Kissing Frogs

FIFTEEN || The King of Platonic Relationships

|FIFTEEN|

"So," Hugo prompted as I adjusted my apron behind the counter at his family's shop. "How was your date."

I glanced at him reluctantly, but he wasn't really looking at me. He leaned on his elbows and fiddled with the pens beside the cash register, trying not to look as interested as his voice let on.

I swallowed thickly and stuffed my hands into some plastic gloves. It was hard to act normal, I almost felt guilty.

Gush about Corey. Do it!

"It was perfect." I smiled quickly in his direction and took a couple steps toward the kitchen, pretending to check for fresh pastries or bread. "He held the door open, paid, you know...He's cool."

Hugo stood upright and turned to me, his brows furrowing.

"It doesn't sound like it was perfect," he commented curiously. "I was expecting a Shakespearean sonnet, uncontrollable giggling, something more Ingrid. This is the man of your dreams, after all."

I looked to the ceiling for answers written in the tiles and frowned when I couldn't pull an explanation out of thin air. I couldn't even explain it to myself. It made no sense. I had everything I wanted. Corey and I agreed to see each other again, I had been dubbed a blonde goddess, and everything else was pretty much perfect. This wasn't one of those deluded scenarios of the past. Things had never been more real. So, why couldn't I tell Hugo? Why wasn't I excited?

"You don't really want to hear about it," I heard myself say, catching his gaze with mine. It held for a moment, his warm eyes sharpening before turning away.

"It's your favorite thing to talk about. I'm used to it," he said carefully and pushed away from the counter. He looked back to me, his shoulders gathering around his neck in the old Hugo way that he thought made him appear shorter.

I snorted. "You always say that, but I know you don't mean it." He rolled his eyes, but I cut him off before he could say anything. "I know you're going to be a buzzkill. Corey is it, Hugo."

A frown pulled at his lips heavily, and after a swallow he nodded. Hugo was hardly one to argue, and his eyes had sort of glazed over as his thoughts turned inward.

"Okay," he said, shortly. "You're right, I didn't want to hear about it anyway."

My eyebrows pinched together, and I could feel more guilt bubbling up. He only ever tried to be a good friend, and it felt wrong to pull away any conversation of Corey, like I was blocking Hugo out of my life. But inside, I knew it was the only way I could make things work with Corey. The less Hugo was involved, the less tense our friendship would be. I decided a long time ago that I shouldn't have to sacrifice my friendship with Hugo for a boy. This was my solution.

"I just don't want things with us to be weird because of Corey," I tried to explain.

He laughed to himself and ran a hand through his moppy hair, shrugging as his hand fell away from his head. I could see his mind working behind all his fidgeting. "You just made it weird, Ingrid. I don't want to hear about the losers because watching your heart break isn't fun for me." He paused, glancing at me quickly. "I think Corey actually likes you. If you don't talk to me about him, we'll never talk again. Things like this consume you. I get that. Don't block me out."

I frowned now, too. "You're just going to get annoyed with me."

"Ingrid, you love without a sense of caution. I say what I do to protect you. That's not going to change. Ever." His voice was stern, suddenly very grown-up. "The only time other people have come between us is when you let them. I'm always right here."