“Where did you find one just like yours?”
“Where else? Online.”
I held the shirt up to my face and sniffed. I didn’t know what I was looking for—some sort of affirmation? His scent? But all I smelled was a clean new shirt.
“Well?” Freid asked. “What do you think?”
“This is your shirt from your dream.”
“I know. And you’ve shared that dream with me for a long time. Waiting with me. Being my friend. My best friend, in fact. It’s time.”
What did he mean?
Beautiful stranger knows he’s ours?my tiger asked.
“Time for what?” I asked.
“Time you got in on this, too. We’re both waiting together. Now, we can match.”
He was being too vague. Or maybe he wasn’t. We now had twin shirts. But he still wasn’t looking at me as a mate.
I had to clear this up. It had gone on too long. I was desperate to know if he had any feelings for me in return. It might risk our friendship, but this was too much. And now, a matching tiger shirt?
Did he not think the tiger on his shirt might be another sign from his dream that I was a possible mate? And now, here I was holding the same tiger shirt in my hands.
“Freid. Listen to me for a second.”
He frowned at me. “What? You don’t like the gift?”
“I love it.” To prove my words, I quickly took off my lightweight button-up right then and there in front of everyone. I didn’t care if people looked. This was important. I noticed Freid’s gaze traveled down my torso. Did I dare hope he liked what he saw? His lips curved up in a smile, and warmth poured through my veins.
I shouldered into my new gift, and bit my lip before I spoke. “I love it so much.”
“Looks great.” Freid grinned.
“Thanks.” Could he know how much this really meant to me? I had to find my courage and finally speak. “I have something to say to you.” I gulped. “I know I’m going to fumble my words, but be patient with me, okay?”
“Of course.”
A sour taste came into my mouth. My nerves couldn’t take this. My tiger wanted to jump out of my skin. I drew my hands down under the bar, clenching them, feeling the first touch of big, sharp claws.
“Ty?” Freid bent closer to me, his arms stretching to me. “Hey, babe—”
It didn’t make this any easier when he called me that. My confession was everything to me. I knew Freid well by now. If he didn’t reciprocate my feelings, he wouldn’t hate me. He wouldn’t stop being my friend. But I would feel it. Deep inside forever. Seeing him every weekend. Texting every day. Knowing he knew what I felt and didn’t feel the same. The ease we had with each other would dissipate. It couldn’t be avoided.
I looked down, stumbling over my words. “I love the shirt. I really do. But I think it means something different to me than it does to you. Your dream is your dream. The signs you saw are what your mind interprets. But my mind, well, it’s different. I see the tiger shirt and I’m a tiger even if…if it’s not what you’re looking for.” My throat went dry, my voice scratchy. “But now,you give me my own tiger shirt and it means, well, everything to me. Everything, Freid. But I don’t think that what I’m saying about it meaning everything means the same for you.”
Did that speech even make sense? My face had grown hot. My tiger claws dug into my palms, though my beast was silent.
Freid’s dark eyes never left mine. Beneath his own tiger shirt, his chest rose and fell.
“I’m not sure I’m being clear,” I continued. “But—but don’t you think the tiger shirt was a symbol in your dream? I mean, it was right in front of your face. And then the next day we met.” I held his gaze. “And now, you’ve given me one just like yours. Right?”
His eyes softened even more. “Ty, I never meant—”
“Don’t say another word.” I bowed my head, unable to look at his sweet face another second.
“You didn’t let me finish.” His tone grew rougher.
