My Best Friend's Boyfriend | BxB

21. Did Something Happen?

"I'm going over to Matt's, you want to come?"

Gale rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. He pressed the phone to his ear. "No, I'm doing homework."

His books sat in solitude on his table, already dealt with and awaiting the next day of school.

"He is taking off the cast on his hand today," Emily's voice came across, excited.

"That's great," Gale said.

"Why don't you want to come?" She asked.

"I already told you, homework."

"Cut that crap, Gale. You never want to see him. You haven't been to see him since he came back home."

"He is fine, isn't he? What's the use?"

"Wouldn't you want your friends to visit you while sick?"

Gale groaned and turned over so that his face pressed into his pillow.

"He is your teammate, Gale! What sort of a captain are you?" Emily continued.

"A captain who is always dead tired after practise every day of the week and goes straight to bed and barely has enough energy to complete his homework let alone go on visiting sprees in the neighborhood. You go there everyday, Emily. What do you do there?"

"You wouldn't have to ask if you came."

"Thanks no, I think I'll pass."

"Why? Did something happen between you two?" Emily probed.

"No. Did he ask about me?" Gale asked, his hands tightening around his phone.

"Not of late," she replied.

Gale felt disappointment course through him, which he knew he had no right to. He was the one who had stepped up his avoidance game a notch, after promising Matt to 'forget' what had happened. Sometimes he felt awful about it, and was inclined to go across the street and check up on him, but he never made it.

Four weeks.

"Alright, I'm leaving without you," Emily said.

She had been spending almost all her free time with Matt, insisting he needed company since he rarely left the house. He hadn't been back to school yet, but now that the hand cast was off, he might go back, but using crutches. His parents and Hannah hadn't stayed long enough for Gale to give Hannah her desired tour of the town. Since Matt had been stable, with no risk of anything arduously serious, they had left after two days.

"Cool," Gale said, rolling back onto his back.

"You don't want me to say hi?" Emily prodded.

"Say hi."

When Emily hung up, Gale tossed his phone away. He grabbed a pillow and pressed it against his face and screamed into it, muffling the sound. If he had thought four weeks of not seeing the guy would help quench the feelings that had began taking root, he had another thing coming.

He wanted to see Matt so much, the urge to call Emily back and ask her to wait on him was almost overwhelming.

He missed the guy.

He had tried denying that fact numerous times, but that was hard since he thought about him all the time.

All the time.

He told you he likes you. Why are you here sitting on your stupid ass while you could be across the street with him?

He didn't say that.

I'm attracted to you. What's that?

Gale groaned again and slammed a fist against his mattress. He had been having confrontations within himself for days, trying to convince himself and make sense of things.

Most times he reminded himself that Emily still liked Matt. Yes, it was way past the usual two weeks her crushes withered, and she became googly eyed every time she talked about him.

Yes, he should forget about it because he wouldn't want to be the reason why his best friend ended up broken hearted.

"Gale? Gale, wake up!"

The warmth covering his head disappeared, and someone tagged on the fabric of his shirt.

"Gale?"

Emily, it was Emily.

"Go away," he muttered, holding on to the tendrils of sleep still remaining.

He was suddenly flipped over, sudden brightness attacking his closed eyes.

"What the fuck?" He groused.

"Sit up, okay? I just want to talk to you, I have sleep to catch up on too, you know."

He opened his eyes, his lids lifting slowly.

"What's the time?"

"Half past nine. How early did you go to sleep?" Emily asked. She was standing over his bed, looking down at him.

Gale scratched his head and sat up. He was still fully dressed, and was lying on top of the covers.

"Shit," he cursed. He had fallen asleep after talking to her on the phone. "What are you doing here?"

"I want to talk to you, about Matt."

And it was as if a bucket of ice cold water had been poured over his head, because he was suddenly alert, and very awake.

Oh God, no. Did he tell her?

Emily frowned as she took in the look on his face. "Gale? Are you okay? You look sick."

"I'm fine," he sputtered. "Wha...what about him?"

"He is coming back to school tomorrow," she said.

"Oh," he said, downplaying his relief at the lack of any probing questions. Matt coming back to school had it's own implications, but was better than having the truth splashed all over the place.

"And I wanted to ask if you would not be an ass and allow him to ride with us. He'll get a car, but after he's all recovered. His aunt is of course ready to get him to and fro school, but I think it would be a good idea if he came with us, so he won't feel so lonely and stuff..."

Really? How lonely could one get on a five minute ride to school? Went to show how much Emily was invested in Matt.

"Well that would be nice, but I think he had better ride with his aunt. My truck is quiet high, remember? And he is still on crutches. Annnnnnd, I don't think calling me an ass is a nice way of asking."

"I said you'd be an ass if you didn't accept, and look, you are already spewing excuses," Emily accused. "He is not crippled, Gale. I'm sure he can make his way into a car."

Gale groaned and pushed a hand through his hair. "Why are you even pushing this so hard?"

"Because I'm a friend who actually cares," she said.

Yeah, sure.

"Yeah, okay, whatever," Gale muttered, and lay back. He grabbed his pillow and put it back over his face. "Can you leave now?"

"Thanks," she said. "Good night."