Casey’s hair is falling out of her messy bun. She’s wearing a white University of Michigan sweatshirt and black boy shorts. She’s barefoot and is rubbing the sleep from her eyes. And, oh god, she is so beautiful.
“What’re you doing out here?” Casey asks.
I clasp and unclasp my hands together. Because I’m a damn coward, I sidestep and ask, “How’d you know I was out here?”
She leans against the doorframe of her front door and smiles softly. “I got the Ring notification five minutes ago. I couldn’t stand to watch you pace a second longer.”
Heat rises in my cheeks.Shit.Busted.
“Did things not go well with Remi?” Casey asks. “Come in. I’ll make us coffee.”
“Did you mean it?” I blurt, not following her as she attempts to lead me inside.
She turns around, confused. “Huh?”
“When you said you’d never let anything mess up our friendship? That our friendship is strong enough to make it through anything?”
Because I have to know. If I’m wrong about her feeling the same, I’ll figure it out. But I can’t lose her. I have to know she’s as committed to fighting for our friendship as I am—no matter what.
“Dakota, what’s going on?”
“Can you …” I take a deep breath, not liking the panicked urgency in my tone. Softer, I say, “Can you just answer me? Did you mean it?”
“Of course,” Casey says, not an ounce of hesitation in her words.
“Then I need to tell you … I …fuck,” I whisper softly.
“Dakota, you’re scaring me. What’s going on?” Shepushes the front door open wider and beckons me forward. “Come inside. We can?—”
“I think I’m in love with you.”
Casey freezes.
“You … think?” she asks after a long pause.
I swallow. “IknowI’m in love with you.”
There. I said the words. To say Casey looks shocked is an understatement. She’s perfectly still, her lips slightly parted, and I’m not even sure if she’s breathing. But I’m not done.
“Casey, you are the single most important person in my life. I admire your passion and drive. Your generosity and compassion. The way you make me smile when all I want to do is cry. How hard you make me laugh when we’re just hanging out. How much fun we have together even when we’re doing nothing at all.
“I appreciate the way you’ve always listened to me without judgment and how you’ve never made me feel small or stupid or wrong. You’ve opened my eyes and have helped me understand and learn new things about myself.”
My voice catches, emotion thick in my throat.
“And I love being your best friend, but I realized I want more. You’re right about so many things when it comes to dating, but you were wrong about one thing. I don’t need to date other people. I’ve been on so many dates the past couple weeks, but my favorite part of every one has always been coming back to you after them.
“It was being able to tell you everything and just being aroundyou. And I don’t want to just come home to you after the date, I want to be on the dateswithyou.”
“Dakota,” Casey starts, but I need to finish.
“You’re my favorite person. And I’ve debated telling you this, because I thought there was no chance you’d feelthe same way. I’m terrified I’m going to mess everything up, but if there’s even a small chance, I need you to know. And I’ll trust in the strength of our friendship that we can figure things out if you don’t feel the same.”
My voice is wobbly, and tears are in my eyes. I laugh breathlessly. “I know we said casual back at the lake house, but there isn’t a casual thing about my feelings for you. I’m so fucking in love with you, Casey. And if you don’t feel the same, that’s okay. Well … it’s notokay. It’ll hurt like hell, but I’ll get over it … eventually. And it will be okay, somehow, and I’ll?—”
I’m cut off as Casey clears the distance between us in three long strides. She slams into me, her mouth on mine. I rock backward from the momentum, but she grabs hold of me and locks me in place against her.
It only takes one shocked second before I return the kiss. It’s fierce and messy. Lips and teeth colliding. I groan when she nips my bottom lip, but it’s that light pain that pulls me back into my body. I grab her by her hips and guide her backward until we break the kiss. My breath is ragged, and I think I know what she was trying to say, but I want to hear it in words.
