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“Then you just kissed your brother,” he said with a grin.
“That’s not funny.”
He clucked his tongue. “It’s kinda funny.”
“Just don’t do it again. I love you, Ty, but not in that way.”
I snatched one of the water bottles from the counter, opened it, and took a swig. My heart was pounding, and even though I’d just told Ty I didn’t think of him that way, I was aroused. I tried to ignore it as I got plates from the cabinet. The pizza arrived ten minutes later, and before I got off the lobby phone, Ty was out the door. I yelled at him when he got back.
“I wanted to pay. Take this,” I said as I thrust the money at him.
He put his hands up. “Nope. I’ll let you pay the next time we have lunch.”
“You better.”
As Ty set the pizza down on the small dining table, a chuckle escaped his lips, his easygoing demeanor diffusing the tension that had simmered between us moments before. With appetites whetted by anticipation, we dug into the cheesy slices with gusto, the savory flavors momentarily distracting us from our kiss.
Conversation flowed freely as we discussed our plans for the upcoming week, Ty tactfully sidestepping the sensitive topic of my father. His considerate gesture didn't go unnoticed, and a sense of gratitude welled within me, tempered by the lingering unease of our earlier kiss.
As the clock neared 10 p.m., Ty bid his farewell, pressing a chaste kiss to my cheek before disappearing into the night. Alone once more, I found myself grappling with the conflicting emotions that had stirred within me at his touch.
The unsettling realization lingered in the recesses of my mind: perhaps my body knew something that my heart was unwilling to acknowledge. But this was Ty, my steadfast confidant and unwavering support. I couldn't risk jeopardizing our friendship by entertaining romantic notions.
Sadie wasn’t home when I went to sleep, and I prayed I wouldn’t have a nightmare.
When I woke up, Sadie’s door was closed. It was just after 9:30 a.m. and I knew she needed to be up to get ready for her brunch. I knocked on her door and heard mumbling from behind it.
“What?” she asked, her voice thick with sleep.
“Time to get up. Don’t you have brunch with Dan at 11?”
“Shit, I forgot to set my alarm.”
I opened her door as she sat up in bed. Her hair was a tangled mess, and clothing was strewn on the floor. I knew something happened last night while I slumbered away.
“Did you bring Dan back here?”
“For a while.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Did you have sex?”
She gave me a sheepish look. “Not quite.”
“What’s not quite?”
“We did other things, and then I asked him to leave.”
I shook my head. She was getting into the same pattern she always did, but I didn’t want to get into an argument, so I let it go.
“I won’t even ask. Do you like him?”
“He’s really nice.”
“Could you see yourself with him?”
She shrugged. “I think so, but I’m not deluding myself yet. He could be a jerk, and I just haven’t found that part out yet.”
I decided to change the subject. “Do you want coffee?”
