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“Never.” It takes all my willpower not to get out of my chair and fall to my knees in front of her. “I could never forget you, Gillian. You’re the love of my life.”
A strangled sound comes out of her. “I’m not sure… I mean… I don’t know. I can’t get attached to you just to get my heart broken again.”
“What if we take it slow? I know I said I couldn’t be your friend, but I can try. I’ll do anything if there’s hope for more.”
Her gaze darts toward the door, and I’m afraid she’s going to run out of here.
“I’m not sure.”
Our pizza arrives, and the server puts it on the metal tray and hands us two plates. I guess we’re not getting our salads, but that’s okay because the pizza looks way too good.
I lift a slice, and she raises her plate.
“Will you think about it?” I ask.
“Friends?” she asks with a wince. She doesn’t like that word to describe us either. Good.
“If that’s where we have to start.”
“And what happens if it grows to more? What happens if feelings surface again?”
“Are you suggesting that you lost feelings for me?” I ask, not wanting to eat my pizza until this conversation is over.
“I lost hope of a future for us.”
My heart breaks, and I understand now why she’s been so standoffish to me. “Let me prove you wrong.”
“You’re asking me to jump into the deep end not knowing if I can swim.”
“I’m asking you to jump into the deep end and trust me to catch you, not let you drown again.”
I could promise to never hurt her again. I don’t know what the future holds, but if she gives me another chance, her heart will stay in one piece this time.
She looks at me, lifting her pizza to her mouth. “Friends. We can start as friends.”
“I’ll take it.”
Chapter Fourteen
Gillian
After two grueling days of taking the bar exam, I had to work the rest of the week, but now it’s finally time to enjoy myself. And as luck would have it, tonight is the annual Noughton family Fourth of July pig roast.
“I’m not sure about this.” I give myself one last look in my full-length mirror. “It’s a little revealing.”
“Which is the point.” Laurel comes up behind me, looking at me through the mirror.
I’m in a short white dress with a jean jacket and cowgirl boots. “I feel like I’m seventeen again.”
“You look gorgeous. Ben is going to be following you around all night.” She walks over and grabs her purse.
“Do I want that?”
“I don’t know. Maybe I could answer if you’d tell me what’s going on with you two.”
Our conversation at By the Slice was productive, but Ben made his intentions clear. He wants to start something between us, and I’m not sure what his endgame is. That’s Ben, though. The driven part of him sees what he wants and goes after it. He’d never have made it as far as he did if he took no for an answer. He likes the chase, always has. But what happens when he catches me? What happens if that analyst job comes through?
“I agreed to be friends.” I didn’t want to talk with her about it before since my entire focus had to be on the bar exam, but now that that’s past, Ben is at the forefront of my mind.
