AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The memories cause me to cringe and laugh all at the same time. “Twice. I mean, I didn’t exactly ask, but she could tell where I was going with it.”
Biting down on his bottom lip to suppress his smile, he snickers. “Damn, she really is different.”
I look down at the sleeping beauty on my lap. “She’s my best friend.”
A small tug on the corner of her mouth tells me she may be awake, but I don’t question it. Even if she heard everything I said, it’s all true and I’m not ashamed of any of it.
WHEN IT REACHES THE point where I can no longer stay awake on this lounge chair, I know it’s time to go to bed. I softly wake Kayleigh and the two of us go to my bedroom. Thankfully, she doesn’t notice Caleb’s suggestive look as we pass him.
The two of us change and I mentally groan when I see her wearing one of my t-shirts. She always looks good, but in my clothes, she’s absolutely sinful. Still, it’s too late and we’re both exhausted.
We get into my bed, cuddling up together like we always do. I can’t stop thinking about what she told Jason. She’s going to be spending Thanksgiving alone? How can I leave her here knowing that? The thought will haunt my mind the entire time I’m gone.
“Kayleigh?” I whisper, hoping she’s still awake.
“Yeah?”
“Why aren’t you going home for Thanksgiving?”
She freezes for a moment but then sighs. “My mom and stepdad are going on vacation. Bree should be going home though, so I’ll be able to stay in my dorm.”
A small sound leaves my mouth, letting her know I heard her. However, my thoughts are all over the place. I don’t want her here by herself. I don’t want her anywhere if I’m not there, too. I want to bring her with me. The idea of showing her around my hometown, telling her about myself – it scares the shit out of me but in the best way possible.
She turns in my arms and looks at me. “What’s wrong? If you’re worried about me being alone, I’ll be fine. It’s only a week.”
“No. It’s not that at all.” Shit. She’ll never agree to it. We’re just friends. The word feels heavy in my mind.
“Then why does it seem like somethings off with you?”
I’ll never know unless I ask, right? To buy myself time, I lean forward and kiss her softly. When I pull away, I’m sure this is what I want. “I’m just trying not to scare you away.”
She starting to worry, looking at me like something’s wrong with a crease in her perfect forehead. “What? How would you be scaring me away?”
Screw it. Tell her. Fucking say it. “I want you to come home with me for Thanksgiving.”
As soon as the words leave my mouth, I realize it was a horrible idea. Her eyes widen and she looks like she’s about to run for the hills. Shit, please don’t leave me. I’ll do anything to make sure she doesn’t walk out that door right now.
“Say something.” I beg. “Please.”
She flutters her eyes closed and breathes in deeply. “I-I don’t know what to say.”
Okay, at least she’s not screaming no in my face, and she’s not pushing me off the bed to make her escape. “Well, you could say you’ll come with me.”
I can practically see the gears turning in her head. She bites her bottom lip and I need to resist sucking it into my mouth. This is not the time for that.
“But we’re not even dating, and I don’t like Thanksgiving. There’s so much food and your family will be there, and what if they don’t like me? I don’t even like me. I just, I-I don’t…” It’s like once the words started flowing, the internal panic was released and she doesn’t even realize what she’s saying anymore.
“Woah, Kayleigh.” I cut her off. “Baby, relax. You don’t have to, it was only an idea.” She visibly relaxes and I kiss her forehead as she calms. “I’d like you to come with me, but you don’t have to.” The idea of her rejection makes my stomach churn, but I’d never make her do something she doesn’t want to. “Just think about it, yeah?”
She nods and I take comfort in the fact that she hasn’t said no – at least not yet anyway. I kiss her once more before shifting us and pulling her closer so her head lies on my chest. She falls asleep rather easily but I stare at the ceiling, wondering what in the world has happened to me.
THE SOUND OF KAYLEIGH’S alarm blares the next morning, waking us both. She gets up to get ready for work while I stay in bed. At first I think she’s avoiding me but when she catches me ogling her body as she changes her clothes, she smirks. Yeah, we’re okay.
Just before she goes to walk out the door, I get up. “No kiss?”
She rolls her eyes playfully and comes over to peck my lips. “You’re the clingiest friend ever.”
There’s that word again. Friend. It makes me want to mark her up and show the world that she’s mine, regardless of what she’s afraid of. “You love it.”
