"so what's up that you needed to meet with me so badly, Pheebs?" Kim handed Phoebe a cup of coffee and plopped down next to her on the small couch in her living room before taking a sip from her own cup.
"Luca asked me out" Phoebe sighed and stared into the brown liquid that mirrored her sight while Kim almost spit out her coffee and swallowed hard.
It took a few moments and sips of coffee before she stopped coughing and could talk again. "And you said no, I hope?" she looked at her best friend almost worriedly.
Phoebe sipped her coffee before shaking her head. "He didn't want an answer from me yet. He made me promise to think about it and give him an answer over the next few days"
"Think about it? What is there to think about? You've already told this guy several times that you don't want anything from him..." Kim gasped. "I told him I wouldn't get into bed with him. I never said anything about dating..." Phoebe mumbled softly.
"Faith Evelyn Brown, you're not really thinking about going on a date with Luca, are you? What about...what about Joe?" Kim looked at her, frozen. Phoebe shrugged almost imperceptibly.
"It's...complicated and weird. We...aren't a couple. So I could go on a date with Luca without Joe being able to say anything against it" she clarified while nervously kneading her hands.
"But?" Kim raised an eyebrow questioningly. She knew there was something Phoebe was dying to tell her. She had known her far too well, for too long. There was something that was on Phoebe's mind.
Phoebe sighed. "Joe told me on Friday that he was falling in love with me" she muttered. "Wait, what?!" Kim's voice had gone so high with surprise that Phoebe flinched, startled.
"Phoebe, that's...surprising, but...that's INSANE, absolutely awesome" delighted Kim clapped her hands, but stopped when she saw Phoebe's face. "Oh no, why aren't you happy?"
"He took it back" Phoebe sighed. "What?" this time indignation resonated in Kim's voice as she clung to her couch. "He did what?" she asked again.
"He...said it to me when he thought I was already asleep. His exact words were that he hated how hard he was falling for me. I heard it though and called him on it the next morning. He denied he meant it and said it just fit the situation" Phoebe swallowed the lump in her throat.
Kim groaned. "That fucking idiot. I'm...sorry, Pheebs. You're disappointed, aren't you?" she wrapped her arms around her best friend and stroked her shoulder. Phoebe nodded. "Of course, because...if he had stood by it, then...then maybe I would have too..." she started, but interrupted herself.
"Then maybe you would have told him how you felt too?" Kim finished her sentence. Phoebe nodded. "Maybe then I would have been brave enough to tell him I felt the same way" she mumbled.
"Wait, Phoebe, did you just confess..." Kim's mouth dropped open. "...That I've fallen in love with Joe? Yeah, don't act like we've all known that for weeks" Phoebe lowered her head in disappointment.
"But Kim, what am I supposed to do now? You know me, I'm messed up. My parents aren't exactly known for showing much emotion towards me. I can't tell anyone how I feel about them if they can't admit it or stand by how they feel about me" Phoebe sighed and snuggled up to her best friend.
"I know Phoebe, but admitting the feelings to yourself is already the first step in the right direction. It's hard to tell others how you feel about them, especially when they've said it to you and then take it back" Kim stroked her hair "That idiot" she mumbled again shaking her head.
"But do you really think dating Luca now is really the right decision then?" she asked afterwards. "I don't know myself why I'm considering it Kim" Phoebe sighed.
"The last few months with Joe have shown me that maybe a relationship isn't a bad thing after all. Something that might be good for me. I mean, the time with Joe...I'm enjoying it a lot" Phoebe sighed.
"But you know that not every relationship is the same. Who says you would feel as comfortable in a possible relationship with Luca as you do now with Joe? Luca is not Joe, not in a lifetime. Just don't rush into it just because Joe acted so stupidly, Phoebe" Kim clarified.
"I know, Kim. I know. But what am I supposed to do? Pretend I don't have feelings for Joe until he can admit to himself how he really feels about me? I can't go on for another few months pretending that just sleeping with him is enough for me, especially when he wants to spend more time with me anyway" Phoebe groaned in exasperation.
Kim's eyes grew wide. "Wait, the whole "you have to leave right after and you can't stay with Joe after you sleep together", all this time you've just been trying to run from the fact that you're spending too much time with him to be able to deny that you're falling in love with him?" she looked at Phoebe in shock.
"I...don't know. Anyway, I can't go on like this, Kim. I don't want to go on like this and if....if Luca gives me the chance to be in a real relationship, maybe I should take the chance." Phoebe shrugged.
"While in reality you're in love with someone completely different? Sounds like the start of a healthy and good relationship" Kim scoffed before meeting Phoebe's gaze. "I know I'm not in a position to talk about good relationship. But still" Kim rolled her eyes.
"What else am I supposed to do, Kim? Would I prefer a relationship with Joe over one with Luca, of course. But I can't force Joe into it, can I? And I mean, Luca is...nice. If we get to know each other, maybe I'll fall in love with him" Phoebe shrugged.
"He's nice and maybe you'll fall in love with him? Phoebe, do you actually hear yourself talking?" Kim shook her head. "I mean, I hear you. To move on from Joe might not be a bad idea if he can't admit to himself how he feels about you..." Kim's voice quieted.
"What are you thinking about?" Phoebe asked a bit skeptically. "The part about forcing Joe to confess" Kim mumbled. "What do you plan to do?" Phoebe asked in surprise. "Don't worry, nothing bad. You're just supposed to corner him a little. Put him in a conflict. Give him no choice" Kim thought out loud.
"Oh, and how am I supposed to do that?" Phoebe crossed her arms in front of her chest. "You go to him tomorrow, talk to him and tell him you want to stop this friends with benefits thing because you want to go on a date with Luca. Make him face the decision of losing you to Luca if he doesn't act" Kim explained.
"Either he fights for you, confesses his feelings and everything will be fine. Or he lets you go, doesn't deserve you anyway and you can really try to start over with Luca and see if it works out with him" she clarified.
"Do you really think I should do that?" Phoebe asked uncertainly. "Well, if you're going out with Luca, you're going to have to tell Joe at some point anyway. That way you kill two birds with one stone. You get to see if Joe can jump over his shadow and you get to decide if you're going to turn Luca down for the date or say yes" Kim shrugged her shoulders.
"You're right. I...should do it this way" sighing Phoebe snuggled up to her best friend "I don't know what I would do without you Kimmy" she mumbled softly. Kim laughed out loud. "Well, that's what I'm here for. And I have something you could do FOR me."
Surprised, Phoebe looked at her. "And that would be?" she asked curiously. "Well, I was going to ask you if you...if you could maybe give Tee my number so we could...maybe meet up again" Kim suddenly seemed quite nervous.
"Unless you overheard that he thought I was totally stupid and doesn't want to hear from me anymore. Then of course not" she clarified as Phoebe started to grin. "He's apparently already asked the guys how he can see you again, too. I think you made a good impression. And I'll give him your number, of course. With pleasure" she beamed happily at her best friend.
WHO-DEY 🧡
YOU ARE READING
no strings attached - j.b
Hayran Kurgu"I don't want this to get weird in any way, so let's make a deal, okay? We will hook up tonight and after tomorrow we wont see each other ever again. No names, no real stories of us, no exchange of number or social media. I don't want to know anythi...
