Page 87 of Keep Me Never
You know, I think.Maybe “regret”isthe wrong word.
I don’t regrether, just my actions all around.
I’m not sure what it says about me, but there is a gratefulness within me—a small hint of pride I’m not sure others would understand if I spoke it out loud—that she trusted herself with me the way she did. I was honored in the end, even if I didn’t deserve to be. Even if I broke that trust by cutting things off as quickly as they began.
She deserved a lot more, and I could not be happier that she found it.
There was never any romantic love between us, just comfort and years of friendship. Even if neither of us realized it at the time.
Mase knocks his knee into mine, his eyes pinched with worry, but I give him a half smile and push to my feet.
We didn’t come out here for heavy bullshit. The opposite, in fact. We come out here to breathe, to do nothing but exist and enjoy each other’s company.
And right now, I know whose I want to enjoy.
Paige is squealing and running back toward the shoreline, Cameron chasing her, when she spots me. She grins and keeps coming, so I open my arms and she jumps right in, huggingherself to me and whipping her head around toward Cameron with a smile.
“For real?” Cameron huffs, out of breath. “That’s cheating!” She pops her hip out, her eyes flicking behind me a moment before she starts to smile herself. “And you know what they say about cheating right?”
I raise a brow and Paige holds on tighter.
“What?” she teases.
Cameron smirks now and my brows snap together. She grins in triumph just as I start to turn around, but it’s too late.
I curse loudly and Paige squeals as Brady wraps his big-ass arms around my legs and hauls us both into the air, shuffling toward the ocean.
“Karma, motherfuckers!” he roars, literally roars like a damn bear. “Karma.” He laughs again just before he flops us all forward, all three of us disappearing under the cold-ass ocean water.
We pop up laughing, goose bumps instant on our skin, and Paige clings to me even more, her head falling back as she swipes hair from her face.
Cameron squeals, jumping onto Brady’s back, and then the others are right there, running our way.
Ari screams as Noah heads for her, and little D lifts his arms up, his smile wide as he waits for his daddy to do the same. He doesn’t disappoint, swooping Payton up in one arm and their little boy in the other.
It’s cold as hell, but no one seems to care.
Nothing but laughter fills the air, and I can’t help but wonder if maybe Brady was on to something about our little crew, at least.
Maybe this is exactly what we have to look forward to. What I candareto look forward to—even if my future is uncertain—is a full life with my friends and the girl I love doesn’t have to be.
I tense, my eyes snapping to the girl in my arms.
She feels me, her big, blue eyes finding mine. The bright smile on her face dims a little as her brows furrow. So I reach up,smoothing it out, my knuckle sliding along her temple and cheek on its way down. My heart pounds in my chest as she leans into my touch, every inch of her softening. Melting.
For me.
“What is it?” she whispers, lips brushing my wrist as she pulls me closer by the arms around my neck.
My mouth curves to one side, and I shake my head. “I’m really glad you’re here. With me, I mean.”
Her eyes move between mine. “Me too. More than I think you know.”
Pressure falls on my chest, but for the first time, it’s not of the heavy, weighted kind. It almost feels good. Dangerous, maybe, because I already know I’d do anything to keep it.
Literally anything.
She doesn’t look away, like she feels it too. Like the air between us is just as tight in her lungs as it is in mine. Her fingers brush against mine, soft and sure, but it’s enough to burn.
