The Rules of Dating My Best Friend's Sister(61)

“Is this about her fiancé being in town?” Brayden asked. “Is that what pushed you over the edge?”

“Partly.” I lifted my chin. “You knew he was here?”

He nodded. “I ran into them in the hallway last weekend. Lala seemed really on edge.”

My stomach sank. “That was probably because of me,” I confessed. “I sort of put her in a weird position last Saturday night.”

I gave in and told the guys what had happened at my show at The Villager. Needless to say, they weren’t happy with me.

Brayden leaned back in his seat and shook his head. “Dude, that was so wrong.”

“I know it was wrong. I should be doing better, but I don’t know how to stop. I know I’m wrong for her. But it doesn’t change how I feel.” I tugged on my hair. “Look, just pretend I didn’t say anything…”

Colby held out his palm. “No, no. You asked a question. I think we should all do our best to answer it.”

Owen shrugged. “Don’t look at me. I’ve never been in love. I can’t even find a woman I can stand spending more than a few hours with.”

“Same here, dude.” Brayden smirked. “Well, except for freaking Julia last night, but that doesn’t really count.” Brayden turned to Colby. “Looks like you’re the one who’s going to have to answer the question.”

“Okay, don’t mind if I do.” Colby cleared his throat. “Obviously, there are many things you can feel about someone when you’re in love. But the thing that sticks out to me is that when you truly love someone, you’re willing to give your life for them. That person means more to you than anything—including yourself.”

Looking down at the table, I knew I would jump in front of a train for Lala, if that meant saving her. There was no doubt in my mind that I would die for her. I thought that a little bit much to announce at this poker table, though. But I guessed I probably was in love with her. Unfortunately, being in love still didn’t make me the best choice. You can prove your love by letting someone go just as easily as you would by staying in their life and potentially ruining it.

“Thanks for the input,” I muttered.

“That’s it?” Colby’s eyes widened. “You’re not going to say anything else?”

“Nope.” I fiddled with my cards. “I need to keep my thoughts to myself. I’ve had diarrhea of the mouth enough. I don’t need you guys busting my balls. I shouldn’t have even asked the damn question. But I’ve felt like I’m going out of my mind since Warren showed up.”

“God, this brings new meaning to the phrase lost in La-la Land,” Owen chided. “That’s exactly where your head has been lately.”

“Yeah. No shit.” I laughed along with the other guys.

Thankfully, they got off my back for a while as we started our game, and the cards kept us relatively focused until Colby ended up winning.

When we took a break, I went into the kitchen. Colby followed.

He lowered his voice. “Hey, man, I just wanted to talk to you one on one for a bit.”

“There’s nothing more to say.”

“What you said you did last weekend, how you acted out at the club, it reminded me of the time I made a fool of myself when Billie was on that date—before she and I officially got together. Remember that night? You saw her at the restaurant with the guy and texted me photos. I made the biggest idiot of myself by texting her jealous rants. My feelings were splayed out everywhere like a rodent flattened by a truck. There was nothing I could do to stop myself that night. That’s what jealousy does when you really care about someone. What you did was no different.” He tossed his trash in the garbage. “Here’s the thing… I never got anywhere by doing shit like that, dancing around my feelings for her. Ultimately, I had to be straightforward.”

I nodded. “Easier said than done.”

“I had some of the same issues with Billie that you do with Lala. Not only were we seemingly opposites, but I never felt like I was quite right for her. Of course, there was also the issue of me having a kid.” He sighed. “Yet we still couldn’t stay away from each other. We just went around in circles until we started to communicate in an honest way. I think you’ve gone long enough doing the same dance with Lala.”

“I always get in trouble when I dance with Lala,” I muttered.

“Once she marries him, dude, that’s it,” Colby said. “There’s no going back after that. Lala strikes me as the type of person who’s going to do whatever she can to make a marriage work. I don’t see her getting divorced, although anything is possible.” He exhaled. “I know it’s strange for me to be encouraging you to go for it, but I care about both of you. While I’ll always want to protect her, I don’t know that you’re going to shake this. I’m starting to believe you have true feelings for her. And as your friend, I think you need to take your shot.”

He’s supporting this? A pressure I’d never felt before built within my chest. “Say I take the chance and take my shot. That doesn’t change who I am, though. I’m not the type of guy who settles down, who lives in a house in the suburbs with a white picket fence. Everything I’ve ever worked toward has been about having a music career and being on the road. I don’t think it’s fair for me to tell her how I feel if I can’t be the type of guy she needs.”