Page 56 of What if It's Us

“Nah.” Blakely shakes her head. “If he wants her as hungrily as he looked at her just now, his kiss would be searing and feverish. Like he’s been waiting all fucking practice to get that close to her.”

“Okay, okay. Why are we standing here imagining something that isn’t even real?” I turn away from the team only to meet the disbelieving stares of my friends.

Layken crosses her arms in front of her chest. “Because I’m pretty damn sure it’s real even if you don’t want to admit it, Mar. You like him.”

“Of course, I like him. What’s not to like? Ledger’s a great guy and he’s doing me a huge favor.”

“No.” Ella shakes her head, watching me. “You like him, like him. And he’s definitely doing you…somehow…soon.”

My jaw drops. “Oh, my Gosh, Ella!”

“She’s right.” Layken smirks. “And it’s totally cool. I mean you’re right too. What’s not to like about Ledger Dayne? He’s had a crush on you for years and the man is literally going to give you the world’s most attractive baby.”

Blakely stares at me wide-eyed as my jaw nearly comes unhinged this time. “Wait, what?”

Corrigan backhands Layken’s arm. “Babe…I don’t think Ledge wanted her to know about the…” She lifts her hand to her mouth and whispers, “C-R-U-S-H.”

“Fuck,” Layken whispers. “Oh well.” She shrugs. “Cat’s out of the bag now. It was bound to happen sooner or later and besides, these two humans need to get together already. He’s clearly interested,” she says and then gestures to me. “And so are you.”

Am I really hearing her correctly?

“Are you being serious right now, Lake?”

She crosses her heart with her finger. “As serious as a heart attack. Yeah.”

“Ledger has a crush on me?” I hear the disbelieving tone of my voice as it rises in pitch.

“Had. Has. Will always have.” She nods. “Yeah. All of the above.”

Ella nods, giving me a sympathetic glance. “It has been going on for quite some time.”

“Yeah.” Layken chuckles. “Also, how do you not know about this by now?”

“I…” I shake my head, trying to figure out the answer to that question. “He’s never said as much when we’ve been together.”

Ella lifts a brow. “You sure about that? He’s never given you any clue?”

“I think every damn thing about you is beautiful.”

“On a night like tonight, you look absolutely snuggle-worthy.”

“You’re stunning.”

“If you were mine, I’d want to spend every waking minute showing you what an amazing work of art your body really is.”

“If you were mine, you couldn’t keep my tongue away from the sweetest part of you.”

“I promise you I will put a baby inside you if it’s the last thing I do.”

I gasp audibly and palm my forehead. “Oh, my God!”

Layken smiles. “Your cheeks are red, Mar. You’re thinking about him, aren’t you? You’re thinking about all the things he’s said to you.”

My gaze shoots from Ella to Layken to Blakely to Corrigan and then back to Ella. “You guys! How did I not see it? How did I not know? Shit! He’s always been so kind. So…generous.”

“So generous in fact,” Blakely reminds me with her finger in the air, “he’s willing to literally shoot his tiny little semen demons right up inside you.”

“How long?” I turn to Layken and Ella. “How long have you known?”

---