Page 13 of Just Friends Forever
I turn toward her and lean my shoulder against the glass, trusting the expert craftsmanship to keep the window in place and me inside this beautiful, outrageously expensive glass box of an apartment. “Then don’t.”
She chuckles politely at my joke.
“I mean it,” I say. “Get away. Tonight. Before the story breaks.”
“I have nowhere to go the tabloids don’t know about.”
I watch her profile as she stares through the window, my brain working. “You’ve got your old best buddy Troy.”
Her brow wrinkles skeptically, and she meets my gaze.
I shrug. “Come stay with me.”
5
STEVIE
I furrow my brow,and Troy pushes it up with his thumb, smoothing it out like Play-Doh.
“Half of my duplex is empty right now,” he says. “It’s Austin’s, but he’s never in town. It’s not in the same realm as this”—he gestures around the apartment—“but it’s in a quiet neighborhood.” He lifts his shoulders. “It’s all yours if you want it.”
Quiet neighborhood.My ears perk up at the words. Escaping somewhere new, somewhere not associated with Curtis or this public life I’ve been living for the past few years? It sounds like a dream come true.
Troy watches me, waiting for my response. I can hardly believe he’s actually here. It almost feels like the past few years never happened. We’re just chatting against our lockers after class in the hallways of Sunset Heights High.
But a lot has happened since then, including the night I pretend not to remember, when Troy told me he wanted to be more than friends. I love Troy, but I didn’t feel that way then, and I definitely don’t feel that way now. Friendship is what I need. Simple, reliable friendship. I can’t do complications or pressure or even a whiff of either of those things.
“I don’t know,” I say, rubbing my lips together. “It’sreallynice of you, Troy, but… maybe it’s not the best idea.”
“Yeah, of course.” He smiles. “Whatever’s best for you, obviously. Just throwing one option out there.” His phone starts ringing, and he glances at his watch, then at me. “Can you give me a second?”
“Of course,” I say, my mind floating to a quiet, grassy neighborhood with white fences and forty-year-old trees. Am I being overly cautious throwing that option away because of something that happened years ago? It would sure be nice to be with someone I know. I’ve felt more normal in the last ten minutes than I have in ages. I haven’t even thought about my virtual pets.
Troy takes the phone from his pocket and walks down the hallway before answering it. The surfaces of this apartment carry noise like Carnegie Hall, so it sounds like he’s three feet away rather than twenty when he answers, “Hey, beautiful.”
My brows go up and my curiosity spikes. I’m not trying to listen, but short of putting my hands over my ears and yelling “La la la la!” there’s not a way to avoid it.
“No,” he says. “I stopped by to see a friend, but I’ll be heading home soon.”
Pause.
“Yeah! If you end up getting off early, come over.”
Another pause, then he laughs. “Right. Just like last time.” More laughter. “Whatever you say, Lyla. Okay, talk to you soon. Bye.” He steps back into the hallway where I can see him and heads my way. “Sorry about that.”
“Nothing to be sorry about,” I say. “Hot date with your girlfriend?”
He chuckles and slips his phone into his pocket. “Nah, she’s working tonight.”
I’m feeling a little dumb now. How big has my head gotten to assume Troy’s been secretly pining after me all this time? He has a girlfriend. Lyla, to be precise.
I let out a little breath of relief. It makes things so much easier.
Troy showed up here like the amazing friend he’s always been. One night—a night he apologized for and makes fun of himself over—doesn’t change that. And I could really use a friend right now.
“About your duplex,” I say. “Are you really sure you’d be okay with that?”
His brows pull together. “Okay with it? You’re kidding, right? I’ll have my best friend living downstairs. It’s like every kid’s dream come true. It’ll be just like old times. In fact …” He raises his brows, an eager, knowing glint in his eyes like he’s going to …
