Starting Fresh?

He sat there for about 10 seconds stumped before the light bulb came on.

“Shit, Addy. I wasn’t thinking. Do you want me to return them and get something else?”
“No, no. I just found it ironic that I am in my plight because my fiance’s mistress got knocked up and you got two movies about girls that get knocked up. Nice.”

He laughed this time. “Man, I am such a loser. I should just cut my losses now, huh? Wow. I’m pathetic with women. Always have been, probably always will be.”

“Not true. Gina apparently thought you were charming. She lived with you after all for, what, six months?”

“Yea I guess so. Maybe. She didn’t cry when I broke up with her though. She acted strangely relieved. Maybe that should have told me something.”

“No way. She probably just knew it wasn’t right. Girls have a sixth sense about those kind of things even if they don’t want to admit it.”

“If you had this sixth sense, why didn’t you sniff Brad out sooner?”

“Like I said sometimes we just don’t want to admit it. It’s easier to be with somebody that maybe isn’t right than to have to start fresh with somebody new.”

We sat there in awkward silence for a minute or two.

“Are you ready to start fresh, Addy?” Ben finally asked breaking the silence. I stared up at him unsure of how to respond. I didn’t want to push Ben away but I also wasn’t sure about him, about the situation, about anything really and the last thing I wanted to do was lose a friend after everything else.

“I’ll start the movie,” I said finally choosing that no answer was the best answer. I jumped up, grabbed the movie off the coffee table and started around Ben. He stood up blocking my path.

“Addy, I need an answer. Are you ready to start fresh?”