Page 30 of More Than a Friend
But Rebecca gave me some good advice.
“Good things never come without their risks. The question is, do you want to take a risk and have it lead to happiness? Or do you want to play it safe and stick with familiarity? Can you live with the ‘what-ifs’ or would you rather know for sure?”
Sometimes I hate how wise Rebecca is.
If Skylar were just someone I was casually dating and had no history with, it would be much easier to answer her question. But Sky and I have been best friends for over a decade, and to ruin our relationship would be like ripping out a vital organ. I don’t know how I’d recover.
But I can’t go on pretending I don’t feel anything for her. I can’t let these feelings fester without letting them out. They’ll burn me from the inside until I confess them at the worst time. I need to carefully plan what I’m going to say.
The episode ends, and the screen sits blank, the hum of the dishwasher and the noise of the city outside are the only sounds permeating the silence of her apartment.
“Should we?—”
“I want to?—”
We both start at the same time, then stop and stare at each other before bursting into a fit of giggles.
When our giggling dies down, Sky takes a deep breath. “I want to apologize for how awkward I’ve been tonight. I want you to know it’s not you.”
“No need to apologize. If you’ve changed your mind?—”
“I haven’t,” she cuts me off. “I just… Aves, you’re mybest friend. Things could get messy. I feel like things have shifted since the first time we were… together, and I don’t want thingsto change even more.” Her chocolatey eyes meet mine, swirling with uncertainty and a vulnerability Skylar doesn’t usually show. “I can’t lose you.”
I scoot over on the couch, taking her hand in mine, hoping she can’t feel it tremble with nerves. “If you really don’t want to risk things, I can pack up and head home, but… I’d like to stay. You won’t lose me, Sky. I want this. I wantyou.”
I hope she can feel the sincerity in my tone. I hope she can hear the underlying message ofI want you for more than just tonight.
But I don’t think she gets it because she just nods and says, “Okay. Let’s move things to the bedroom.”
I want to protest how fast things have pivoted. I want to confess everything to her, but something tells me now isn’t the time for a love confession. Something tells me I’ll have to go slow with Sky.
At least where deeper feelings are concerned.
I’ll have to prove to her this isn’t just physical for me. I’m in this forher,not just the pleasure she can bring me.
She stands and starts walking towards her bedroom, but I grab her wrist gently before she can get too far.
I stand and meet her eyes when I ask, “Are you absolutely sure?”
Instead of answering with words, she crashes her mouth against mine in a bruising kiss.
Skylar kisses like she lives her life: unapologetically and fiercely. Commandingly and passionately.
It’s dizzying.
One of her arms winds around my waist, and her other hand cups my jaw, tilting my head so she can kiss me deeper.
Her tongue invades my mouth, stroking against mine, and my brain goes fuzzy. She tastes like the Reisling we had with our dinner and the tart sweetness from the chocolate coveredstrawberries we had for dessert. The combination makes my head spin.
She pulls back, and I let out a choked whimper at the loss of contact. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the way you taste, Ava. It’s been very distracting.” She trails her fingers down my neck and over my collarbone, sending a shiver down my spine.
“I would say I’m sorry, but I’m not. I haven’t stopped thinking about you, either.”
She chuckles as she shakes her head. “Come on, sweetheart. I bought something special for us to play with.”
Giddy anticipation swirls around with the anxious butterflies in my stomach as she leads me to her bedroom.
I’ve seen it before, so I already know the white walls are bare save for a large mirror above her vanity. Her queen bed is covered in delicate lavender sheets with a white duvet cover embroidered in multicolored flowers.
