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I quickly read through the note.
Parker,
Sorry, I had to slip away early, and I didn’t want to wake you. I had to get to work. Holt wants me in early today to go over all the listings he’s given me. I hope you’re feeling good this morning. Last night was incredible. I’ll call later to check in, but until then, know I’ll be thinking of you and every naughty thing you did to me.
~ Chloe
This woman is too perfect for me. Sitting back against my pillows, I let my mind wander back to last night and everything that happened, not just with Chloe, but with my family. I can’t believe they told me to leave but let Bethany stay. That hurt more than I can put into words. It felt like a betrayal, and I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to put it behind me. I don’t want to lose my family, but I’m not sure how I can face them right now.
I can still hardly believe that Chloe walked out with me. It was incredibly brave of her, and my heart swells at the memory. I would never have expected that. Would never have expected her to stick up for me like that. That’s not something a person does for a mere friend with benefits. That’s something they do for someone they really care about.
Chloe cares about me, that much is obvious, but how much? What does she feel for me, exactly? I’m dying to know, but I know I need to figure out what exactly I feel for her first. It wouldn’t be fair for me to ask her without first knowing my own answer. What I do know is that she’s more than a hookup for me. She’s more than just a friend.
I realize then that I simply want more from her instead of just a cut-and-dry arrangement that’ll eventually come to an end. The thought of us going back to the way we were before, as if nothing had ever happened, forms a lump of dread inside my stomach.
Well, shit, I might be falling for Chloe. Really, truly falling for her. Not just a crush or infatuation. I might actually be falling in love with her.
Rubbing a hand over my mouth, I let out a long sigh. Now I’ve gone and complicated things, haven’t I?
***
Later that evening, I’m watching TV and doing my best to relax when the doorbell suddenly rings. My heart leaps, and I jump to my feet. Is it Chloe? She texted me earlier this afternoon just to see what I was up to, but we didn’t make any plans to meet up again today. Maybe she’s dropping by to surprise me?
I hurry to the front door but pause a moment to collect myself before I open it. I don’t want her to think I’m too eager or anything. Running a hand through my hair, I take a deep breath and open the door.
“Oh,” I say when I see that it’s not Chloe but Lauren standing on my doorstep. “It’s you.”
She arches a brow and frowns. “You don’t need to act so disappointed. Were you expecting someone else?”
“Uh, no,” I quickly answer with a shake of my head. “I wasn’t, but I also wasn’t expecting you to drop by.”
I’m not sure how to feel about Lauren right now. I don’t think I’m mad at her, exactly, but I’m definitely hurt that she seemed so willing to stand by while our parents kicked me out in favor of Bethany.
She holds up two plastic bags with a Chinese restaurant’s logo on them and says, “I brought dinner. Can we talk?”
I think about it a moment and then slowly nod before stepping aside to let her in.
Closing the door, I follow her into the kitchen and watch as she sets out the cartons of food.
“So,” I begin with a heavy sigh, “what’s up?”
She glances up at me. “I want to talk about what happened yesterday at Mom and Dad’s…”
“Look, I’m not interested in hearing any pleas to give Bethany a chance,” I growl, cutting her off before she can go any further. “So, if that’s why you’re here…”
“It’s not, I promise. I mainly wanted to apologize for not backing you up. What happened was really shitty, and I still can’t really believe Dad said that to you.”
“Yeah,” I grumble, ducking my head so she can’t see the hurt in my expression, though I’m sure she knows that it didn’t exactly feel great. “That…sucked.”
She doesn’t say anything for several moments, and I finally glance up at her. She’s studying me with a sympathetic look. “If it makes you feel any better, he really regretted it after you left.”
I shrug. What good does that do? He kicked me out, and no matter how bad he feels about it now, he can’t take it back. “It doesn’t, but thanks. We don’t need to talk about that anymore. Let’s just eat, yeah?”
“Okay.” She nods, though I can tell there’s more she wants to say. Still, she presses her lips together and busies herself preparing plates of food for the two of us. She’s gotten us Mongolian beef, sweet and sour chicken, and crab Rangoon.
“Just like in college.” I chuckle at the spread before us.
She grins and nods. “I thought we could use a little nostalgia comfort.”
