Page 83 of Best Friends for Never

“I’m your daughter.”

“You are, which means I’m still your mother and entitled to my privacy. But now you know all my juicy details, so let’s talk about Noel.”

I lift my head. “It’s not anyone’s business who I date,” I throw back at her.

She lifts her brow in response, unaffected by my childish ways.

I groan, dropping my head against the table. “Let’s not.”

“Parker . . .”

“It was nothing,” I say against the table.

“Then why did you just say you were dating him.”

I lift my head. “Well, to be fair, it wasonedate, and it was for the auction.”

“Right. And I’m sure it had nothing to do with the fact that you’ve been in love with this boy since you were, what, fourteen?”

I gasp. “I have not! I didn’t even like boys then.”

That’s a lie, and we both know it. I definitely liked boys then, but mostly, I liked actors or musicians. I didn’t like Noel.

At least, I don’tthinkI liked Noel.

Sure, I noticed him, but I didn’tnoticehim. Not really ... Did I?

I shake the thought away because that’s absurd. “I didn’t have feelings for him until our senior year. You know that.”

“You mean the kiss.”

I swallow, remembering the pain that followed. It still stings, despite Noel’s apology. His words were sincere, and I know he meant every single one. And I want to move forward, but kind words and anafternoon of bliss don’t erase years of pain like some magic Band-Aid. “Yeah, that.”

“Did you two talk about that at all? Or were you too busy doing other things?”

I ignore her second question, bringing my coffee cup to my lips for the first time. I take a sip, then blow on the brew because it’s still too hot to drink.

“We talked,” I tell her.

“And? Have you two worked things out?”

“We’re not a hundred percent yet, but we made ... progress.”

It’s not a solid answer, but she grins anyway, and it’s the biggest smile I’ve seen from her since ... well, last night when she dragged Clifford off the stage.

I can’t help but smile back. Even though we certainly still have stuff to work through, I’m happy with where things are with Noel. And it’s been a long, long time since I could say that.

“Do you think you can have what you had before?”

I don’t know how to answer her because I’m not sure. I don’t know if we can, but I don’t necessarily know if that’s a bad thing either. We were young then. We didn’t know what we wanted out of life, and now we do. Maybe we can build something better than what we had before, even if Noel is leaving again.

Sure, there’d be a lot we need to discuss, but there’s no sense in rushing into that now, especially when we don’t even know what this thing between us is. Are we friends with benefits? Are we picking back up where we left off ten years ago? Or are we something else entirely?

I don’t know, and I don’tneedto know right now. I’m enjoying myself too much to want to think it to death, especially since I’m not even sure if thisissomething more, if I’d be willing to give up everything to follow Noel to LA.

I push all the thoughts away for later when I’m not rocking an exhilarating post-orgasm high.

“We’ll see,” I settle on, then wave my hand. “Enough about Noel and me, though. Tell me more about you andCliff.”

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