My Best Friend's Brother

Chapter 15

Aaron's POV

"Where did Bethany run off to?" My father asked, walking up to his house as I painted and repaired his deck. "She's gone." I answered without emotion as I sanded down the wood.

"That's a shame I was hoping to say goodbye and get one of her books signed." He said, making me turn to him. "You read that fluff?" I scoffed in disbelief knowing her novels were all about unrealistic romance and adventure. And apparently me.

"Of course, it's quite interesting. It's not all about love, it's about learning about yourself and bettering yourself. It's written very well." My father said as I continued to work, ignoring him. "And the love scenes are half bad either." He smiled as I rolled my eyes.

"Tara's coming over later to bring more paint and help out. She said she will be bringing food." I tried to change the subject away from Bethany. "Hmm." He replied unimpressed as he continued walking inside his house.

"What's that? Why are you grunting?" I asked, finally turning my attention onto him. "I just hope she doesn't decide to bring me that weird tofu stuff again. I want real food." My father complained.

"The doctor said you need to watch what you eat, dad. She's just trying to help you." I defended painting the wood a fresh coat of white.

"I've always had my doubts about Tara." My father said suddenly, catching me by surprise. "What? No, you haven't." I stopped what I was doing, looking at him. "I have, I just didn't want to meddle." He confessed walking inside the house.

"And now you do. Why?" I stood, dropping my paint brush. "You know why, son." He replied, making me follow. "Just say whatever you want to say." I pressed not realizing how my father felt before now.

"Because of Bethany. You and Bethany are great together." My father said simply making me scoff. "What are you talking about? She hates my guts. We constantly argue. She's never had one nice thing to say about me. Betty thinks she knows everything about everything. Plus, she's a celebrity now. All celebrities are crazy. As if she wasn't crazy enough to begin with." I ranted suddenly trying to convince myself more the anything.

"Tara is a kind and compassionate person. And Betty is... Betty." I finished as my father's aged face softened seeing right through my frustration. "There's no one else like her and you know it. You don't want to wonder 'what if's'. Just tell her how you feel, son." My father expressed as I turned away.

"It's too late she left, remember?" I huffed as my chest ached remembering our argument the day I visited her after the reunion. Time was repeating itself all over again and I was exhausted. I just wanted to continue on without her and be with Tara. Or attempt to.

"Right, and there's no possible way to ever see her again." My father replied sarcastically. "Hey, guys! I bought veggie burgers and salads." Tara said from the doorway suddenly.

My father glared at me as he walked into the kitchen ignoring her. "I know he doesn't like this kind of stuff but I promise it'll grow on him." Tara smiled, coming up to me with brown paper bags of food.

Kissing me before she placed the bags on the living room table. "Tara, we should talk." I said seriously, making her turn her head to look at me. "Is everything alright?" She asked as I pulled her back outside to talk alone.

"It's about the reunion." I began making her bow her head nodding. "I had a feeling this conversation was coming." She breathed. "I know you've said in the past that you don't want to settle down but I do. And that's not going to change." I confessed as her apologetic eyes met mine.

"And I don't. And that's not going to change either. My parent's divorce was problematic and it ruined my siblings and I's childhood. Not to mention our relationship with our parents. I don't want that to happen if I get married and have kids, Aaron." Tara expressed, gently grabbing my hand.

"I told you all this before. You just weren't listening." She expressed sorrow. "I know. I think I was just hoping you would have changed your mind." I confessed honestly. "That's not fair. I haven't and I won't."

"What does this mean?" Tara said, pulling away from me after a few seconds of silence. "I think you know." I replied as a tear escaped her eye.

Tara leaned in to kiss me on the cheek as I gave her a hug. "Whoever does end up marrying you will be the luckiest woman in the world, Aaron." She smiled before walking back to her car.

Walking back inside my father's home as he inspected the healthy burgers she brought over. "It's over." I said sitting down at the table, slumping in my chair. "Then I'm giving this to the cows." My father said, making me scoff in disbelief as he took the burgers outside.

"What do you mean you broke up with Tara?" Alex asked as we sat at Duke's bar. "What about this is struggling for you to grasp?" I asked bitterly, bringing my beer to my lips.

"She's amazing and hot. Why would you do that?" Alex continued making me stay silent as he slowly filled with realization. "Ahhh, I get it now. Is this because of Bethany? Because she's hot now?" Alex asked as I struggled with the urge to hit him again.

"Are you still in love with her?" Dave asked beside me as we ignored Alex. "Yes." I confessed to them for the first time, unable to look either of them in the eye. "But I shouldn't."

"I don't need her. Just tell me that I'm better off without her and I don't need her." I continued as my body stiffened, finally turning to them as we sat at the sticky bar covered in peanut shells.

"I mean, I hate her lifestyle and she hates mine. She hates me! Come on, Dave. Just tell me that Bethany and I are a match made in hell and this is all happening for the best." I yelled, rushing my speech.

"I don't know what to say, Aaron." Dave replied sympathetically. "I'm literally telling you what to say." I pressed as my frustration for everything happening around me began to consume me.

"You messed up, man. You should've told her you liked her back in high school. None of this would be happening right now. He continued making Alex whip his head suddenly interested in the conversation.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait,wait." Alex began as he struggled to keep up. "You've liked her since high school? Bitchy Beth? Why didn't I know about this?" Alex asked as Duke gave me another beer.

"You aren't the best at keeping secrets, dude." Dave replied, making him scoff but let it go knowing we were right. "Does she like you?" Dave continued making me nod. "Since we were kids." I replied bitterly at the cruel circumstances we were in.

Being in love with one another for decades, neither one of us made the first move afraid that they didn't feel the same way. This would have been a whole lot easier if I told her how I felt about her before graduation when I had the chance.

"So, what are you going to do?" Alex asked intrigued. "What do you mean? Nothing. She left without a word. Again." I hissed, although I knew that it was my fault the first time. And probably this time too. "She's furious with me." I confessed as they looked at one another confused.

"So? You have the chance to make things right." Alex said as I shook my head. "You have the chance to do what you never could before. The first moment where one of you finds the courage to approach them and tell them. You have the chance to confess everything to her. You owe it to one another to get everything out on the table." Dave said with conviction, making me turn to him, hanging onto every word he said.

"There is a lot more to gain in peace of mind by letting her know even if logistics are messed up and timing isn't not there. You two have the opportunity to finally be together after all these years. Are you really going to get in the way of that again?" He finished as his words moved me realizing he was right.

"I have to go." I stood up on my feet suddenly making the stool fall to the floor. A few people turned to me as I frantically grabbed my wallet to pay. "I got it, just go!" Dave said, making me smile breathlessly. "Thanks. For everything." I said before rushing out of the bar and calling a cab since I had been drinking.