Page 39 of Stick With Me
When I just stare at her, wide-eyed, she clarifies, “You’ve always been focused on your career.” She says it in a way that makes me think she’s waiting for me to refute her… but that can’t be right.
I can only nod, afraid that if I say anything, it’ll either be a lie or a confession of my feelings—and I know she’s not ready for that. “The bottom line is, there’s nothing between Natalie and me.”
She drops her gaze and nods.
Wanting to wipe the look of uncertainty from her face, I pull her into my lap in a tight hug, burying my face in her neck. “Why did you never ask me? Or her?”
She hesitates, and her body tenses slightly in my arms before she speaks. “I guess I just didn’t really want to know. We were friends, and I was with Jace. I mean, it doesn’t matter either way.”
“I like how you said ‘were friends.’ Ya know that’s past tense, right?” I tease.
She laughs and pushes at my shoulder. “I meant we wereandare, jerk.”
“Mm-hmm.” I pull her back to me, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. Her body shudders against mine at the brief contact, and it takes everything in me not to follow my instincts. Trying to redeem myself from my earlier near slipup and stick to mynot making the first moverule, I put some distance between us.
“Can you promise me something?” I ask, my voice low. “Next time, if something’s bothering you… just talk to me. Even if you think it’s stupid or it shouldn’t matter. Just tell me, okay?”
“I never said it bothered me.”
I can’t help but chuckle at her stubbornness. “Okay, the next time something’snotbothering you, tell me. All right?”
“Fine. I’m gonna take a shower. Then I’ll make us food and we can start slothin’,” she says with a waggle of her brows. All too soon, she’s climbing off my lap.
She comes back an hour later, hair still wet, carrying two plates piled with eggs, toast, and breakfast sausage. I fire up the show, and once we finish eating, we settle in, getting more comfortable on the oversized couch.
Her head rests on my lap, and I’m grateful for the throw pillow between us, hiding my body’s reaction to her proximity. My hand instinctively moves to her hip, my fingers trailing up and down her side before I catch myself and shift my hand to her shoulder instead.Get it together, man.
We’re only halfway through the first episode ofYou’re The Onewhen I hear the front door open and close. I throw my head back with a sigh at the interruption, knowing there’s only one person who would barge into my house without knocking.
Hannah shifts, looking toward the sound, then back at me. “Who is that?”
I don’t have a chance to answer before Fox enters the room and plops down on the opposite end of the couch.
“Well, hello, lovebirds,” he says smugly.
“What’re you doing here?” I ask.
He scoffs. “I was expecting a warmer welcome. What, you get a girl and already forget about your best friend?”
“Oh, we’re not…” Hannah starts, but her voice drifts off before she finishes the sentence. Fox sports a knowing grin aimed in my direction.
“I doubt you’ll let me forget you.” I raise my brow, gesturing toward him as he casually makes himself at home.
“So, what’re we watching?” He grabs a leftover piece of toast from the coffee table, munching away as he makes himself comfortable. “Oh God, not this shit again.”
“No one is making you stay.” I try to subtly get his attention, flicking my gaze between him and the door, hoping he catches the hint to leave.
“Play the damn show,” he quips.Okay, guess not.
Hannah laughs at our bickering. She’s met Fox in passing a handful of times, but we’ve never been in the same place at the same time long enough for them to develop a friendship. It’s one of those things where she mostly knows him from me talking about him and vice versa.
As we watch Matt, this season’s bachelor, date the twelve remaining contestants, Hannah and I argue over who’s best for him and make predictions about who’ll be sent home. Meanwhile, Fox is unusually quiet in his corner. I can’t remember the last time he stayed silent for this long. He’s usually talking my ear off.
Glancing over, I catch him already watching us. “Why are you so quiet? It’s creeping me out.”
He shrugs. “Not used to having a girl around. I’m thinking about what I’m allowed to say around her.”
“Yeah, um, probably not that. You make it sound like we normally talk about shit that would upset her.”
