1001 Love Stories Darker

Best man (75)

We're just friends.

Best friends.

I'll give a speech at his wedding, I smile when I play with his kids. Ill be happy for him and I'll baby sit so they can have date nights.

Because that's what I do. As his best friend.

I'm here as he looks at rings for her.

And I'm ok. Because we're just friends.

Friends. Best friends but even now I know, friends don't do the things we do.

Friends don't stay over all night and go to sleep together.

I know that friends don't go on dates and don't hold hands when no one's watching. Friends don't have sex and then cook breakfast together in the morning.

Friends don't look at each other the way he looks at me.

I didn't even know there was someone else.

I thought we were dating, I thought we were more then friends.

Until he randomly asked me to go ring shopping with him.

That he was thinking about proposing.

That he had been seeing a girl and that he wanted me to give my opinion.

Like we're just friends.

And Im ok with just friends. I was ok with just friends until he picks up that stupid ring.

And he looks at it for a bit before showing me and it's beautiful.

Something told me to try it, and almost absentmindedly did I slide it on my finger like all the rest. But this one was different. I wanted it. I wanted it, I didn't want to take it off. I wanted it to be mine.

I snatch it off with force before turning away.

"Uh I gotta piss." I tell him before quickly leaving.

*

Sam's POV

Friends. We're just friends. Best friends but nothing more.

I stood at the counter stuck between buying the ring that he obviously loved so much and not knowing what to do.

Friends don't do the things we do.

They don't celebrate holidays and buy eachother gifts.

They don't show up to your apartment after work just so they can shower with you.

We live together and sleep in the same bed.

We're not friends!

I feel tears hit the counter and I know that I was putting the poor ring sell men in a bad situation.

"You wanna talk about it?" He asks and I look at the ring that I thought was perfect and so did he.

"Imagine you're dating someone for four years. The happiest years of your life. You're so close and do everything together. Sleep, eat, live. We got a new place together a two bedroom and we instantly started making plans for the second room, a game room, a Library. Not his room. Then after four happy blissful years, after long nights in each others arms. And planning out your future. After being so sure this is the person you'll spend the rest of your life with. You ask him, 'hey I was wondering if you wanted to look at wedding rings with me.' And he asks 'oh are you getting married?' 'i didn't know you were even seeing anyone, well I'm gonna be your best man right?'." I say and he looks at me confused.

"And I'm just stuck wondering if I was the only one in this relationship. Was he hinting that he didn't see me like that and wanted to preserve my feelings. So I lied. I made up a girl and now I have to ring shop for someone who isn't real." I say and he only chuckles before showing me the ring.