Accidentally in Love with the Best Friend

h.a.r.p.e.r.’.s....p.o.v.

When Saturday rolled around, I was still searching for the definition of ‘taking it slow’. For most of the morning, I sat staring at my phone, contemplating over whether to text Justin or not.

What I had not been anticipating for, however, was for Toby to text me instead.

Toby: Hey Harp! This is Justin. I lost my phone so I’m borrowing Toby’s.

Harper: Okay...?

Harper: So, what’s going on?

Toby: I know we had an awkward moment a little while ago.

Toby: But how about we meet up today, to talk?

Harper: Okay, that sounds good, I guess.

Toby: Great! I’ll meet you at the back of my place by my truck. I’m wearing a green jacket if that helps.

Harper: So, what time should I head over?

Toby: Now would be great.

Harper: Okay - see you.

I frowned. Typically, Justin had never been this straightforward. I just decided to shrug it off though. It would be nice to finally get to talk to him face to face about what was going on.

After arriving in record time, I took one more glance at my brown hair in the rearview mirror before heading out around the back of the building. People I recognized from around town waved at me and said their hellos, but didn’t bother to question my presence here.

Walking around back, I saw the truck but didn’t see Justin. Maybe I hadn’t read the text messages correctly...

A loud crash sounded to my left, and I looked over to see someone beating up someone in a green jacket. Justin!

I ran over to stop the fight, but what I saw took me by surprise. Justin wasn’t wearing the green jacket, but rather Toby was. Justin, though - he looked like he was out for blood.

Just when he swung to knock out Toby, I tugged his arm back. I knew that it was potentially dangerous to do such a thing when he was as powerful as he was, but I couldn’t let him beat up Toby, even after all he’d done to me.

Justin turned around to face me, surprise on his face. “What is your problem?! Just because you hate Toby doesn’t mean you can beat him up like this!” I knew that Toby had most likely done something to provoke Justin, but that still didn’t understand why they had decided to talk with their fists.

Toby, whose face was nothing but a bloody mess, smiled up gratefully at me, happy to get some relief. I leaned down to assure him it was going to be alright.

No matter what he did, I could almost guarantee he didn’t deserve this. Justin looked mad as he watched me check closer in on my ex in front of me.

“We have to get him cleaned up,” I stressed, causing Justin to roll his eyes before begrudgingly pick up Toby and carry him in through the back of his house.

“Al-Justin, what happened?” Someone asked, come forward quickly.

“Toby picked the wrong person to mess with. Let him sit here and heal up. That shouldn’t take long.”

Shouldn’t take long?! His nose was crooked and blood coated his face, and his eyes were completely red and swollen. No one could heal that quickly.

“No, I think I’ll stay here with him. Obviously, you can’t be trusted.” I spat, a guilty feeling filling me up, knowing that Justin didn’t deserve to be yelled at like that. But he did in fact harm someone, and that was fairly bad in my book.

“H-harper,” Toby spoke softly, his gaze remaining on me. Justin huffed before leaving the room. “Please listen to what I have to say.” I nodded before he continued.

“J-Justin asked to use my cellphone to text you, stating he had left his somewhere else. Of course, I helped him out like I would anyone.” He started violently coughing and I gently rubbed his back, wondering if he needed medical attention. I had never expected someone like Justin to inflict so much damage on a person.

“Anyway, he told me that we were going to settle some things out here before you arrived. He said he needed to grab one thing inside. When I saw the jacket sitting on the truck, I put it on, confusing it for my own. That was when he came out, yelling something about messing with your guys’ friendship, and then throwing the first punch.” He instinctively touched his cheek, as if imagining how it had felt.

“I tried to fight back, but he was ruthless. I-I don’t think I’d be sitting here right now if you hadn’t come.” I bit back some tears. Was this the side of Justin I had never grown to know? The one that let his fists talk for him when he grew angry? The one that would push all sensible thinking out of the way? I couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like if he decided to take his anger out on me.

“Excuse me, miss?” I looked up to see an older woman with a bottle of medicine in her hand beside me. “I’m going to have to give this man some of his medication now. If you could go try and calm Al-Justin down that would be wonderful.”

Toby gave me a lazy smile before I headed outside, finding Justin pacing in the doorway. I took in a deep breath, trying to reassure myself that he wouldn’t hurt me.

“So you invited me over to see you beat up Toby?” I snapped, bringing his attention to me as I crossed my arms across my chest, sending the signal that I wasn’t impressed.

Justin sighed, putting his head in his hands before looking up at me. “Actually, I never invited you. Toby did.”

“But the text messages and Toby himself said -”

“I know what he told you,” he stated. “Or at least I have some sort of idea what it was about.”

“You’re lying!” I accused. “I just talked to him right now, and he said that you beat him up for no reason, none at all!” Now I was mad. To beat someone up was one thing, but to openly deny it was another.

“I was walking by his door, and heard his whole plan to kidnap you! I decided that you coming here would be okay because at least I would know you weren’t in harms way. But it was still Toby who texted you, baited the trap. When I saw him preparing the cage to keep you in in the back of the truck I finally lost it, and attacked him.” He put his head down, his breathing labored.

Toby? Hurt me? I shook my head. Yes, he was my ex, but he knew that hurting me wouldn’t change that. Justin had to be making this up to gain my favor, and to make his crime look less than it truly was.

My inner-struggle continued and I couldn’t help but wonder -

Who’s side was I on?