He smiles at me and puts the fish down now, leaning back on the counter to face me. “You didn’t text me back,” he says, and I look at his hands, the hands that brought me more pleasure that I would ever acknowledge.

“There was nothing to say.” I look into his eyes, and it’s the wrong thing to do. The minute he sent me the text, my hands got so sweaty, I almost dropped the phone. I ignored it, but I would look at my phone every second to see if he texted me back. When he finally said he was coming over, I knew I had no choice but to answer him. I thought by answering him, he would go away, but he didn’t.

“I think there are a couple of things to say,” he says softly, and I just look at him. “Take for example us running in the same circle.”

“We don’t run in the same circle,” I point out. “I go to hockey games, and you play hockey.”

“Do we ignore each other when we are in the same room?” he asks me, and my stomach drops. I wasn’t planning on ever being in a room with him. “Or do we just pretend that we haven’t seen each other naked?”

“We are both responsible adults,” I tell him. “I’m sure we can be in a room without being awkward.”

“What about us being friends?” he asks.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I say. I’m sure I have reasons, but I just can’t think of them right now with him in my space. I should have just called him and spoke to him on the phone.

“Why?” He tilts his head sideways. “We have a lot in common.”

“Men and women can never be friends,” I tell him. “It’s impossible.”

“You’re friends with Matthew.” He smirks, and now I’m so angry with him. I wish I could put my heel through his toe, but then Matthew would kill me if I injured his star goalie.

“He’s like my brother,” I counter. “We can’t do that.”

“Why not?” he says.

“Because we just can’t,” I say loudly, throwing up my hands. “It’s not going to be fair to you. You want more than I have to offer.”

“I want your friendship,” he tells me, and I try to swallow, but my mouth is drier than a desert under a hot sun in the summer. “Surely, you can offer me a friendship after everything.”

“It just isn’t going to work,” I say. “Men and women can not be just friends. It’s scientifically impossible.”