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“You’re obligated to say that because he’s your brother.”
“No, I mean it. I grew up with him, of course, but he’s not the type of guy who takes a girl for granted. When Marc loves someone, he loves them with everything he has in him. He takes care of them and puts them first. He was only ever in love once, at least he thought that’s what it was.” She shakes her head at the thought of his past. “When Becky fucked up, he realized that maybe there was no love there in the first place. He was outraged by what she did. It fucked him up big time, but there was also a part of him that was thankful for it so he didn’t have to fall deeper for her. Or hell,marryher and find out she was a cheating bitch.”
“Marc didn’t deserve that to happen to him.”
“You’re right, he didn’t. You may be one of my best friends now, too, so I know deep in my bones that you wouldn’t do anything to hurt him.”
I cut her off, shaking my head and looking down as I wring my hands together on the table. “You don't know that, Em. What if I do something unintentionally to hurt him?”
“You won’t because you two have already been through so much as a fake couple. He’s seen the vulnerable side of Avery Woods that not many people get a chance to see. You’ve allowed him to see the worst parts of you and the best parts of you.”
“I wouldn’t classify a raging bout of food poisoning and puking all over the place as theworstpart of me,” I scoff.
“You know what I mean.” She laughs.
“I do,” I say, offering her a smile. “I want to tell him how I feel, but how the fuck do you even do that? I can’t really just sayhey, I love you, becau—”
“Woah woah…” Kali cuts me off. “Love?”
“Is our girl inlove?” Peyton coos.
“Stop it. That’s not what this is. That’s why I just said Ican’tsay that.”
“But if that’s how you feel, then yes! You actually can say just that.”
I’ve loved before, but that list is short and it’s never been with a man. It’s my mom and my best friends.
Love for my mom is unconditional, a love like no other. She was my first best friend, and that forever type of friend. The woman who’s been my biggest cheerleader in life, who’s stood by me through good and bad, and pushed me to always believe in myself. I'm who I'm because of her and how she’s loved me.
Love for my best friends is like finding the sisters you’ve always wanted. They may not have been there my whole life, but they came in and just made everything so much better. Shoulders to cry on, girls to sit around and laugh at the dumbest things with.
Love for Marc though?
Could that be what all these feelings are?
The more I think about it, the more I think that’s what this is.
The uneasy churning in my stomach when he’s around is just simply butterflies of excitement that he’s in my presence. The all-consuming feeling of wanting him to touch me in any way, shape or form. Whether it’s just his arm around me, his hands cupping my face before he leans in to kiss me, or his body pressed into mine. The smile that touches my lips when I think about a future with him. How safe my heart would feel in his hands.
Marc Ford came into my life like a wrecking ball, breaking down every single wall.
“I think there’s definitely something there,” I admit to them. “Maybe it’s just lust or a crush at this point. But I can’t say for certain that this is love.”
“You’re going away with him tomorrow, right?” Peyton asks.
“Yeah, that’s why I took today off to pack.”
“Well this weekend will be a way for you to find out. No pressure of work around you, a getaway to the mountains where it’s just the two of you—”
“It’s not just the two of us,” I cut her off. “It’s Bill and Cathy as well as Todd and his fiancé.”
“Even better.” Peyton claps her hands, and smiles widely. “You two won’t have to fake a single thing. If this is really what we all already know it is, then you two can go to that cabin and be arealcouple for once in front of everyone.”
“Yeah… you have a point.”
“I know. Let’s get the check and head out for some last minute shopping for the trip,” Peyton says right before she flags down the waiter to ask for the check.
“Shopping?” I snort. “I don’t really need to shop for this. I just planned on bringing yoga pants and a couple t-shirts.”
