Page 107 of Text Me Baby One More Time

“Uh, because she’s my girlfriend’s best friend, and the girl you’re into. Obviously, dickhead.” AJ rolls his eyes and takes a long pull off his beer, not caring about the clear irritation in my voice. “What’s your deal, dude? All of a sudden you’re not into Denny anymore? What gives?”

Oh, I’m into Denny. I amveryinto Denny.

Some would say I’mtoointo her.

I love her.

And that’s scary as fuck.

I’m so deep in this weird long-distance thing we have going on that there is no way it could possibly be healthy. It scares me…big time.

So much so that I stopped responding to her texts last week. I tucked my tail like a fucking pussy and hid from her and my feelings.

It’s too much for me, too intense.

I want it too badly.

What if it doesn’t work out? What if we don’t work out? What if I’m not what she wants? The fallout of that is going to be a whole lot worse if we continue to get attached.

So, I’m doing the responsible thing—ending it before it can go any further.

“You’re not running scared, are you?”

I glare at my best friend, annoyed he knows me so well. “Shut the fuck up, AJ.”

“I’m just saying, you should at least give it a shot with her. She’s a cool chick.”

“And what if she hates me?”

“Oh, she’s gonna hate you all right, especially if you fucking ditch her after she moved out here for your ass.”

“She didn’t move out here for me. She moved for Allie.”

“Whatever you two morons need to tell yourselves.” He takes another drink. “I’m gonna head to the back room. Just send Allie that way when she gets here, which will be any moment.”

“Why don’t you go get your girlfriend yourself?”

He shakes his bottle. “Because I’m fucking out of beer, that’s why.”

I flip off his back as he spins around.

“Stop flipping me off.”

“I hate you!”

He laughs. “Liar. Go get the door.”

I realize then the doorbellisringing.

My fingers begin to tingle, and I have to count backward from ten so I don’t run in the opposite direction.

Just do it, Shep. Get it over with.

I push my way through the bodies, trying not to freak out the entire trek to the door.

I don’t give myself time to pause or think. I just pull the door open and face Denny for the first time ever.

Fuck me.

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