Page 6 of Waiting for Her

“I won’t let you down,” I tell him with all the false bravado I have in me.

The last time I talked to Grady, I told him I didn’t want to be with him anymore. That I couldn’t trust love because even my dad couldn’t stay loyal to my mom. I knew I had overstepped when I told him high school loves weren’t meant to last, knowing his own parents were also high school sweethearts and were obviously still deeply in love. But I knew I broke him when I told him one day he’d look back on this and be grateful I gave him an out so he had the chance to see what else was out there without cheating on me.

Which meant I couldn’t trusthim.

That was the day I lost my best friend.

And now I’m being asked to follow him around for six weeks.

To be his shadow.

“I know you won’t.”

He turns his attention back to his computer, officially dismissing me.

I stand and make my way toward the door, gripping the handle.

I hesitate and he notices.

Of course, he notices.

“What, Bri?” he says in a voice that reminds me when we’re in the office I’m not his friend. I’m not the one who introduced him to his wife.

“You’re sure this isn’t…” I trail off, knowing I’ll piss him off if I say something about special treatment again.

He narrows his dark eyes at me and runs a hand through his hair. “Don’t go there,” he says in a hard voice. “You know I would never give you an assignment you didn’t deserve. When Southern Michigan State approached us about this story, they had a few requests. One was the reporter needed to have a deep understanding of their program so there wouldn’t be a learning period to get him or her up to speed. That’s you. The second was the reporter should be someone they could trust not to exploit the program. Not to create drama to make the story more interesting. Again, you. Everyone else is too hungry for the story that will get them on the front page. I know you’ll do it with pride in your team and write an article worthy of how incredible this opportunity really is. Don’t second guess my decision, or make me do the same. Just like Ryan being offered the position as head coach, this is a huge break for you. Don’t waste it.”

I absorb his final words.

Don’t waste it.

Little does he know, I spent the last six yearswastingtime.

“Trust me, Simon. I have absolutelynointention of wasting this opportunity.

Grady

“Stay close tome tonight, yeah?”

I glance over the cab of my dimly lit pickup in time to see Bri roll her bright green eyes. I still remember the first time I noticed them. It was around the same time I realized Bri was agirl. Not just my best friend who happened to be a girl. Her silky hair is such a deep shade of brown it’s almost black. Not having the right to run my fingers through it is seriously testing my patience.

“Don’t roll your eyes. You heard my dad,” I try for a joke, hoping to get the smile that will show me her dimples in each cheek. It doesn’t work.

“Right. Your dad.”

“What’s wrong with you tonight? You’ve been off lately.”

I turn down the gravel road, the tires of my pickup kicking up dust.

She huffs, crossing her arms over her chest, and I do my best not to look to see if the movement causes her breasts to push up. “I don’t know, Grady. What do you think isofflately?”

I feel like this is a trap so I stay silent.

How the hell am I supposed to know what’s wrong with her? She’s a girl.

And not at all forthcoming.

She may be my best friend and the one person I know better than anyone—and who knows me better than anyone, too. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t confuse the hell out of me.

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