* * *
The next day,Craig and I met up for an afternoon drink. It had been a while since just the two of us caught up, plus I really did need to talk to him about his brother.
“You wanna tell me why you really asked to see my pretty face?” The corners of his eyes crinkled as he spoke. I should have known he’d figure out I wanted to talk to him.
“Ross.”
He lifted an eyebrow and his chin, indicating I should carry on.
“I need you to stop stirring.”
He eased back in his chair and tilted his head. “What do you mean?”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah, seriously.”
“You saying things like you did yesterday, looking at getting a reaction out of me.”
He bobbed his head slowly. “And you think that’s stirring and not giving you the gentle nudge you so clearly need.”
I rubbed my neck and huffed out a breath. “Yeah, it’s stirring.” He made to speak, but I shook my head, saying, “Look, I get it.”
“You do? ’Cause as far as I can see, you don’t get anything.” Frustration laced his words, taking me by surprise.
“And what’s that supposed to mean?”
“Since being back, it’s like Ross is your sun.” He waved me off when my lips twitched at the poetry of his words. “You gravitate around him or some shit.”
I froze, my desire to take the piss out of him slipping as I wondered if I was that obvious and if that was a bad thing. Was he saying I needed to back off? That I was too much up in Ross’s business?
“Fuck, I can see your mind whirling there. Just stop it. Whatever you’re thinking that’s bad, just dismiss it, okay?”
My breath quickened despite his words, and warmth flushed across my skin. I was so not used to reacting this way, let alone talking about this sort of thing with anyone.
“All I’m saying is if you want something to happen, you need to do something about it. If not, move on and let him look elsewhere.”
“You mean this Carl guy?” Bitterness crept into my tone.
There was nothing casual about Craig’s shrug. Concern radiated off the guy. “All I know is that Ross is holding out for something.”
“Me?” Heat suffused me.
He shook his head. “I don’t know. He’s never said anything to me, but he’s a good man.”
“I know he his.”
“And that’s why you either need to step up or let him go. You’re hurting yourself, and probably him, by dragging this out.”
His words were a punch to the gut, but perhaps I needed to hear them. While my intentions had absolutely been good, me holding out to be sure our friendship could survive wasn’t fair on either of us, and that was only assuming Ross was actually interested.
The thing was, me being too chickenshit to come out and ask him probably meant I didn’t deserve a shot at all. And if things didn’t work out and it screwed up my relationship with Craig as well, then I’d be doubly screwed over.
I sighed, not quite sure what I was supposed to do, but I knew what I should do. And fuck if I didn’t hate having to be a good guy.
