I Helped My Best Friend Flirt With a Guy… Then He Fell for Me Instead

The Distraction and the Guitar Guy

My best friend smiled at me and said, “You like kids, right? Help get rid of one for me.”

“What the? What do you mean, get rid of one?” I gasped.

My best friend Audrey waved her hand around dismissively. “I meant like distract Kurt’s little brother for me.”

Kurt was the new guy Audrey had been obsessing over since he moved here. And honestly, I get it.

He had that cool guitar guy vibe going on that made him look like he was a missing member of One Direction. And Audrey wasn’t the only girl chasing after him.

The thing was, no one could get close because of his twelve-year-old brother Joey. Wherever Kurt went, Joey was there.

Audrey reached out and held my hands tightly, fluttering her eyes at me. “Please, I just need you to babysit the little brat so I can have a chance to be alone with Kurt.”

I couldn’t say no. Audrey had been there for me during my last breakup.

This was nothing. Babysitting Joey? Easy.

It only became a problem when Kurt started to look for me, too. Audrey was practically bouncing with excitement when I showed up at Kurt’s apartment to pick up Joey.

The Arcade Pact

Unfortunately, he was not a happy camper. He pouted the entire ride on the way to the arcade.

And when we arrived, all he’d say was, “I want my brother back.”

But I wasn’t ready to give up on him. I held up my Dave and Buster’s card and grinned.

“All right, if you can beat me in any game, we’ll go home.” Suddenly, he was alive, putting his full effort into each game.

But what he didn’t know was that I basically grew up in the arcade. “No way,” he gasped after handing him another defeat in Guitar Hero.

I patted his back. “Sorry, kid. You’ll need another ten years before you can beat me.”

He smiled at me, finally warming up. “I like you. People only play with me because they like my brother.”

“Even the kids at school think I’m annoying.” I paused.

“Joey, you’re not annoying,” I told him.

“No, it’s okay. I like that you’re at least honest,” he said in a calm voice.

“Audrey doesn’t even pretend to like me. She just stares at Kurt and acts like I’m not around.” My heart broke for him.

I bent down and looked him in the eye. “You’re a cool little dude and Audrey—she’ll come around.”

But somehow we both knew it wasn’t true. Before heading back home, we made a pact.

Anytime he wanted to hang out, I’d be there. What I didn’t expect was the next time I got called over, Kurt was there, too.

Movie Nights and Growing Guilt

First, he showed up just to check in on things, until he stayed to hang out with us completely. Joey pouted at Kurt.

“You’re interrupting our gaming time.” Kurt and I grinned at each other.

He held his hands up, apologizing. “Wow, I didn’t think my own little brother would try to kick me out,” he joked.

“You must really be something.” Kurt stared at me with a soft, romantic smile.

When Joey saw my face turn red, he glared at Kurt and covered Kurt’s face. “No, no flirting with my playdate.”

We all burst into laughter. The three of us fell into something I didn’t expect.

Kurt would bring pizza. Joey would pick the movie. I’d make popcorn.

Joey started falling asleep on my shoulder halfway through whatever superhero film he’d chosen. And I’d fall asleep on Kurt’s shoulder.

He shook my shoulder gently after moving Joey to his bedroom. “Hey, can I drop you off?”

That was our first time alone. I expected it to be awkward, but it wasn’t.

We spent most of the time talking about Joey. “I’m seriously thankful. Ever since we lost our parents, Joey’s been having a hard time.”

He reached over from the driver’s seat and held my hand. Everything felt right until I remembered something crucial: Audrey.

A Choice Between Hearts

In the morning, Kurt texted me: “Would you want to get dinner together later? Without Joey for once, like just us?”

I stared at my phone, reading it over and over until Joey texted me, too: “Please say yes to Kurt. If you date him we can hang out all the time. Please please please.”

Before I could say yes, Audrey called me, sobbing into the phone. “I thought we were getting closer, but Kurt’s been so distant lately.”

“I don’t know what I did wrong. He barely responds to my texts anymore.” “Can you come with me to their house? I need to talk to him face to face.”

“I can pick you up in ten minutes.” I couldn’t breathe.

Couldn’t even respond to any of them. I just knew whatever I chose, I was going to break someone’s heart.

I sit on my bed, staring at my phone screen until the words blur together. Kurt’s dinner invitation sits in one thread.

Joey’s all-caps begging sits in another. And I can still hear Audrey’s voice cracking through the phone, asking me to come with her in ten minutes.

My thumb hovers over the keyboard, but I can’t make it move. I open Audrey’s thread first because she’s literally waiting for me right now.

I type out that I can be ready in twenty minutes instead. The guilt hits as soon as I press send because I need those extra ten minutes to figure out what I’m going to say.