He sighed again. "I guess I'm saying give him time. The dude's gone through some serious shit."
I laughed self-consciously at his words.
"What?" he asked, looking puzzled.
"Nothing, I just think my radar must be off. I thought I was going to have to dodge moves from you, and instead you're telling me I should give some other guy a chance," I said, shaking my head incredulously.
"Oh no, your radar isn't off, I'm just a sap. Believe me, I thought this porch interlude would be going an entirely different direction than me encouraging you to hook up with someone else."
I laughed. "Well, it's a new one for me, but I'll take it," I teased.
"Can I at least walk you home, or am I too much of a chump in your eyes to do that?" he teased with twinkling eyes.
"I guess," I teased back after pretending to contemplate it. "Let me text my friend to tell her. Even though, after the disappearing act she did tonight, she doesn't deserve it," I said, pulling out my phone so I could text the traitor.
"Okay, all set," I said a moment later, stowing my phone back into my handbag. "So, I'm guessing since you had a different agenda tonight, you don't have a steady girlfriend?" I asked as we strolled toward my dorm.
"No, my high school girlfriend and I broke it off last spring."
"Why?" I asked without any qualms of intruding.
"I guess we just grew apart. We had such high hopes when we decided to apply to the same college, against our parents' wishes, I might add. They all thought a little separation would have done both of us some good."
"Ugh, so she goes to school here too? That's got to hit the suckage scale."
He laughed. "Yeah, it wasn't fun at first, especially since she decided that my friend was more to her taste."
"What a whore," I said.
He laughed again. "Yeah, I guess she is."
"It should be a law that you shouldn't be able to date your ex's best friend," I said, shooting him a sympathetic look.
"Ex-best friend," he corrected me.
"See, that's what I mean. These things never end well for the friendship," I added.
"It sucked at the time since I caught them in the act. I guess our parents were right, we needed separation. She just took it literally," he said with bitterness creeping in.
"Aw, Brad, I'm sorry. You deserve better than that whore," I said, giving his hand a squeeze.
"Damn, the guy has to be a cripple," I heard him mutter under his breath as we approached my dorm room.
"What?" I asked, not sure I heard him right.
"Nothing, I'm just contemplating my morals if I hit on someone who is gaga over someone who got dealt a raw deal," he said wryly, winking at me to let me know he was joking.
"What can I say," I argued.
"I know," he mocked. "That's okay. I think it's allowable in this situation."
"Why all the insight?" I asked, curiously.
"My twin brother Dan is paraplegic. He was diving off some rocks at the lake near my house when he slipped and smacked against the rock on his way down."
"Holy crap, I'm so sorry. When did it happen?"
"More than two years ago. It was the day after we graduated high school. A bunch of us were blowing off steam, drinking and partying and stuff. Dan and I were arguing over Megan and me attending the same college. He wanted college to be about us since he claimed Megan and I had been tied at the hip since sophomore year. I was pissed, said some shit and wound up leaving the party. I got the call before I even pulled my car onto the road. He jumped off the rocks and wound up slipping just before he dove and hit the outcropping of rocks on his way down," he said quietly.