Page 65 of Always Been Yours

I don’t know why it bothers me so much, butit does.

“Drive Me Crazyis my favorite romcom,“ he says it with such conviction and heart that I don’t question him again. He clocks my resignation, continuing with an infuriating boyish grin, “Why wouldn’t it be my favorite?”

“Hm, let me think about it.” I tap my chin, pretending to put some thought into it. “Two childhood best friends who fight over whatever adolescent reason only to make up later, realizing that they not only truly are best friends, but they’re actually meant to be. It’s a cliché and one I think you’re using to tug on my heartstrings.”

He shakes his head, his messy waves falling over his forehead. “No, I promise. It’s my favorite. Yes, everything you said is true and fair. But I don’t know… it’s more than that. It’s a story about how opposites attract. Nicole and Chase are weighed down by the social expectations of their friend groups. Don’t you remember being in high school and feeling like you had one box that you had to fit yourself into? Even when it was suffocating and only held enough room for one small part of you? But they saw each other for who they are… the good, the bad, the surprising.”

He shrugs lightly. “The scene when he takes her to that local all-girls rock show is probably my favorite. It’s something neither of them really expected her to enjoy but she does. Plus, his name is Chase.” He lifts his shoulders again, as if a character having the same name as his middle one is reason enough.

“Hmm. I guess that’s a good analysis. I’ll accept it.” I take another bite of pizza but I’m assessing him from the corner of my eye.

“What about you? What’s your favorite?” Before I cananswer he adds, “Oh, wait.She’sAll That. Is that still your favorite?”

It’s a sweet gesture that he remembers and makes me even more sure that the dance we shared last weekend wasn’t a fluke.

I open my mouth to answer but it suddenly hits me why his favorite romcom bothers me so much. It’s all of the similar tropes to one of mine.

“Let’s hear it, Viv. Spill your secrets to me.” Again, with the handsome grin, that I can’t decide if I want to trace with my tongue or smack off his face.

“She’s All Thatis one of my favorite movies.“ His eyes bore into me, waiting for me to tell him the other. “It isn’t really asecretbut if you must know…“ I pause, taking a deep breath for dramatic effect, “13 Going on 30.”

My face is warming at the admission. It suddenly feels like my deepest secret. I turn for another piece of pizza, hoping to hide the pink that’s tinting my cheeks.

When I turn back around, the complacent tug to Grady’s mouth is the most infuriating—and sexiest—thing I’ve ever seen.

“That’s interesting… two best friends who fight forwhateverreason only to go back in time after figuring out they, not only are best friends, but are meant to be.“ He leans across the island and plants a soft kiss on my nose. “Sounds pretty familiar to me, Viv.”

I take a large bite of pizza and give him a half-hearted ‘fuck you’around a mouthful of food.

That makes him break out into something very similar to a giggle. Before I know it, the hazy feeling takes over my mind and body again. I sink deeper into the stool and start snickering with him.

Not because anything is funny but because I’mhappy.

At this moment, staring at the handsome brunette man across from me, leaning in to place another kiss on my nose, before he stuffs almost the entire slice of pizza into his mouth; I’m happy.

Grady

Vivi is star-fishing on her living room floor next to me. I don’t know how long we’ve been here. It could be a minute. It could be hours.

My brain feels like it’s floating to Saturn, and I have to mentally tie a string to the end like a balloon to keep it down on earth. I try to tug it down… down… down so I don’t lose it.

My body feels heavy and grounded to the hardwood floor and I imagine being rooted right here, in the middle of Genevieve’s living room. Where I could see her every day and hear her thoughts that she refuses to voice anywhere outside these walls—because Iknowshe talks to herself.

I feel soft velvet skim across my fingers. My head turns faster than my eyes but once they catch up, my gaze is locked on the light green fingernail drawing shapes across the back of my hand.

I look at her face and she rolls onto her side to meet my gaze. One of her arms is tucked under her head, while her hand makes its way up my arm in a torturously slow pattern.

I open my mouth to say something—I don’t even know what. I want to hear her voice more than ever.

Something down the hall catches my eye though.

I shoot up to a sitting position and try to get a look toward the end of the dark hallway.

“Um, are you okay?” Vivi sounds more concerned than she has since we smoked half of that joint.

I don’t want to cause her to panic so I take a deep breath and lay back down. “Yes, love. Everything is fine.” Immediately after the words leave my mouth, I see another movement down the hall.

NowI’mstarting to panic.

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