Page 61 of The Love Trick

“Okay, well,” Penny begins, sounding as shocked as ever, “it’s clear there’s something beneath the surface. Have you told him how you feel?”

“No. He’s made it pretty clear he doesn’t want to risk our friendship. I’m not sure I could handle being rejected anymore than I already have been.”

“Well, if he’s gonna kiss you and then try to go back to the way things were likenothinghappened—it’s his loss. Butyouhave to do what’s best for you and your heart. I think that’s the most important thing right now.”

“I’ve been dodging him so hard.” I sink lower into the couch cushions, my Ben and Jerry’s now thoroughly melty. “We usually see each other every day during the off-season.”

“Okay, so maybe it’s time tonotsee each other every day. I mean, it’s a little excessive to see each other that often anyway.”

“Well…” My voice trails off. “I guess.”

“Maybe you should tell him you need some space so you can move on.”

“He’s gonna freak out,” I say, chewing on my lower lip. “He’s been afraid of ruining our friendship—that’s been the theme of this whole thing.”

“He shouldn’t have kissed you then.Hebroke his own freaking rules, Addy. That’s not your problem. Your problem is now your hurting heart, which is a big deal. He led you on. So it’s understandable why you feel the way you do.”

“I guess so,” I say quietly. “I already told him I wasn’t going to Dylan’s party tonight. But maybe Ishouldgo so I can talk to him about needing some space to get over him.”

“No,” Penny counters. “Bad idea. You need to talk to him in private because you have no idea how the conversation will go. For all you know, he might decide that he’s in love with you, too,orhe might get angry. You don’t want to make a scene in front of all your friends. It’s better to deal with these things in private.”

My heart thumps with anxiety as I think about broaching the subject with him in general—and the prospect of him sharing the same feelings. “This is stressful.” I brush my hair out of my face. “I don’t know what I’d do if I lost Blaze’s friendship.”

“You’ll just have to make new friends. You’ll have to come up with some way to get over him. Maybe try some of those speed dating events around town. You might find the man of your dreams. For all you know, Blaze is just the stepping stone to get you to the one.”

“Okay, woah. Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves…”

She laughs. “You’re going to be okay, Addy. You just have to tell yourself if it’s meant to be, it’ll be—and if it’s not, you’ll be just fine. That’s how these things work. We don’t get to decide what is or isn’t. Whatever will be will be.”

“Wow, you should make some of those motivational posters.” I giggle. “I feel you have a gift.”

“It’s all the time I’ve spent scrolling through Instagram lately. Apparently, my algorithm thinks I need a lot of motivation.”

“You’re literally the best,” I say, breathing out a sigh. “Maybe everything will be okay.”

“It will be, Addy. I promise.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Blaze

“Where’sAddy?”Kadeasksas I lean against the wall, sipping on my now-warm beer. “It’s weird to see you here without her.”

“I don’t know.”

Kade’s brows disappear into his hairline. “You don’t know where she is? Since when? The two of you are practically conjoined at the hip.”

“Not tonight,” I grit out, trying to swallow the emotion in my throat.

Things aresowrong between us right now, and the way she’s been avoiding me has left me reeling. It’s all my fault for kissing her—I know that—but I don’t know how to fix it. I’ve been trying to get things back to normal, but she hasn’t really wanted to see me or talk to me since we got home.

Kade is silent for a few moments. “You okay?”

“Yeah, of course,” I lie, forcing myself to smile. “All good.”

He shakes his head. “No, you’re not. You’ve got that blank expression on your face. Something’s up. Just tell me what it is, and we can talk about it. Come on.” He gestures for me to follow him out into the backyard, where some people are swimming in the pool. We head to the corner of the patio, where the string lights are keeping the place lit up.

“Okay, spill.”

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