But then, everything changed.
One warm summer evening, when we were both sixteen, we lay on the roof of my house, gazing up at the stars. The silence between us was comfortable, like we’d never need anything more than this moment. Then Jake, in his usual way, broke the quiet.
“Paul,” he said, his voice softer than usual. “We should make the ultimate bet.”
I turned to look at him, curious. “Yeah? What kind of bet?”
A grin spread across his face. “Who lives longer.”
I laughed, more out of surprise than amusement. “That’s silly. How would we even know who wins?”
Jake shrugged. “Easy. Whoever goes first owes the other a soda.”
I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. “Fine. But you better not lose.”
His grin widened, and for a moment, I believed him when he said, “I never lose.”
For years, I believed that.
Then Laura came along.
I hadn’t planned on falling for her, but somehow, I did. She was different—genuine, quick-witted, and when she laughed, it felt like the world was a little bit brighter. I tried to ignore it, but then Jake caught me staring at her in the hallway.
“You like her, don’t you?” he asked, smirking.
I hesitated before nodding. “Yeah. I do.”
Jake’s smirk turned into a grin. “Then let’s make it interesting. First one to ask her out wins.”
For the first time in our lives, I didn’t want to compete.
“She’s not a game, Jake,” I said firmly. “She’s a person.”
Jake rolled his eyes. “Come on, Paul. We’ve bet on everything. What’s the difference?”
“The difference is that this matters,” I replied.
Jake’s grin faltered, and a flicker of something unreadable crossed his face. “You’re acting like you’re in love with her or something.”
I swallowed hard. “Maybe I am.”
That was the moment everything between us changed.
I didn’t know Laura had overheard. I didn’t know she would walk up to me after school, smile, and take my hand like she’d already made her decision.
Jake was distant after that.
At first, he played it off, making jokes about how I’d “cheated,” but the tension grew quickly. He told people I had betrayed him, that I had picked a girl over my best friend. I tried to explain that it wasn’t about him—it was about her.
“Jake, this isn’t about you and me. It’s about her,” I pleaded.
“She was supposed to be a bet,” he said, frustration in his voice. “Not the reason you changed everything.”
“I never changed,” I said. “You did.”
But he wouldn’t listen.
By the time graduation came, Jake was gone. He packed up and left town without a word. Just like that, my best friend—the person I had trusted more than anyone—was gone.
Life moved on.
Laura and I built a life together. We got married, bought a house not far from where we grew up, and eventually welcomed our daughter, Emily. She had Laura’s eyes and my stubborn streak. Every time she giggled, the world felt right. But even in the joy of building a family, some nights, when the house was quiet, my mind would wander.
I wondered where Jake was. Did he ever think about me? Did he regret the way things ended?
Then, one afternoon, I found a letter in the mail. The handwriting on the envelope made my heart stop.
Jake.
I opened it, my hands trembling.
It was short, but the words hit me hard.
“I’m back in town. It’s been too long. Meet me at O’Malley’s tomorrow at seven. Let’s talk.”
No explanation. Just an invitation.
Laura noticed my expression. “Are you going?”
I hesitated. “Yeah.”
The next evening, I arrived at O’Malley’s early. I expected to see Jake waiting, leaning casually in a corner booth, grinning as if nothing had changed. But he wasn’t there.
Instead, a waitress approached, holding a folded piece of paper. “He asked me to give this to you.”
Confused, I opened the note.
“Paul, if you’re reading this, I couldn’t make it. I just wanted to fix what I broke.”
“I was stubborn, and I let my pride ruin our friendship. You were my brother, and I threw it away over a silly bet. I don’t expect you to forgive me. I just hope you know I never stopped missing you.”
“And as for that last bet… well, looks like you won, my friend. The soda’s on me.”
Tears blurred my vision as I set down the note. My voice broke as I whispered, “You idiot.”
A week later, I stood at a quiet spot in town, thinking about all the memories we had made.
“Guess you really went through with it, huh?” My voice cracked. “You still owe me a rematch.”
I set a bottle of soda down beside me.
“I forgive you, Jake. I forgave you a long time ago.”
As I walked away, Laura squeezed my hand. “You okay?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
And for the first time in years, I didn’t feel like I had lost my best friend.
I felt like I had finally said goodbye.