Page 139 of Best Friends for Never

Gran:Love you

Me:Love you, too, Gran.

I look up, and Aaron is standing over Marty’s shoulder, still reviewing the contract.

I turn my attention back to my phone, my fingers hovering over the name of the person I’d kill to have next to me.

I read over the last texts we sent yesterday while I was grabbing breakfast.

Parker:If you’re walking past Fran’s, can you grab me a slice of apple coconut? Pretty please?

Me:You know Ihaveto walk past Fran’s to get to the café. This feels like a setup.

Parker:Oh, do you? I never really thought about it.

Me:Uh-huh. Sure.

Parker:Please? I’ll be your best friend.

Me:You already are my best friend, Peter. You’re stuck with me.

Parker:I hope so.

I hope so.

At the time, I took it as playful banter and nothing else. But looking at it now ...

Now I wonder if she really does want to be stuck with me.

Because I want to be stuck with her.

I want to be stuck with her right now. Back in her bed that’s almost too small for two people. Back in her house that’s small in a cozy sort of way. Back in Emerald Grove, where everyone talks too much about other people and smiles back when you smile.

I want to be there. Full stop.

“Noel?”

I whip my head up at Aaron. He’s standing over me, holding a piece of paper in his hand.

“Care to take a look before we sign this thing?” he asks.

I take the paper as he sits, then read over their offer.

There are a lot of zeros behind that number, and while that is very appealing, the shoot time isn’t.

Six months.

And it doesn’t include reshoots.

They want to shoot all three films back-to-back.

It would mean six months away from Parker—six months of grueling work, and six months that I absolutely do not want to spend on set.

I look at Aaron because I know I’m about to do the one thing I was sure I wasn’t.

I’m going to mess this all up.

“I can’t.”

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