I know the guys never let me forget, but is that the same for her?
“I mean, the girls already brought it up this week.”
“Seriously? Let me guess; Calla?”
Natalie laughs. “Yep.”
“Beck did too.”
Her laugh deepens, then she says, “Do you ever feel like we should just bang and get it over with? Just so people stop asking. Like, we tried, but it didn’t work out. Sorry.”
Jesus. Is this how she sees me? Us?
Why does the idea of us justbangingpiss me off?
I shake my head, trying to get a grasp on the words I want to use.
“See, this is why I didn’t want to mention it.” She moves to get off the couch, but I reach for her and pull her back.
She lands in my lap, just the way I'd planned for her to.
“I want to talk about it. I just wasn’t expecting you to say we should bang and get it over with.”
The words taste like metal in my mouth, and I don't like them.
“So you don't think about it?”
“To be honest, until that day in my office, no. But I sure as hell think about it now.”
“That we should bang and get it over with?” I ask to clarify.
“Ugh, stop saying that. It was a poor choice of words, I get it.”
She tries to get up again, but I still don't let her.
This conversation has set my mind reeling. If I had one chance with my best friend, what would I do? How would that play out?
The answer comes to me faster than I expected. My heart beats rapidly at the thought of Natalie and I as more.
“I could never just bang you, Dove.”
Her breathing instantly picks up, matching mine, as she looks down at me.
“You are worth so much more to me than that,” I confess.
She doesn’t tear her eyes from mine. I rest a hand on her bare thigh, my thumb brushing back and forth. She still doesn’t look away.
“I’m … I’m going to get you more ice.”
Her hand rests on my chest as she pushes herself off me.
I catch her looking at my lips one more time before she walks out of the living room.
I blow out a breath.
Shit.
It all makes sense now.
