Page 69 of Broken Boundaries

“Don’t play dumb with me, Aspen.”

“I’m not!” But my voice comes out way too high. She knows I’m lying.

“Are you messing around with Brooks?”

“No! I told you I won’t do that.” The lie feels sour on my tongue.

“I know what you said, but I also know what I saw.”

“And what exactly did you see?”

“The two of you. Alone. You with flushed cheeks.”

Oh god. Are my cheeks flushed? I do feel hot. Why does he affect me like this? He said nothing can happen between us. Nothing did happen.

“I—I…”

“Don’t lie to me.”

“I’m not lying. Nothing happened here today.”

“But something has happened previously?” she questions, picking up on my words.

I shrug one shoulder and look away. “Maybe.”

She shoves my shoulder. “You dirty skank! Tell me everything!”

“It’s nothing really. We’ve. . . kissed. Twice. That’s all.”

“Oh my god! I cannot believe this! You kissed Brooks? I am so jealous. How was it? He’s a great kisser, isn’t he?”

I let out a big breath. “It was so good, Jazz. Like the best kiss I’ve ever had.”

“I knew it! So what’s going on then? Are you gonna kiss some more?” She wriggles her eyebrows.

“No. He said we can’t, and I agree. It would ruin his relationship with Zach and complicate my position here at Moonlight. It wouldn’t be good.”

“Oh, come on,” she groans. “Those are stupid reasons. Well, I get the whole Zach being his son thing, but Zach isn’t a little kid anymore. He’s a big boy. He should be able to handle this.”

“I know, but I have to respect Brooks’s decision, you know?”

Her shoulders slump. “Yeah, but that sucks!”

“Tell me about it.”

“So, that’s why you haven’t done anything with Dawson yet?”

I sigh. “It feels wrong to take it any further when my head is stuck on someone else.”

“I get it. Must be so hard having so many guys falling at your feet.”

I bark out a laugh. “Oh my god, stop. There has been zero falling.”

“Please! Zach is begging for you back. Dawson is being all cute and taking you on dates. And Daddy Brooks is looking at you like he needs you alone in his bedroom stat.”

I slump down onto the couch, and Jazz sits next to me. “I don’t know how this happened.”

“Well, you’re hot, babe.”