Humbling Spot Conlon (A Spot Conlon Love Story)

Ch. 19: Jack Kelly, The Human Punching Bag

Spot's POV

I was tired of waiting, but I wanted her to make the first move. I knew she wanted it as much as I did. That much was obvious. I needed her to make it happen. I knew if I tried she would just push me away again. That's the only reason I waited. 

It was harder than I thought it was going to be. Nicky was the most stubborn person I'd ever met. Which also made her the most frustrating person I'd ever met. 

I didn't understand what was going on in her head a lot of the time. I didn't understand why she refused to tell her secret when I asked, but then did it just a few weeks later. I didn't understand why she wanted to stay friends, because all I wanted was to be more than that. It's safe to say that girls make no sense. 

None of this made any sense to me. I had hidden my heart for years and this one girl, a stupid one, I might add, managed to find it. I was supposed to be tough, but I melted like butter around her. It was starting to make me mad. 

Spending practically every day with her didn't help my position. She made it really hard to just be friends. Even though she reminded me practically every day. 

I don't know why, because this was probably stupid, but I resorted to talking to Jack. I hated asking for help, but he knew her best. 

"She's makin' it so hard," I complained, pacing around. 

"She's an idiot," Jack stated simply, "Don't tell 'er I said that." 

I whacked him in the arm with my cane. That wasn't helpful. I already knew that. "Tell me somethin' I don't know. What do I do?" 

"What have you been doin'?" 

I didn't want to answer that question. Mostly because whatever it was that I was doing, it wasn't working. "Nothin'." 

"That's not what I've heard." What did he hear? Who would he have heard from? 

"What?" 

"You don't think yer the only one who spills their problems ta me, do ya?" 

"You haven't told 'er anything I said, have ya?" I asked, desperately hoping the answer was no. I had told Jack a lot. And a lot of embarrassing things. What? I needed to get it out and I had known Jack for a long time. I sort of trusted him. Ish. 

"What do ya think I am, Spotty? O' course I haven't told 'er nothin'." He smirked. "I could tell 'er everythin' if I wanted to, though." I whacked him with the cane again. 

"Don't even joke." 

"Fine. What's the problem even? Does she just not like ya or somethin'?" Jack asked. 

I sighed. I wasn't sure what the problem was. This should've been so easy, but she was stubborn. "Well, she does. But she wants ta just be friends." 

Jack looked at me like that was the weirdest thing he'd ever heard. "That doesn't make any sense." I hit him with the cane again. He was doing a great job at telling me things I already knew. But nothing helpful. 

"Yer not helpin'." 

"Fine. I think first ya gotta stop layin' it down so thick. She knows what yer doin' and she's gonna try 'er hardest ta keep it how she wants now," Jack advised. That actually made a lot of sense. 

"Alright. I'll do that." 

"Can I go then? I'm tired o' bein' hit with things," He complained. I waved him away. 

Now I had a plan. Actually try with the friend thing. It would show Nicky that I really did care and I did listen. Then she would have to give in at some point. 

Nicky's POV

It was a boring day. Selling was good so I finished early. Jack was in Brooklyn and I wasn't in the mood to go over there so now I was just sitting on a bench, bored out of my mind. 

A pair of hands covered my eyes. "Guess who," Said the voice of Jack. I may have been bored, but I wasn't bored enough for this. 

"Get yer hands off my eyes or I shove you in the harbor," I threatened. 

"I said guess." 

"Jack, if you don't get yer hands away from my face in the next five seconds you won't have hands." 

"Correct." He took his hands off my eyes, placing himself next to me. "How was Brooklyn?" I asked. I knew he had been talking to Spot. What else would he be doing? He didn't ever talk about knowing anyone else from Brooklyn. 

"Well, I was whacked with a cane a lot. So, y'know, same as normal." 

"You talked ta Spot then?" It was the only conclusion. I mean, whacked with a cane? 

He nodded. "I was tryin' ta be helpful but I was still hit with his stupid cane." He kicked a rock as though it were his worst enemy. "I should stop bein' helpful." 

"No you shouldn't. Now I need help." 

He slumped down farther on the bench, groaning. "Do I have ta?" He whined. 

"Yes. What am I supposed ta do about Spot?" 

"What'd he do this time?" 

"He's makin' it so hard," I complained, getting up and pacing around. Why was he doing so much to make it absolutely impossible to stay friends? He was flirting constantly and took every opportunity to get close. 

"He's an idiot," He said boredly, as if he'd had this conversation already today. 

"I knew that," I said, punching him in the arm. "What do I do?" 

He gave me a confused look. "Wait, what is he doin'?" 

I rolled my eyes, punching him again. "We're supposed ta just stay friends, but he's makin' it hard ta do so. I hate 'im sometimes." 

"Why do ya have ta stay friends? I've never been clear on that." I didn't want to explain it because there was no way to explain it. I wasn't one hundred percent sure on why but I felt like the time wasn't right. 

"I dunno. We just-" I faltered. "Jack Kelly, how dare you make sense?" I punched him. He seemed unfazed by it this time, like he was expecting it. 

"I'm a genius." 

"Far from. But you do know some things. Only some though." He raised an eyebrow at me. "Well, now what?" 

"Just tell 'im yer done." 

I shook my head. I couldn't let Spot know that he was right the whole time. I didn't want to admit I was wrong. I wouldn't admit it. Not to Spot anyways. "I can't do that." 

Jack furrowed his brow. "Why not?" 

"Then he'd win." 

He gave me a look that told me he was tired of this conversation. "Win what? There's no competition here. Just tell 'im. Stop makin' it so hard." 

"Why do ya care so much? It ain't even yer problem." 

"Then why am I still here, huh? I wish it weren't my problem. But it's been my problem. 'Cause when it gets weird with you two, yer both miserable. Then I have ta deal with ya bein' miserable." I stared at him, unsure of what to say. There was no way it affected him that much, right? 

"But I don't want him ta know he's right," I said. 

Jack threw his arms up in defeat. "Alright. I give up. Deal with yer own problems." Then he got up and stormed away. What was up with him? Surely it wasn't that big a deal. 

I decided. I was going to make Spot work for it. I was going to wait for the right moment. I didn't know what that was, but I was going to wait for it. 

***

LET DOWN YOUR PRIDE, GIRL 

just btw, if you want to see my progress in writing i just published an earlier version of this (only tellin you about it 'cause i reread it and i need y'all to suffer with me)

have a glorious day/night

<3