Page 22 of So This Is Love

“Good dick will do that to you,” she replies, a mischievous look in her eyes. “Which I thought you would relate to this morning buuut..”

After Bryce left to hang out with his friends I went back downstairs to find Zara. One of her guys, Aaron I think, or maybe Ashton? Shit, I can’t remember the man’s name. We danced and drank but eventually I was ready to go home. Zara offered to leave with me but she was still having a good time so I told her to stay with Ashton/Aaron and I took a rideshare home by myself.

“Oh shut up,” I say laughing. “I didn’t sleep with Bryce.”

“Wait a minute.” Zara turns to face me with an accusing finger pointed at me. “Don’t think you’re getting out of talking about him. Why didn’t you tell me you had run into him again?”

“I don’t know, I guess I just didn’t want to make it a big deal.”

“It is a big deal though.”

I groan and lay my head on my arm on the counter. “You sound like him.”

“Well then both of us are right because that doesn’t just ‘happen’.”

“People run into each other all the time. It’s nothing special.”

“So running into a fine ass celebrity multiple times has happened to you before.”

“Well no, but -”

“Exactly!” she says, cutting me off. “You’re acting all nonchalant like its normal shit for you.”

“It doesn’t matter what it is because I’m not interested in making it anything and neither is he.”

“His fine ass is definitely interested in you.”

“Shut up, no he’s not.”

“Friend, I saw the way he was staring you down across that table. I’m not tryna hear any of that. He looked like he would’vetaken you right then and there on that table if you said you were down.”

“Zara!” I exclaim.

“What?” she says, shrugging. “I’m just telling you what I saw.”

“No matter what yousawit’s not happening. He said he just wants to be friends.”

“So if he just wants to be friends and that’s what you want too, why is your face all scrunched up.”

I relax my face, now acutely aware of the frown I was making. “This is why I didn’t want to talk to you about him.”

“You didn’t want me to call you out on your bullshit. I get that. But as your best friend it’s kinda a part of my job description.”

My phone dings with notifications and I grab my phone to check them.

“I bet you that’s him right there.”

I’m glad that I didn’t take her up on that bet because there it is right at the top of my notifications, a text from Bryce. My face must give it away because Zara does a little shoulder shimmy and says in a singsong voice, “I told you.”

sonny

I want to see you again. What are you doing today?

Friend.

“He wants to see me again,” I say, chewing on my bottom lip.

“Why do you look so upset about that?”

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