Somebody That I Used To Know “I heard that Joella’s leaving soon,” Jeremy commented when he and Alistair were out for dinner one evening. They both worked in Los Angeles so made an effort to catch up every now and then. Alistair had never considered himself a sentimental, family-orientated kind of man but it did feel nice to have some family in the neighbourhood.
Alistair nodded. He wasn’t sure what Jeremy expected him to say on the matter.
“Have you spoken to her?” Jeremy persisted.
“No,” Alistair shook his head. He had considered writing to her and congratulating her on her success into getting into a top British Quidditch team but he hadn’t done so. It had been years since they had spoken and their friendship seemed to have ended on bad terms. He could see in hindsight that he had been foolish then, but he was too proud to acknowledge that now.
“You’ll lose her,” Jeremy warned him pointlessly.
“I already have,” Alistair frowned. “We haven’t spoken for years. What do you care?”
“I just don’t want to see you making the same mistake I did,” Jeremy shrugged. “I should never have let her go, Ali. And now when I look at you and Joella, it feels like history repeating itself.”
Alistair gave a small snort but it was forced. He knew who Jeremy was talking about. His older brother had been madly in love with Joella’s older sister Rolene for as long as he could remember and even now that Jeremy was married to Camila, there were times when Alistair doubted those feelings had ever left him. But comparing Jeremy and Rolene to himself and Joella was ridiculous.
“This is not the same thing, brother,” Alistair spoke almost mockingly, but it was false. “Joella was nothing more than a friend to me and we made a foolish mistake by thinking otherwise as children. We are not children anymore so it can all be forgotten.”
“You don’t mean that,” Jeremy shook his head. “But suit yourself, I’ll say no more.”
Alistair couldn’t help thinking that, deep down, he hadn’t meant a word he had just said. It irked him that Jeremy knew that. Perhaps he wasn’t so different from his brother after all. He readily cleared his mind of such thoughts, knowing that it wasn’t going to get him anywhere. The last thing he wanted was to be was like his brother, hung up on a girl he could never have and never fully appreciating the girl he did have.