AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Mia’s eyes fly open, and she stands quickly, disconnecting us as she stands.
If not for the way her chest moves rapidly and the flush that crawls up her cheeks, I wouldn’t know she was as impacted by our nearness as I am. Turns out, maybe I’m not feeling these things alone.
Maybe our statement was more fact that fiction.
Chapter Six
MIA
What the hell is wrong with me? Garrett is my friend. And friends don’t lust after their friends’ bodies.
I nearly kissed him the other night. We’d been cuddled together on the couch and one second, I’d been exceedingly aware that he was Garrett, my best friend doing me a huge favor—bigger than anything I could do for him—and the next, he was Garrett, the man whose lips I desperately wanted to feel against mine.
I don’t date outside of Hollywood. I’d tried it exactly once since I was sixteen. The guy only wanted the publicity that came along with dating—and sleeping with—an actress. The good news was that I’d figured it out pretty soon after we started dating. The bad news was that I still felt used when I kicked him to the curb.
Garrett wasn’t for me. He was for Evie. The two of them were super cute together. Or they would be if they would finally succumb to my matchmaking attempts.
“I’m serious, Evie. There’s nothing wrong with you two watching a movie while I hang out in my room.”
It would give me a reprieve. Something is wrong with me. Very wrong. Because Garrett in only a pair of pajama bottoms, standing at the coffeepot, should not have had my pulse racing. But it had. His raspy laughter watching Pitch Perfect should not have elicited goosebumps. Guilty again. Was it too much to ask Evie to take one for the team? To get to know him a little? But she keeps refusing.
“Mi, I don’t need to get to know him,” she reiterates. “The little bit I know is fine. He’s a nice guy, but no. He’s your husband.”
“In name only,” I remind her.
She reaches across the table we’re sitting at and puts her hands on my shoulders. “Mi, I love you like a sister. But I am not interested in Garrett. Stop pushing.”
“But—”
She shakes her head, and I finally take the hint. “Fine. I won’t push.”
I won’t push her. I can still work on Garrett. They really would be perfect for each other.
And from the little Evie has shared of her dating life, she deserves a nice guy. A guy like Garrett.
He’s not for me. Not permanently.
He’s been busy at work the last few days as Meric turns more of his role over to him in preparation for his move. While he’s been working late, he comes home every night, and we curl up on opposite ends of the couch to talk about our days before flipping on a movie. It’s no different from when we weren’t married.
Liar.
Before we were married, it wouldn’t be unusual for us to sit next to each other with a giant bowl of popcorn between us. Now, it’s like we’re both consciously aware of the other person. It’s the foreplay, the anticipation, but not the gratification. It’s prolonged torture, and I’m not sure whether I love it or hate it.
He’s frustrated that Tucker keeps trying to get a hold of me, going so far as to even approach the gate the other night before Garrett got home. Too bad for him, I’d already disabled his security code. Still didn’t mean Garrett was happy to hear about Tucker’s visit after work that night.
“All right, Mia, I’ll see you tomorrow. I’m taking off.” Evie stands and stretches.
We’ve been going over what we know about the video and its release while looking for ways to identify the person in the video with Fucker and prove she isn’t me. But since I’m not willing to watch it again and Garrett flat-out refuses to watch it, we’re not coming up with anything. Yet.
“K. Thanks, Ev. Have a good night.”
“You too. Oh, hi, Garrett. Bye, Garrett.”
“Bye, Ev.” The tenor of his voice carries through the hall before he sticks his head into the kitchen.
“You’re home early,” I tease.
“Figured I would try not to work seventy hours in the office this week. I’m going to work on my laptop a little while we watch our movie tonight, if that’s okay.”
