Page 52 of The Other Room

Visions of our awkward kiss in eighth grade flooded back to me, followed by memories of the way she’d reacted just the other day when I’d almost kissed her again.

Jenna propped an elbow on the bar and leaned forward. “You keep saying ‘Jo doesn’t like me like that’, instead of ‘I don’t like Jo like that’, which tells me two things. One, that you are crazy about Jo. Two, that since I’m right about your feelings, I’m right about hers. Boom.” She faked a mic drop.

Words rattled around in my brain, but my mouth only opened and closed while I struggled for an argument to explain away her very accurate accusation about my feelings. But one look in her eye and I knew she had me backed into a corner.

Busted.

With a sigh, I leaned forward. “Okay, fine. You caught me. I’m fucking crazy about Jo. Always have been, always will be.”

“YES!” she shouted, pumping her fist in the air.

Jo passed by and slammed to a stop. “What’s up?”

“Nothing!” we echoed, and our unnaturally high-pitched response caused Jo to furrow her brow.

“What’s going on?” she asked again, but her eyes bore into Jenna’s. Another silent standoff between the Parker sisters went down.

“Jo, that guy’s waiting for a drink. Chop, chop.” Jenna clapped her hands, ending the telepathic conversation.

“Just... Jenna.” She pointed a finger in Jenna’s face, and I tried to grasp what the hell they were arguing about.

Me?

Was it possible Jenna was right and Jo was warning her not to say anything?

More memories of Jo running back to the jet ski in disgust after I’d almost kissed her flooded my mind.

Nope. Definitely not what was going on here, because Jo was not into me.

With a final glare, Jo spun on her heel and marched back to work.

“So,” Jenna turned back to me. “As you were saying?” She propped her chin in her hands and batted her long lashes.

“Nothing. Just forget I said anything.”

She slapped my shoulder and then gave me a shake. “No way. Not backing out of this now. You were saying that you’ve always been in love with Jo. And I was saying that meant if I was right about one of you, I’m right about the other.”

I leaned in. “Jenna. I almost kissed Jo at the beach the other day. You saw it. I know you did. And you know what she did? She ran. And then avoided me for three days straight. I’m trying like hell here to keep my feelings for her in check, and you’re not helping. At all. I won’t mess up our friendship, Jenna. I can’t. This last year without her was torture. I won’t risk ruining things again. I need her in my life.”

Jenna’s shoulders lifted with her heavy sigh, and her face softened. “You need her in your life because you love her. And she ran off because, well, she’s Jo. And you know better than anyone that Jo doesn’t do feelings well. She may be tough as nails on the outside, but on the inside, she’s got that melty, gooey center. She’s scared, Matt. Probably of the same thing you are. Of ruining the friendship. And she’s also gotta be so scared of getting hurt.”

It was something Jo would do... running away from something that might get serious. Might cause her to risk getting hurt. But was Jenna right? Was it possible the reason she took off after our almost-kiss involved fear instead of disgust?

The possibility almost melted my mind.

“I’m telling you, Matt. What you’re feeling is not one-sided. But one of you needs to take the leap and get this thing going. You’ve spent twenty-plus years doing this dance together, both of you too chicken-shit to admit how you feel. You’re a grown-ass man now, and you know what grown-ass men do?”

“Pretend they aren’t in love with their best friend for all eternity?” I gave her a sheepish grin.

In turn she flicked my head again. “No, dumbass. You man up and tell her how you feel!”

“I can’t, Jenna. What if you’re wrong? What if she doesn’t feel that way about me and she ends our friendship? I’m still on very thin ice with her.”

“She won’t.”

“But what if?”

Jenna blew out an exasperated breath. “Fine. Let’s say on the zero percent chance she’s not into this, what is the worst thing that happens? You tell her, she says no, and it’s a little awkward for a while. But you two are Jo and Matt... you’ll get through it.”