Page 44 of Best of Me

“Fine?” Natalie asks, exchanging looks with Jenny. “What’s fine mean? Fine like I say to Alden when I’m pissy but don’t want to fight or fine like…” She trails off, waiting on me to fill in her blank.

“Fine like fine. A work in progress,” I say, and it’s not a lie. Duke and Iaredoing just fine and wearea work in progress. It’s like he said, our relationship is going to be one with bumps and curves along the way, but if we work together, I think we really stand a chance of fostering something magical between the two of us.

“Damn,” Jenny sighs dramatically. “I was hoping you meant fine like on-your-way- to-happily-ever-after fine.”

I scrunch my nose, debating internally for all of two seconds before asking, “You mean neither of y’all think it would be weird for us to be together? You know, hypothetically.”

“You mean because of your sister?” Natalie asks, her voice even, with not a trace of judgment to be found. I nod, and she continues. “Listen, it doesn’t matter what you do, people are going to have an opinion, and they’re going to criticize. It doesn’t matter if it’s your brows or who you love, people think they’re entitled to voice their thoughts on the matter. The trick is discerning which voices are speaking in your best interest and blocking out the rest.

“If getting pregnant at seventeen taught me anything it’s that the people who truly love you and want the best for you won’t yell their opinion in your face. Instead they’ll speak a gentle truth.”

Jenny shifts her eyes from side-to-side, waggling her brows. “What my bestie here is trying to say isyoudo you, girl.Plus, way-way back, if a woman’s husband died, oftentimes his brother would step in and marry her to—”

I crack up. “No. Just no. Stop! You’re not helping your case here. No.”

Jenny looks to Natalie for back up. Luckily, she sides with me. “Yeah, no way, babe. You took that to creep-tastic levels. Mallory and Duke are nothing like that. IF they end up together, it’ll be born out of love, not necessity.”

With my eyes cast down toward my lap, I smile. I’d like to think Natalie’s right, that our relationship is born out of love and that we’ll beat the odds and stand the test of time. But sometimes my old insecurities rear up, planting poisonous thoughts—ones I keep buried down deep, in fear that speaking them will somehow give them life and make them true.

Once I get home from the nail salon, I shoot Duke a text, asking him what he’s up to.

Duke: Just finished cutting the grass, about to shower.

Me: So, what I’m hearing is you’re all sweaty and possibly naked?

When his reply isn’t instant, I start to second-guess myself. When the three littletypingbubbles bounce and stop a few times, my second-guessing turns to straight-up doubt.He probably thinks I…his reply pings through, ending the self-sabotaging thoughts.

Duke: Damn it. Now you’ve got me hard.

Me: I’d say I’m sorry, but…

Duke: But what?

Me: But I’m not sorry. I like knowing that I turn you on. It makes me feel…powerful.

Duke: Cricket, baby. You’re a goddamn force to be reckoned with. Strong and beautiful. Smart and kind. A full-package deal.

Me: Look at you, sweet-talker.

Duke: Why don’t you do just that?

Me: Do what?

Duke: Come over here and look at me.

Me: What if I don’t want to just look? What if I want to touch, too?

Duke: Fifteen minutes and I’m starting without you.

Me: On my way.

As tempting as it is to press the pedal to the metal and race to Duke’s house, I drive the speed limit the entire way, making the trip in sixteen minutes flat. I ring the bell and let myself in. “Duke,” I call out, only getting a grunt in reply.

I head straight back to his bedroom, expecting to find him freshly showered and fully-clothed with a teasing smirk on his handsome face. Instead, I find him in the bathroom, leaned back against the counter, palming his thick erection as the bathroom fills with steam from the running shower.

“Nice of you to join me,” he says, sounding as casual as can be, like he’s not freaking touching himself right in front of me.Who is this man and what has he done with Duke?

His boldness short-circuits my brain. “Um. Whoa. Hi.” I struggle to keep my gaze locked with his, especially with how the muscles in his arm flex with each pull.

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