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As much as he couldn’t let it go, apparently, she couldn’t, either. Stupid.
Pushing off her chair, she grabbed her teacup and went in search of more liquid warmth. As she reached the living room, a knock sounded at her front door. Cora turned, staring at the door, hoping to hell that it wasn’t Aidan.
Wait.
Why would it be him?
Cora snorted to herself. She kept the teacup in her hand and hurried to the door. Good grief, why in the world was she even thinking these things?
The moment the door swung open to a stormy sky, Presley stood there saying, “I’ve come with chocolate.” The lights on the porch beamed down on Presley’s head, making her stand out in the dark night. She held up the box of chocolates and raised her other hand. “And popcorn, which I’m totally cooking, since you burn the crap out of it.”
Cora laughed. Not too long ago, Presley ate Cora’s popcorn with great disdain. She was too sweet to say no, even though it had tasted horrible. Though Presley’s appearance shouldn’t be odd, Cora wondered over her surprise visit. Letting her in, Cora asked, “Did Dmitri tell you to check in on me?”
“Er … no.” Presley’s nose wrinkled, eyes went wide. “Was he supposed to?”
Cora snorted. Great. Now she was thinking everyone was out to get her. “Nope. Come on in. I just finished up some work and planned to watch a movie.”
“Is it a romance?” Presley asked, stepping into the house. Then she took off her shoes, placing them neatly beside Cora’s.
Typical perfect Presley. Though her skinny jeans and revealing shirt weren’t typical at all of Presley. She’s been corrupted by a dark and delicious kinky world. Cora smiled at that thought, shut the door, locking it behind her. “Yup. It’s a totally gag-worthy romance.”
Presley giggled, heading into the kitchen. “Awesome.”
Cora followed, dropping down onto the tall, white stool by the island. Presley got to work making the popcorn. She looked as she did when she lived with Cora—totally at home. A little pang erupted in Cora’s heart. It was strange not having a roommate anymore—just something she hadn’t expected to miss so much.
Presley put the pot on the stove, flicked on the burner, and added the oil. “Okay, not beating around the bush.” She glanced over her shoulder and waggled her eyebrows. “Porter is hot!”
Cora placed her elbows on the countertop and rested her chin on her hands. “He looks a little different now than when I dated him.” She shrugged. “A bit older or wiser or something. But still very hot.”
Once the oil heated, Presley turned to the stove and added the popcorn. “The other night, you guys looked cute together.” One of the pieces of corn jumped onto the stove, and Presley placed the lid on the steel pot. “What happened between you?” She glanced to Cora and blushed. “If you don’t mind me asking.”
“Oh, please, why would I mind?” Cora tapped her fingers against the countertop, smiling at fond memories with Porter. Also overjoyed that Presley wasn’t asking anything about Aidan. Maybe it all had been put to rest. Good! “You know those boyfriends that end up being really great friends?”
More popcorn popped and Presley shook the pot, leaning her hip against the counter. “No-spark type of thing?”
“Yeah, like that.” Cora nodded, as the scent of not-burned popcorn swept through the air. “He’s a good guy—really terrific. But it always felt like what I have with Kyler. He’s a friend.”
“I’m so envious of that.” Presley turned off the stove and took the pot off the burner.
Cora knew why—Presley’s ex, Steven Moser, was one memory she could rather live without. She was also confident both Dmitri and Presley wanted to forget about him, too. Steven was a dickhead.
Hell, with Dmitri sharing her bed, Presley likely had forgotten all about her past relationship. “That’s because your last boyfriend was an asshat,” Cora muttered, scooting her butt into a more comfortable position on the stool.
“Right, that’s why.” Presley laughed, dumping the popcorn into one giant bowl. “But still, I think it’s great that you can be friends with men like that. I’ve never had a really close male friend.”
As Presley melted butter in the pot, Cora looked down to the countertop and swirled her finger along the marble design. She hadn’t had many ma
le friends before Club Sin. The Masters were overly caring in that way. They made it easy to be close to them.
Lacking energy, she pushed off the stool and grabbed two glasses out of the cupboard. As she took the cola out of the fridge and added ice to the glasses, she hoped it would happen soon between her and Aidan.
She didn’t only want his friendship.
Hell, she had broken up with Porter for that reason. She wanted more. When had she stopped wanting that? As she topped off the cola once the fizz died down, she knew she had a spark with Aidan. His touch was unforgettable. His care was perfect. He was undeniably good to her. But was that enough for her?
How much more time could she give him?
Lately, every step forward seemed to be only a step backward.
