Prompt Week Ten: You said....so how was I supposed to know you meant....

                “I never thought I deserved somebody like you,” he said.

                She looked up at him, her brown eyes wide with surprise. “Why? You’re the best person I’ve ever met. You deserve everything.”

                She meant it. He was nice to everybody and when he smiled he made you feel like you were the only person in the world. He wasn’t naturally smart, school didn’t come easy to him, but he worked hard, spending hours with tutors doing extra problems. He was gentle, never raised his voice. Patient and understanding, reliable and trustworthy. He was perfect.

                She knew it the first time she met him. It was freshman year and the first football game of the season. He was sitting a few rows behind and didn’t see him until the game ended when she ran into him. They collided at the top of the steps and he grinned, asked if she was alright. She nodded and walked away, shaky and unsettled, wishing he was still smiling at her. She didn’t even know his name.

                She didn’t think she deserved him. He was sweet, always thinking of her. Flowers just because, he always held her hand. He always answered the phone in the middle of the night when she was fighting with her parents and talked to her until she was ready to fall asleep. He let her feel what she wanted, never gave unwanted advice and always listened.

*********************

                “It’s so easy with you; I feel like a day hasn’t gone by that I didn’t see you. It doesn’t seem like it’s been three months, does it?”

                They were curled up on the couch at his house for the first time since college started in September. He softly rubbed her palm with his thumb and she loved the comfort of his hand; she had missed it so much.

                She sighed happily and closed her eyes. It was nice to be home. “No because nothing will ever change between us. It’ll always be there, no matter what,” she said, believing every word she said. This love was real. They had endured so much together and five years later, their feelings had only grown.

                “You’re my best friend,” he whispered. “I love you so much, I always have.”

                Tears filled her eyes, she was lucky to have him. She squeezed his hand. “I love you too.”

*******************

               
             The wedding pictures are beautiful but painful to look at. She can’t help it and scrolls through every single one, torturing herself by the images of him and his wife. He is grinning ear to ear, his blue eyes sparkle brighter than they ever have before. He’s gained weight, the extra pounds with come with being comfortable and happy. His hair is longer than it used to be and he has a full beard. His wife is beautiful; her long chestnut hair is smooth and shiny. The dress looks like it was made for her. The beading underneath her ribcage makes her waist look tiny and the ivory tulle skirt falls to the floor showcasing an ornate lace train. She’s wearing a lace veil and hardly any makeup. Beautiful. There is no question they’re in love but she knows it should have been her in those pictures. Should have been their wedding. That night she falls asleep wondering what could have been if she had moved to New York with him.

***************

                She picked up the phone, hand shaking, and dialed the number she still knew by heart. It rang four times and she breathed a sigh of relief, he wasn’t going to pick up. “Hello?”

                Her heart began to pound faster and in a falsely cheerful voice she said hello back. “I was just calling to say congratulations on your wedding. How are things going?”

                “I’m great!” he said. “It’s so nice of you to call. We were just talking about you the other day, Mom and I. How’s life? You’re still in school, right?”

                They chatted for a while, small talk and catching up on the last three years. Nothing had changed; it was like they’d talked on the phone yesterday. “Really Brady. Congratulations on your wedding. You deserve everything in the world. She’s a lucky girl.”

                They hung up and she was torn between crying and smiling. Her best friend, the one nobody would ever live up to, was married and she had lied, said she was happy for him. She hoped that if she said it enough, eventually she’d mean it.