Page 186 of The Friend Situation

I move closer, brushing my lips across his. He tastes like cinnamon and spice.

“Thank you.” He kisses my forehead and eyelashes as he holds me tightly in his arms like I’ll vanish if he lets me go. “Your beautiful words set me free.”

I never realized how much he believed in my work and how it resonated with him. My words always held a deeper meaning for him. He wasn’t just being kind and giving random compliments.

A roller coaster of emotions rushes through me, and I’m not able to comprehend the hell he lived in for three long years. My heart aches for past him. She tried to destroy him, tokillhim.

“Please don’t cry,” he says, gently wiping my tears away.

“I’m angry for you,” I admit, shaking my head.

“Don’t be. It’s over,” he says, grinning. “Officially.”

I fall back on the blanket, and Weston follows me. We stare at the clouds as my eyes grow heavy.

“Your wife hated my blog, so you protected me from her. You stalked me for actual years while you divorced her, learned about my hangouts and where I worked, purposely befriended me, slept with me, fell in love with me, asked me to be your roommate, and then decided to come home with me to meet my family? Oh, not to mention, we hooked up your identical twin brother with my very best and only friend in the entire world, who’s now carrying your family’s DNA. Did I miss anything?” I blink over at him and hiccup. “Sorry, blame the Fireball. Truth syrup.”

Weston narrows his eyes. “You make me sound like a fucking psycho.”

“Did I exaggerate?” I ask, blinking at him. “Did you take my laptop to help orchestrate this?”

“No.” He laughs. “That would have been evil. I’d have asked for it if I wanted it, and you’d have willingly given it to me. And you’d have been my roommate without the drama.”

My mouth falls open when he smirks.

“I’m not the villain. I can’t force you or anyone to fall in love with me.”

“Somehow, the Callowaysalwaysget what they want.” I tilt my head at him.

I pick up the Fireball, take a long drink, and then burst into laughter as I return to my cloud watching.

“You’re not upset?” he asks.

“No. She probably would’ve killed me! And I kinda like the thought of you stalking me in the night,” I say.

“Thatneverhappened.”

“Fantasy Weston will now do that,” I reply, meeting his eyes. “You really were my secret admirer. Go ahead and admit it.”

He smirks. “Fuck, I was.”

I roll over on my side and face him, leaning my head against my hand. “That’s what I want to see. This. You being happy.”

“You promise you’re not upset?” he asks.

“No. I know your heart, so I believe you. And I appreciate you making sure I was safe. However, it could still be very bad for me if she learned I was behind LuxLeaks. That entire scenario is how a villain is born, Weston. It was never supposed to goreal lifewith us.”

“She’ll never know it was you,” he confirms. “No one ever will. That’s a guarantee.”

“Except for whoever stole and hacked into my laptop,” I mutter, becoming more paranoid with each passing second.

“I’m working on tracking it down.”

He kisses me, and I hiccup, breathing cinnamon that feels like fire. Weston twists the ring on my finger. Everything has more meaning than it did this morning.

I meet his gaze. “I choose you, even when it’s messy. You said last night that we’re in this together. Are we?”

“Yes. If you want to be,” he breathes out, and it makes my heart skip a beat.

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