“Did you like the words you wrote?” I ask.
She nods. “Too much, I think.”
“How so?”
“I wanted to,” she takes a breath, “be alone with … you.”
“Dove?”
“Yes?”
“Are you aware you’re biting your lip?”
“Yes.”
I inch closer, closing the small gap and resting my hand on her hip. My thumb rubs small circles against her skin, sending a bolt of heat through my entire body.
“Tobias,” she whispers, and I swear it’s so quiet in this room that she can hear my heart pounding through my ears.
“Yeah?”
She yawns again and closes her eyes.
“Don’t read my words until tomorrow, promise?”
“I promise,” I say, smiling. I didn’t even think about that, but now I’m curious.
Her breathing evens out quickly, and I know she fell asleep.
I blow out a breath and kiss her forehead before rolling onto my back.
I know we both want to keep our friendship the way it’s always been, but the truth is, whether we like it or not, it changed the day she met Griffin, again when they broke up, and even more when we admitted to having feelings for each other.
No matter how hard we try, we won’t be the same old Natalie and Tobias anymore.
Maybe it’s time I help her see that.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
NATALIE
Which is worse: saying something you wouldn’t normally say when you're drunk or when you're half asleep?
In most cases, I’d say when you’re drunk because, wow, you can say a lot of stupid stuff, and even through a slur, it always comes out clear. But in my case, I’m going with when you’re half asleep and ready to throw caution to the wind.
I just wrote a scene, and I thought about you the entire time.
Oh god. I think I’m going to be sick.
And I wanted to be alone with you.
Yep, I said that too.
The worst part is, I meant it. All of it. I just didn’t plan to have word vomit in the late hours of the night.
The one question I still can’t seem to answer is why I said it.
What did I think was going to happen? That one day after we admitted our feelings, on which we both somewhat silently agreed not to act, we’d change our minds and chance ruining ten years of friendship? That I’d say the word, and he’d jump on me because he has no self-control?
