AllFreeNovel
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I feel Drew tense beside me.
“He was always so unsure, you know?” Willow says, taking a seat on the arm of the couch. “Then again, we were so young. At least I was.” She traces a finger through the fine leather. “Men have it so easy. I mean, look at Mick Jagger.”
“You know, Willow. I really appreciate the question, and I’m afraid I just don’t think we owe you an answer,” I say. Diplomatically, of course.
Willow tilts her chin down. “I always thought you were nice, Dana.”
“I am plenty nice,” I reply,for those who deserve it.
I feel Drew brush a knuckle against my shoulder encouragingly.
“Fine.” Willow scans the room for the next conversation she can enter unprompted. “Be careful, though. That not rushing thing might bite you in the end. Drew might spend his whole life not rushing.” Her eyes zero in on Gillian and Axel, eager to be their third wheel. “Anyway…”
When she’s just out of earshot, I let out a deep breath.
“Way to go, D, way togo!” Drew says, patting my shoulder.
“God, I really don’t like her.”
“You can say hate, I won’t tell anyone.”
I give him a look. “I don’t hate anyone.”
“Right. Not in the job description, hm?”
We smile at each other, and again I feel that pull, the one that was happening before we were rudely interrupted. Willow isn’t done with us, at least not with her evil little glare. I’ll fucking show her. I give into the pull, dodging Drew’s lips at the very last minute and planting a kiss to his cheek. Prolonged. Tender. A fuck you to Willow. And a little something for me too.
“What’s that for?” Drew asks, his question a mere hot breath in my ear.
“For sticking up for me,” I reply. “And to see the look on Willow’s face.”
He laughs lightly. “You’re the best, D.”
I want another kiss. On the lips this time. But I can’t. Would be too much…wouldn’t be fair to either of us. And besides, I made the line very clear. No funny business. All of it for the sole purpose of making Willow back off.
When he calls me the best, though…a whole colony of butterflies erupts in my belly.
I have to squash each and every one.
I pull away. “What are friends for?” I ignore any reaction he might have and eye Amy and Hunter across the room, the two of them now blissed out on the couch, watching Jessica dress her Barbie and stick her into her new car. Amy’s got a new necklace on. Something simple but clearly expensive. Jewelry. That’s a gift I’d like from a man. I’m not too proud to admit it.
“I got you something,” Drew whispers.
“Huh? We agreed we wouldn’t–”
“Little something.Little.”
Drew reaches into his pocket and pulls out a silver-foiled pack of baseball cards. The branding on the front is clearly vintage. I grin and take it. “That’s not little. That might contain a–”
“Nineteen-fifty-two Mickey Mantle,” Drew says with me in unison. “Yeah, doubt that. But anyway. Merry Christmas, D.”
I bite my lower lip. “I got you something too.”
“And you were ready to give me shit about my thing!”
“It’s just back in LA. I couldn’t carry it.” I’m lying. I didn’t get him anything. Very unlike me. However, when Drew and I make pacts like that, I tend to stick to them. I’ll have to think of something good in the meantime.
Drew blushes. “Well, thanks.”
