And she meant it.
Epilogue
Jonathan sat in Zach’s apartment, nursing a beer. He sighed as he glanced around. It was quiet. Too quiet.
But that had been happening a lot lately. Ever since Zach and Danielle told his parents about Jesse, they’d gone up to Myrtle Beach every weekend, leaving Jonathan alone. As always.
Reaching to grab the beer, Jonathan took another long drink.
How had his life come to this? He used to be the life of the party. Now? Everything seemed to be crumbling around him. His job. His love life. Even his friends were getting serious with women where he was struggling just to keep one longer than a second date.
This was not how he saw his life going.
There was a sound at the front door. Jonathan turned his attention to see Zach come in, followed by Danielle and Jesse. They were sunburnt and laughing. Jesse had a long alligator floaty that he was dragging behind him. Sand trailed after him as he made his way into the living room and dropped down next to Jonathan.
“Wow. Did you wrangle that thing?” Jonathan asked as he chuckled and leaned over, securing Jesse in a headlock before he ruffled his hair.
“Stop,” Jesse laughed as he struggled to get away.
“Shower, Jesse. Uncle Jonathan,” Danielle said, giving Jonathan a stern look.
Jonathan raised his hands and Jesse wiggled lose. He grabbed his alligator and made a beeline for Zach’s room.
“Mr. Snappy will not be joining you,” Danielle called out just as Jesse disappeared.
Zach chuckled as he plopped down on the armchair across from Jonathan. “Hey, man. How’s it going?”
Danielle glanced between them and then walked over to the kitchen. “I’m going to make up some sandwiches. Do you want one Jonathan?”
Jonathan nodded. When he glanced back at Zach, he shifted in his seat. He hated being underneath Zach’s scrutiny. If anyone could see through his walls, it was this guy.
“Just biding time until I head back to Honey Grove.”
Zach nodded as he leaned back, resting his hands on his thighs. “That’ll be nice. Visit the old family.”
Jonathan nodded. It would be nice. Besides, it’d been a while since he’d seen Tiffany—his partner in crime and best friend since middle school. “It’ll be nice not to enter a world that’s been shielded by my life.”
Zach cocked his head to the side. “Talking about football?”
Jonathan smiled. “Things move a bit slower in Honey Grove.”
“We’ll have to come visit sometime.”
“That would be amazing.”
Danielle returned with a plate stacked high with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. She set them on the coffee table and then turned to sit on the arm of Zach’s chair.
“Did you ask him?” she asked, in an attempted whisper.
Zach cleared his throat and then shot her a look.
Her eyes widened. “What? What did I say?”
Confused, Jonathan glanced from Zach to Danielle. “What’s going on?”
Zach sighed and a slow smile crept across his lips. “I was wondering if you would like to be my best man?”
Jonathan coughed, the question catching him off guard. He forced his feelings of frustration for his own situation out of his mind, and nodded. “Of course, man. Yeah. I’d love to.”
