James sighed. “Matt, you were a mess last night. With everything about Brooklyn being out in the open… Don’t youthink you need to take some time to let the dust settle and not rush into something? We all love Kennedy. But…it just seems a little sudden.”
“Oh, no!” Rob said. “We’re going under a tunnel and the call is breaking up.” He made a bunch of weird noises and then ended the call. “Sorry about that. I thought he’d be more enthusiastic. Let’s call Mason instead!”
“No, stop…” but Rob had already hit Mason on speed dial.
Mason answered in three rings. “What do you want, Rob?” Mason asked with a yawn. “It’s freaking early.”
“Nice to talk to you too. Your brother has big news that he wanted to share with you. He’s going to propose to Kennedy.”
There was a shuffling noise and Mason cleared his throat. “Are you serious? Why are you telling me? Matt, are you there?!”
“I’m here,” I said.
“What the hell? Why did you tell Rob before you told me?”
Okay, this is ridiculous.“I was just asking Rob for advice.”
“Rob gives shit advice. Forget everything he said. Here’s what you do. Date her for a couple years and take things slow like I did with Bee. It’s the best way. Stretch that honeymoon phase out for as long as possible.”
“Matt?” It was Bee now. “Don’t listen to anything Mason says. There is nothing wrong with going fast instead of at a tortoises’ pace. Your brother has commitment issues.”
“I do not,” Mason said.
“Okay, thanks guys!” I said. “Gotta go!” I hung up on them.
Rob started whistling and put his phone in his pocket. “Oh, our food is here. Perfect timing.” He cut the stack of pancakes down the middle and piled syrup on his before dropping a dollop of butter on mine, just the way I liked them. “Dig in.”
“Dude, what the hell?”
“Oh, you want syrup today? I guess you are celebrating.” He lifted up the syrup bottle.
“No.” I pushed the syrup back onto the table. “I’m trying to get your advice here. Not loop everyone in so that Kennedy will probably find out before I pop the question.”
“Hmmm. Have you already told Tanner?”
“No.”
“Well good. Now all your actual best friends know before that imposter.”
“You seriously just called all of them to make sure they knew before Tanner?” I took a bite of pancakes. “You’re ridiculous.”
“You’re ridiculous,” he said over a mouthful of food. “Your best friends should know first.” He swallowed his bite. “And now I can focus. Why isn’t Kennedy speaking to you?”
“I don’t know. I had such clarity last night. I’m ready to move on from everything in the past, you know? I want to do that with her. And I thought we were on the same page. I texted her last night telling her I was coming over. And she seemed excited to see me. But when I got there, she didn’t buzz me up. She didn’t answer her phone. I was able to get into the building when someone walked out. And even then it took a lot of convincing to make her come out to talk to me. She was crying…I…I don’t know what happened.”
“Did you ask her what was wrong?”
“Of course I asked her. She kept saying she couldn’t tell me.”
“Hmm. Interesting. What else?”
“She told me what we did was a mistake. She was trying to push me away.”
“And then what?”
“Eventually I calmed her down enough to at least let me hold her while she cried. But as soon as she calmed down she pushed me away again.”
“And then…”
