Triple the Love

Awkward Encounter

Hank

The word had spread like wildfire throughout Chasea. Corey’s parents were in town. Not that it bothered me. Corey was probably spending all of his time with them and that suited me just fine. After our awkward date, Corey had pulled away. And honestly, so had I. Alastair’s warning had firmly lodged itself in my mind and I hadn't been able to shake it. The doubt and the insecurities had been more than enough for me to avoid Corey. Alastair had said that Corey was in a dark place and that I needed to protect my heart. That was exactly what I was doing. It didn’t mean I didn’t miss him. It didn’t mean my feelings had suddenly disappeared. Staying away from Corey had been hard. However, as I climbed out of my truck and headed into the local hardware store, I tried to push my thoughts and feelings aside so that I could run my errands. I needed a distraction, and this was perfect.

“Hey, Hank!” someone called out and I nodded in greeting as I walked down the aisle. I had a leaky faucet in my kitchen, so I needed a few items to get it fixed. As I roamed the aisle looking for everything I needed, I couldn’t help but wonder if Corey was enjoying his time with his parents. Before their arrival, Corey had kept in touch via text. He had claimed he was busy and since I was avoiding him as well, I didn’t question him. I shook my head as I went over to the checkout counter. A few minutes later, I left the hardware store, bag in hand, and walked right into Jack. I hadn't seen nor heard from Jack in so long, that I was actually taken aback.

“Oh! Hank!” Jack exclaimed, clearly just as surprised as I was. Immediately I felt a sense of guilt and awkwardness. I plastered on a fake smile as I stepped aside.

“Jack…ah…hey,” I said as I glanced around. I could feel the tension between us, and it was thick and extremely uncomfortable. When Jack shifted on his feet, I knew he felt the same way. “So…ah…how are you?” I asked as I desperately tried to break the unwelcome silence.

“Good…good,” he said, his voice was polite, but it was obvious that he was just as uncomfortable as I was. “Busy with work, as usual…how are you?”

“Fine…yeah…lots to do at the construction site,” I answered as I avoided looking at him.

“Right…right…and how about this weather, huh?” Jack remarked. It was classic small talk, and it reminded me of the type of conversation you would have with a stranger. Not someone I had known for years. Then again, it just felt weird and strange between us. Was Jack aware that I was dating Corey? I wasn’t about to bring it up, and when he didn’t mention Corey either, it made me feel even worse. It was as if we were both dancing around the obvious as if we were pretending that the reason for this sudden tension didn’t exist. I could see it in Jack’s eyes though. The same doubts. The same unspoken questions. And it made me wonder if Corey was being distant with him too. Or was it just me? The conversation dragged on for a few more minutes, both of us exchanging pleasantries.

“Well, I should get going,” I said as I held up my bag. “I still have a few more things to take care of,” Jack nodded as he checked the watch on his wrist.

“Same,” he said with a smile as he looked back at me. “I’ll catch you later,” he added before we parted ways. The whole encounter had been weird. Corey must have told him that he and I were dating. Why else would Jack be so awkward? Why else would I feel guilty? I headed back to my truck, any other errands now forgotten, as I drove to work. My head was spinning with doubts and insecurities, and I just couldn’t stop thinking about it. I knew I needed to speak to someone and there was only one person who would give it to me straight and that was Jake. I found him in the break room, and I made a beeline for him.

“Hey, Jake,” I greeted him as I slid into the seat across from him. Jake looked over at me and smirked before he took a sip of his coffee.

“What’s up, Hank?” he asked, and I sighed as I ran my fingers through my hair.

“I just ran into Jack,” I revealed. “It was awkward as f**k,” Jake nodded slowly as he leaned back in his seat.

“And?”

“And it got me thinking…Corey must have told him that he and I had started dating. Why else would Jack be so weird?” I remarked. Jake nodded thoughtfully, and I used the opportunity to get as much out as I possibly could. “I felt so bad, you know? Like…dating Corey is everything I wanted, but…it wasn’t as if I had forgotten about Jack but seeing him? It made me realize that he was probably upset…is that why Corey wanted to keep us a secret? And then I kept thinking about Alastair’s warning,”

“Ok, man…take a breather,” Jake teased, and I shot him a dirty look. “The best thing you can do is confront Corey,”

“I know,” I muttered in agreement.

“I’m being serious, Hank. You like him…and after what happened with Jacob and Alastair…you are feeling so insecure,” he said, and I hated the fact that he knew me so well. Then again, it was exactly the reason I had wanted to talk to him. “Right now, you are stuck in this limbo…wondering what is going on and the only way you can stop torturing yourself is by talking to him,”

“You are right. I need to talk to him,”

“Yes, you do…but maybe you should wait until after his parents have left town. The last thing you want to do is ruin his visit with them,” Jake suggested, and I nodded.

“Yeah,” I said. Jake set his Styrofoam cup aside and leaned closer.

“Hank, you deserve to be happy. You deserve to be with someone who doesn’t want to hide you from the world. You deserve to be loved…do not settle for anything less,” Jake said so seriously that I merely stared at him. “Do not settle for anything less,” he repeated, and I slowly nodded. I needed to confront Corey and demand the truth. The sooner I did that, the better. Of course, I would wait for his parents to leave, and then I would do it. There was no more hiding. No more waiting. It was time to figure out things with Corey – once and for all.