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Ben had chosen me over my best friend. At least, that’s what I’d always believed. He’d been so good at it, making me feel special. But it was all a lie. He hadn’t chosen me; he’d pitied me. Just like every photographer my mom had dragged me to and shoved me in front of, between the ages of five and twelve. They didn’t humor her because they saw something in me and wanted to help unleash my inner fashion model; they humored her because they felt sorry for me. And because, more often than that, she didn’t give them a choice.
“I don’t need your charity, Noah,” I said quietly, keeping myself distracted with the dishes.
“Whoever hurt you did a good job. I can see that.” He hesitated, the tension pulling taut between us. “But I’m determined to crack your resolve, shortcake.”
Noah’s words made my stomach flutter.
I hated the nickname shortstack and the painful memories it conjured, but there was something endearing about shortcake.
Until I remembered his track record with women, the glaring fact he was one of Austin’s best friends and his teammate. Noah Holden was lots of things, and maybe I’d underestimated the right-winger from Buffalo, but it didn’t change the fact he was so completely and utterly out of my league.
Still, it didn’t stop a little part of me from imagining what it must be like to be the center of his attention.
The heart was a fickle thing. She knew what it felt like to be broken and betrayed; she still felt the pain of it all these months later. But she still let herself fall into the fantasy. The one where the guy picked me, where I found my prince.
Or maybe it was the hopeless romantic in me. The girl who spent most of her teen years lost in fantasy, reading about wealthy dukes and fae princes, and the popular athletes who all chose love in the end.
It was already happening. Every time Noah tried to wear me down, I felt the fantasy dig in and take root. He made it so easy.
It was dangerous to spend time with him because the truth was, I liked him. I did. He infuriated me, sure. But he also made me smile and laugh, and, despite the warning bells whenever I was around him, I looked forward to my next interaction with him.
“Aurora?” he said with hesitation.
I turned slowly and smiled at him. No way was I about to fess up about Ben and what happened. But I did manage, “You know, Noah Holden, maybe I should give you a chance.”
“Damn right, you should.” He grinned, sending my heart into overdrive. “I’ll be the best friend you ever had.”
There was that pesky word again.
Friend.
“I think—”
The back door opened, and Austin dragged himself inside, damp hair plastered to his head, sweat glistening on his skin.
“Hey,” he said sheepishly, glancing between the two of us. “What’s going on?”
“Aurora agreed to give me a shot at proving I’m not the asshole she thinks I am.”
He snorted. “Good luck with that.” Austin grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator and leaned against the counter. “Sorry about earlier.”
I nodded, not daring myself to speak. When I looked away, Noah caught my eye and smiled reassuringly.
“Heard from Sam?” Austin asked, and it was my turn to frown.
“Why would I hear from—oh, you’re not talking to me.”
I slid my eyes to Noah in question, and a guarded expression fell over his face. “My friend Sam had her apartment broken into.”
His friend Sam. Something told me she was a different kind of friend than the one I’d ever be.
“Noah here ran over there like Superman to console her.”
“It wasn’t even like that.” He cupped the back of his neck, looking all kinds of awkward. “She was scared and—”
“Wanted you to make it all better.” Austin laughed, oblivious to the tension zipping between his best friend and me. “I bet you calmed her down real good.”
Noah hissed, “Asshole,” under his breath, flashing me an apologetic smile.
