This Can't Be Real

Chapter 13

It's just past three o'clock when we pull up outside of Jess's house. Her car isn't in the driveway so I can only guess that she's away out or at work.

The engine turns off and I glance up at the house as silence blankets the car.

It's awkward now.

Over lunch, we spoke a lot about our first date which I really enjoyed hearing about. Joe didn't leave any stone unturned when he spoke and I began to feel like I was having déjà vu. Things I was doing and saying, I felt like I had done them before. It wasn't until Joe mentioned a few times that it's exactly what I had done or said on our first date that I started feeling that way.

I don't know if it was my mind trying to put together all of the scattered pieces or just my mind playing off of the words Joe was telling me. Either way, I was starting to get the sense that I had done that many times before now.

"Thank you for lunch," I finally voice. I hate silence unless it's necessary, and this is one of those times where it's not.

"It was my pleasure," he says, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly.

I nod with my lips pressed firmly together and look out of the window to the house.

I don't know what's going to happen next or if I should just get out of the car and let Joe go, but I want something good to happen next. In my mind, I want him to say my name so I turn to look at him, and for him to kiss me. It's what this needs but that only happens in books.

It doesn't happen in real life.

I hold my bag by the handles with one hand and pull on the door handle with the other to open the door, and get out. I close the door over without a single word being said and start walking up to the front door. I unzip my bag and quickly pull my house key out.

I unlock the front door and quickly enter the house, making sure to close the door firmly over when I'm inside. I lean back against the cool surface and breathe heavily.

I'm happy it's over with but at the same time, I didn't want it to end. If it was dinner, we'd still be out together. We'd have more time together which is what I think I want.

I want to spend more time with him. Not because I feel like I have to, but because I want to. I want to get to know him and see if I can piece together more things that are scattered about in my head.

I know I said Jess would be able to help me with that but I don't think she's the one that'll be able to help me with that anymore. I think it's Joe who can help me now. Jess has done all she can and now it's time to move on to the one person who can fill in everything else for me.

My eyes close over on a final deep breath and my head rolls back against the door just as the house phone begins to ring. I open my eyes and walk into the living room to answer the phone.

"Hello," I answer. I place my bag down on the couch and run my free hand through my hair.

"What are you doing tomorrow night?" Joe asks.

I frown. "What? Why?"

"Because I want to take you to dinner," he chuckles.

"Shouldn't you have asked me that before I got out of the car?"

"I should have but I didn't. I'm sorry. So, how about it?"

"What kind of dinner are we talking?" I sit on the arm of the couch.

"Nothing fancy like lunch. I'll cook us something."

I almost snort at the sound of him saying that he'll cook something because it's not something guys normally do. "O-kay," I say, trying to hold my laughter in.

"Don't laugh, Leigh. I can actually cook . . . as long as someone's there to help me out."

I actually laugh now. The thought of Joe in the kitchen cooking on his own is hilarious. I can just picture him running about the kitchen like a mad man, trying his hardest to make sure everything's perfect and to try and stop things from burning.

It's something I'd like to see.

"So, what's the answer?"

I stop laughing immediately and think about my answer. I don't take too long to think about it, though. "That'd be nice," I answer, a smile growing on my face.

"I'll pick you up at six tomorrow night," he tells me before hanging up.

I end the call and press the phone to my bottom lip. It looks like I'm getting my wish and getting to see Joe again in a more comfortable environment that is our 'marital' home.

Let's just hope his parents don't disturb us like the last time.

* * *

"So, you're going to your house for dinner tonight?" Jess asks me before I get a chance to sit down at the dining table for dinner that night.

"It's not my house," I correct while taking my seat across from her.

"Yeah, it kinda is." She reaches out for the glass bottle of pepper. "You are married to the guy and you have lived in the house since about after five months of dating."

I place my napkin over my lap and pick up my knife and fork. "Five months of dating? Really? Come off it, Jess."

"I'm telling you! It was coming for a while because you were always together either at our place when we stayed together, or it was at his old place."

"It doesn't sound like it would something I'd do," I tell her. I take a bite of the chicken I helped Jess make and wait for her next statement that will have me rethinking the things I do now.

"You two are - were - inseparable. He used to pick drop you off and pick you up from work no matter what it meant for him and his footballing schedule. On the days he really couldn't pick you up, he used to have your favourite flowers delivered to your work just as you were finishing for the day. To be perfectly honest, I was jealous."

I almost choke on my orange juice I'm in the middle of drinking. I cough rapidly and cover my mouth with my hand.

She was jealous of me? Wow.

I guess that can be expected when your best friend is so loved up and you're not even close to finding someone to be like that with. I get why she'd be jealous but she seems happy now she has someone. She doesn't seem to be bothered about how well I'm getting on with Joe now.

She just doesn't seem like the kind of person who'd get jealous over that kinda thing, but there you have it. My best friend was jealous of me because of my relationship.

That's a new one for us.

"Everything's alright these days despite the love-hate friendship we've had going on with each other over the years. Or, it was until the crash then I started hating him really bad."

I scoff and continue to eat.

"I'm happy you're starting to trust him, though, Leigh."

I look up at her and sigh. "It's getting there."

"It'll take a while for me to trust him like I used to, but the main thing is that you trust him."

"You're going soppy," I point out, trying to change the subject before I allow my hormones to take over and start to cry.

"I am no soppy!" She defends quickly.

"Sure you're not," I laugh.

"Says the hormonal woman sitting across from me who cries at everything these days."

"Hey, now that's too far."

"So is calling me soppy."

"Truce?"

"Fine."