Page 56 of Friend Me

He lifted a hand to my face and tucked a stray strand behind my ear. I couldn’t help it; I leaned into his touch, warm and safe. Tyler would never hurt me. He’d stick with me, no matter what.

Tyler ran his hands down my arms. “You’re shivering. Are you cold?”

I was, like an exoplanet, too far from the sun. “I’m sorry, I—you’re being too nice. And I know you hate being called that, but it’s true.”

He put his arms around me, and I buried my face in the heat of his chest. I wanted to stay there forever, but the music ended, and Weston’s voice came faintly through the door.

“We’re missing the meeting. And I’m getting makeup all over your shirt.”

“Don’t worry about it.” He rubbed circles on my back. “Let it all out.”

Oddly, I had no tears. But I soaked up his warmth like the light side of the moon while he whispered soothing nonsense into my hair.

We didn’t make it to the town hall. Maybe Weston told the employees we were all going to be laid off.

I didn’t care.

I only cared that my friend was a giant teddy bear, making me feel a tiny bit better, convincing me I wasn’t completely unlovable, that someone cared about me. While he held me in the stairwell, he pressed mute on all my problems—my dad, Cooper, even evil Tigger—and let me be myself, messy emotions and all.

Finally, when I felt almost human again, I squeezed him one more time and raised my head. All the colors of my face—pink lipstick and blush, peachy foundation, black mascara—remained on his white shirt, right above Ms. Pac-Man’s face. I rubbed at the stains for a second before I gave up.

“Thanks for being such a good friend.”

He put a knuckle under my chin and lifted so I’d look him in the eyes. They were brown that day, like sun-warmed soil. “I’m always here for you, Marlee.”

I gave him a wobbly smile. “We still on forHamiltonon Friday? My neighbor said she could come over and stay with my dad.”

“Wouldn’t miss it for anything.”

“I’m sorry about your shirt.” I tried again to rub the stain off with my thumb. “And I look hideous with my makeup smeared like this.”

“With or without your makeup, you’re the most beautiful woman in this office.”

I had to hold on tight to Tyler. I’d never find another friend as good as him.

* * *

When Tyler showedup at my desk late on Friday afternoon, I had some seriously unfriendly feelings toward him. After a long day of work, how the hell did he pull off full-on smoking hot?

Maybe it was the jacket. Instead of his usual T-shirt and jeans, he wore slim khaki pants and a dress shirt somewhere between blue and green that brought out the cool colors in his hazel eyes. Over it, he wore a dark blazer, maybe the same one he’d worn to Alicia’s wedding. Under my desk, I pinched the skin between my thumb and forefinger, using the pain to remind myself that, no matter how hot he looked that night, we were just friends.

“Ready to go?” he asked, and damn me if those dimples didn’t make me stumble as I stood.

“Yeah.” Why was my voice so breathy? This was just Tyler, my friend, and we were going toHamiltontogether. It wasn’t a date. It was two friends going on a friendly trip to the theater. A gift from Cooper. Who’d broken my heart. That must have been why I felt so weird around Tyler. My heart—and the part of my brain that regulated it—was as defective as the Schiaparelli lander and burned-out as the crater it left on Mars. I cleared my throat.

“Got the tickets?”

“Mm-hm.” I patted my purse.

“Everything all right? Your dad’s okay?”

The setting sun chose that moment to sink low enough that its rays beamed between the neighboring buildings into Jackson’s office, and a spear of salmon pink shone through the glass wall directly onto Tyler. It gilded the tips of his hair and made the afternoon whiskers on his jaw sparkle.

“Marlee?”

“Yep, I’m good.” I blinked hard and headed toward the elevators.

“And your dad?”

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