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But his kiss had felt so real—felt like the tipping point to a world of possibilities.
Anne: You never answered us about the kiss.
Of course, Anne would be the one to be direct and to the point. I loved that about her.
Lyla: I’m definitely curious.
Zoe: …
My heart stuttered in my chest, an unstoppable smile shaping my lips.
Me: It was the best kiss of my life.
Zoe: !!!
Lyla: Awww.
Anne: You have to go in for more then.
Me: More? I can’t. This is all a ruse.
Anne: You’re both grown adults. If it feels that good, why stop there? Life is too short to skip out on good chemistry.
A thrill rushed through me as I read her text. Could I do that? Could I ask Brad to take this charade one step farther in the name of chemistry? Wouldn’t that change the dynamics of our friendship? How would we ever be able to go back to being friends if we crossed that line?
Me: I don’t want to lose him as a friend.
Lyla: That’s a tough spot.
Zoe: I understand that.
Anne: You don’t want to miss out on something awesome either. Trust me.
I knew Anne was likely referring to her relationship with Jim when it came to missing out. She’d spent the better part of a decade running away from her feelings for him, only to find out he was the best thing that ever happened to her.
“You good?” Brad called through the closed bathroom door.
“Yeah!” I hurried to answer. “Almost done.”
Me: I have to get ready for a breakfast event. I’ll keep you posted.
Zoe: You better!
Anne: Don’t deny yourself anything fun!
Lyla: Tell me how the food is!
I laughed at my friends’ responses, then set my phone down and hurried to get ready. Fifteen minutes later, I was fully dressed in a pair of loose white cotton pants and a simple T-shirt, my hair hanging down in waves over my shoulders.
Another ten and Brad and I were walking toward the banquet hall where the company’s breakfast had been set up. He casually slid his hand into mine as we walked through the opened double doors, and dammit, my heart flipped as he interwove our fingers.
Why? Why was my body doing this to me?
I kept my face even, not showing a hint at my internal debate as we headed toward the owner’s table which happened to have two open seats. Brad situated me into a chair, setting his hands on my shoulders for a moment.
“I’ll go get your plate,” he said, smiling at me before heading to the tables piled high with an amazing breakfast spread.
“That is so sweet,” Ava said from where she sat across the table from me. “How long have you two been together?”
I swallowed hard. We hadn’t prepped for this question.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
“Almost all my life,” I said, deciding to answer honestly.
“How’s that?” Ezra asked, sipping coffee from a white ceramic mug, his free hand wrapped around the back of his wife’s chair.
He certainly was handsome, with rich brown eyes, a wide nose, and curly black hair that was cut close to his head. And his wife was absolutely stunning, with long ebony braids that hung over her shoulders, and a delicate mouth that was almost always shaped in a soft smile. The two looked like a power couple, all passion and love in their eyes.
“We’ve been friends since before I can remember,” I said. “Our families are friends, so that’s how we met. We’ve grown up together.”
“I love that,” Ava said, just as another couple returned to their seats next to Ava and Ezra.
“Love what?” Brad asked as he slid a plate in front of me.
The plate included pancakes, almost-burned bacon, fruit salad, and a little packet of Nutella to put on the pancakes—all of my favorites. My heart expanded in my chest, almost too big to breathe around. The urge to cry suddenly swept over me, but I sucked in a sharp breath, flashing Brad a grateful look as he sat down. Jesus, I was about to cry over the fact that he remembered my favorites, what was wrong with me?
You let Dennis ignore your needs for years all under the guise of being loyal and hopeful to help him change back into who you fell in love with in college.
Right. And he hadn’t been that guy for years—the one who’d courted me, paid attention to me, acted like he loved me for me. And I’d lost sight of myself somewhere in between.
“That you two were friends before you fell in love,” Ava answered him as he took his seat next to me, a plate of his own before him.
Brad glanced at me, a genuine smile on his face. “I would highly recommend it,” he said. “Being with your best friend is definitely the way to go.”
An excited little thrill rushed through me, despite knowing his words were all for show. I guess I couldn’t be too mad at my body for responding that way, especially when it felt so damn good to be desired and treasured for once.
