AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Will do.”
He disconnects the call just as she reaches him, and he opens the rear door. Once she’s safely inside, he gets behind the wheel, and they’re off.
My heart thunders inside my ribcage. I shouldn’t have let her go. Her mom sounds whack. This feels wrong.
Since when do I pay attention to feelings?
Since now.
I should be with her. Protecting her. Soaking in her smiles.
My pulse drowns out the silence, and I stare after her, phone groaning in my grip.
Gabe puts a hand on my shoulder. “What do we do now?”
I turn conflicted eyes his way, and he regards me with curiosity and steadfastness. The two things that made him a titan in the tech world. As much as I value my friendship, this thing between Katherine and me feels. . . essential. Inescapable.
Her words ring in my ears. I know where you keep your secrets.
Would she really go up against her mother over Gabe? Does she like him that much? All the verbal sparring is what? Foreplay?
I need to find out. And just because I trust her to handle things her way doesn’t mean I have to stay put.
His brows lift.
“Get in the car.” I jerk open the front door and wave him through.
“You’ve got it bad,” he says, trailing me to the other SUV.
Our footsteps crunch through the pea gravel.
“Like you don’t.” I’ve noticed the change in him in the last twenty-four hours. I never thought he’d fall for anyone but his mistress, Technology, but I think he’s tumbling for Katherine.
He stops and calls out, “She hates me.”
I pause because I love him, but I’m tired of that lie he tells himself. Especially considering what she just said to her mother. It’s time he took off the blinders. Which is hard. I get it. I’m running hot and cold myself. There’s a large part of me that wants to take Katherine back to the city, stick four guys at her door, and ignore how much I crave her.
That part doesn’t want to feel love and loss again.
But there’s another part, small, quiet, hopeful. And that part makes me turn around and close the five steps to my best friend.
“She hates you so much she let you kiss her?”
His eyes widen. “She told you?”
I give my head a slow shake. “You just did.”
But I knew. She was squirmy in my lap. Conflicted. And when we kissed, she tasted like dark roast and cream cheese. Why am I not angry? Losing my shit at him?
“Fuck.” He half turns away. He’s fighting the same battle I am. An internal war between friendship and desire for this woman. It’s twisted. “What are we going to do?”
This is the Gabe I first met. Cocky one moment, unsure the next. So eager to make his place in the world and get away from his past. Latching onto his future with both hands. But also hesitant, sort of like a newborn foal.
I stride around the front of the SUV to buy myself time.
Our gazes lock across the big vehicle’s hood. I’ve known him for over half my life. The idea of us both being interested in the same woman never crossed my mind.
“Date her and let her pick,” I say and hit the unlock button. It’s the logical solution. But it burns like hell.
