I sat up straight as a nail; shocked and...appalled that such an insensitive comment would come out of my new friend's mouth after I had revealed the most intimate and painful part of my life.
I threw the blanket off my shoulders, picked up the now empty bottle of wine from the coffee table and shot daggers at Kyle with my eyes.
"I can not believe you," I said before storming to the kitchen.
"Elle,I don't know..."
"Patty was right," I said shaking my head.
"Okay, now I'm confused. He was right about what?"
"He said that men and women can not be friends. Men are only nice to girls because they want something from them; usually sex, and you are the worst! I pour out the most painful part of my life and you're hitting on me! You are unbelievable! I knew the nice guy thing was just an act. You need to go...now!"
"Whoa whoa whoa, slow down princess! First of all, I am not hitting on you. Secondly, what kind of fucked up house did you grow up in freaking Leave it to Beaver?"
"You have no right to make fun of my family," I hissed.
"No? You spent your whole life washing dishes for your brothers and every man in your life has a warped, very sexist view about women. I'm not making fun Elle, I just don't understand it."
He reached for my hand and after a brief inner battle with myself, I didn't pull it away. He led me back out to the couch where we automatically resumed our previous position. What was it about this guy?
"Not everyone has an ulterior motive Bronx," he said softly. "Some people are what they seem to be; I am one of them. You can't go through life with these walls up and expecting the worst."
"I never used to be this way I swear, I was naively happy and trusting. I always saw the good in everyone and took everyone at their word; unheard of in New York. Call it sheltered or whatever, but I was totally satisfied with the life I was living, but Shawn ruined all that. I wasn't kidding when I said he destroyed me. I can't give my heart to someone like that again. I'm broken."
Kyle kissed the top of my head and gave my shoulder a squeeze.
"I know it feels like that now Elle, because it's still new, but someday you'll meet someone who takes your breath away and you won't want to be alone anymore."
"I'm not alone; I have my family and..." I looked at him hopefully.
"And me," he smiled. "There's no way in hell you're getting rid of me now. We can be...what do they say? Bff's?"
"Yeah sure, bff's," I laughed, "on one condition."
"And what's that?"
"I am completely serious Kyle, no set ups or blind dates or ambushes or anything. I want nothing to do with men, please respect that."
"You got it Bronx, I won't push you, and I certainly don't want you to do anything you're not ready for. I promise."
"Thank you. Now I won't make you leave."
"Gee, how nice of you. So you wanna watch a movie?"
"Do I get to pick?"
"No way! I am not watching one of those old, boring, girly movies. You said you've never seen The Godfather; we are totally watching it! I got it upstairs; be right back."
By the time I was done making popcorn and opening another bottle of wine, Kyle was back and more excited than a kid in a candy store!
"Get ready to witness one of the best movies in the history of cinema!"
************************************************************
I don't remember much of the movie; I don't even remember falling asleep, but we both must have at some point because I woke up when Kyle moved his arm.
"Morning Bronx," he said in that gravelly morning voice.
"Morning. I can't believe we slept like that all night," I said sitting up and stretching.
"I can't either, I normally can't sleep anywhere but in my own bed."
I was puzzled. "Don't you spend like half the season in hotels?"
"Well yeah, but that's different. I'm a totally different animal during the season, and you're usually so exhausted it doesn't matter where you crash."
"Can't wait to meet that Kyle! Do you want some breakfast?"
"Why don't we go to the diner, then you can come to the rink with me?"
"Sounds like huge fun, but I have to go shopping for supplies, school starts next week and I didn't bring that many of my resources."
"That's perfect! I can go with you after my work out and we can grab dinner."
"I'm starting to think that you have an issue with being alone, besides, what would your girlfriend think about you spending this much time with another girl?"
"Trust me, she won't care."
"Well I would certainly care if my boyfriend was spending every waking moment with another girl. Why isn't she here with you?"
"We have a...different kind of relationship. Jenn was here for a while my first year here but she went back to L.A. It wasn't really her thing here."
"But you're here. Isn't that the most important thing?"
"Not everyone has the same family values you do Elle. She has different priorities, she's focusing on her career right now."
"Hmm."
"Hmm? What is that? What does that mean?" he asked excitedly.
"Nothing. I guess I just didn't really picture you with a girl like that."
"Like what?"
"Kyle, you are truly one of the most amazing people I have ever met, and if I had a boyfriend as wonderful as you are, I'd find a career wherever you were. but like you said, not everyones priorities are the same."
"Trust me, being apart is far better than her being miserable here."
"Don't take this the wrong way, but then why are you still together?"
He wrinkled his eyebrows and scrunched up his nose. "That's is a very good question."
