of her throat. And then the curve of her lips. She’s not the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen, but she has a lot more character than I’ve ever witnessed.
“I’m surprised you didn’t tell me I’d make a great dad.”
“You mean lie?” She raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah, even if to protect my feelings. I feel like Lexi would have told me I could do anything.”
“I bet she would have.”
“But it’s not true. And it’s a lot of responsibility to live up to.”
“What is?” She took a sip of her drink and I watched as her tongue darted in and out of her mouth as she sipped. Look away, Bryce, I lectured myself, internally. What was I doing? I was not attracted to Anna. I could not let this situation become even more complicated than it was.
“Being the perfect guy. It’s a nice label. But it’s a hell of a lot to live up to.”
“I don’t think anyone thinks you’re the perfect guy anymore, Bryce.” She laughed and I felt like she had slapped me in the face.
“I can be a good guy.”
“I’m sure.” She smiled. “Every guy can be good.”
“You don’t think so?”
“I don’t know.” She sighed. “Life is never what we think it’s going to be. And neither are people.”
“You know , Anna, you’re a lot more different than I thought you were as well.”
“Like you ever thought of me before.”
“Sure I have.” I lied, not wanting to make her feel bad.
“No, no you haven’t.” She gave me a half smile. “And that’s okay. Maybe I never wanted to be noticed. I didn’t want to be the poor kid with the dead mom.”
“I’m the poor kid with the dead mom now.”
“Oh Bryce, I’m so sorry.” Her face collapsed as she realized what she had said.
“It’s okay.” And in my heart it was. “I like you, Anna.”
“I like you too , Bryce.”
“Maybe we can go for another shake again soon?”
“I don’t think so.” She shook her head and sighed and I felt a pang of regret at her words. “I don’t want to do this to Lexi. No matter what happens to our friendship.”
“We’re just hanging
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