She glances at me, waiting, and I fear that if I don’t say something, she’s going to realize something is wrong. Or worse, thinkshedid something wrong. I do my best to smile, then bump my shoulder to hers. “Did you? Like it?”
“It wasn’t bad,” she teases, then bumps me back. “I had fun,” she adds. “Just so you know.”
I wipe my hand across my forehead. “That’s a relief.” She laughs softly, and I take her hand. “I’m glad I could be there for you. Help you figure some things out.”
There’s a brief hesitation, and she squeezes my hand. “Me too.”
I mean it. Iamglad that I could be there for her during her self-discovery. Even if I wish it meant something more for her.
The breeze is back, rustling the trees. I think about Greece and Sophia. How utterly in lust I was with her. How she very gently but firmly told me we could be friends who remained platonic, or we could be lovers who didn’t hang out outside of the bedroom. But not both. Never both.
Because both would lead to immeasurable heartbreak.
My heart may not be breaking, but it’s assuredly cracked, and I start to realize why Sophia drew that boundary between us. Because if I press for more with Jules, when it’s not obvious that’s what she wants, I may lose her completely. Andthatwould be devastating.
“Nothing’s changed, right?” I ask, worried that our impulsive decision last night has already begun to corrode our friendship. “Still best friends?”
“Still best friends.” She shifts closer and rests her head on my shoulder.
I’m relieved. Thank God we didn’t fuck things up by, well, you know.
She rubs the pendant on her necklace, and I notice how tense she is. It makes me nervous all over again.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I told Chloe. About last night,” she blurts. I groan, and her eyes widen. “It’s not my fault. She figured it out before I could even finish my coffee.”
“And you’re a shitty liar,” I add.
“And I’m a shitty liar,” she agrees. She wrings her hands, clearly worried.
The thing is, I never could stay mad at her. Even though I know Chloe will never let us live this down. I squeeze her tight. “Don’t worry. It’s one of the many things I love about you.”
She relaxes and takes my hand, threading our fingers together. I try to steady my heart. This is what we wanted, I remind myself. A single night together that wouldn’t change anything between us. We’re not lovers. We’re friends. That’s all.
Because like I learned in Greece, you can’t have both.
Three more days!
I fire off a GIF of an excited kid followed by a quickI can’t waitand shove my phone into my back pocket.
The manager at the gym is pretty cool and doesn’t mind if we check our phones on occasion, and he even lets us study when it’s slow, but it’s still a bad look to be caught distracted when I’m supposed to be working. Especially since I’m overdue for restocking the bathrooms.
As soon as I open the supply closet and grab a couple rolls of toilet paper and a stack of paper towels, someone walks in behind me and snakes their arms around my midsection.
I would be startled if I wasn’t expecting it.
A pair of lips latches on to my neck, and I tilt my head, welcoming the soft, wet kisses. My polo is pulled from where it’s tucked into my pants, and a cold hand presses against my stomach, making me hiss.
“Hey.” Trinity pulls away when I turn, her hair cascading down her shoulders from underneath her knit cap. Judging by her pink nose, rosy cheeks, and freezing hands, it’s clearly gotten chilly outside. That’s October in New York, I guess.
“Hey yourself.” I lean back in, and we hover just like that, lips pressed together and the taste of her peppermint gum on my tongue. “You’re early.”
“I wanted to see you.” She slips her hands in my back pockets and pulls me to her. “So here I am.”
“Here you are.” I push my hands up the back of her fancy-looking shirt and press them flat on her back, reveling in the softness of her skin. “You look nice. Did you wear this for me or for Vic?” She laughs, and I kiss her jaw. Vic, her personal trainer, is gross, and it’s clear he only gives her a discount because he wants to sleep with her.
“Neither. I had a meeting with some people at the agency earlier today.”
