“What?”
“Henry has had a thing for you since the two of you met.”
I look at him and tilt my head in confusion. “That’s impossible. No way.”
“Aspen, he missed out on front row seats the night the Rangers almost won the Stanley Cup, so he could help you with homework.” He gives me a look.
“Well, it doesn’t sound like he missed anything. It’s not like theywon,” I tease, shaking my head. “He never told me that.”
“You know how many times he’s ditched us to hang out with you?”
I huff. “That proves nothing. I’m better company.”
He smiles. “What is it with girls overlooking their guy friends? Most of them, if not all of them, want to sleep with you.”
I scrunch my face. “Ew. He’s like a brother.”
“That’s exactly why he’s never told you.”
I chew on my lip.This is absurd.
“Why do you think Henry invited us all out here for Christmas break?”
I frown. “He said Luke was going to be all alone, and then you and Jesse just kind of tagged along …”
Baylor laughs. “Luke hates his dad. He always spends the holidays alone; he likes it that way. Henry practically begged the three of us to come out, so it wouldn’t be just you and him.”
“We’ve been alone before.”
“Yeah, but not for two weeks in a warm cabin with a scenic view of the mountains. It would’ve been torture.”
My face falls. This makes no sense. All of the movie nights in Henry’s apartment, the study sessions at our favorite coffee shop, searching for the perfect Chinese restaurant, the morning walks into school—none of those moments were romantic to me. There were no longing looks, no touching or flirting. Not once did I feel like Henry thought of me as anything more than a friend.
I rub my eyes, trying to relieve some of the pressure building into a headache. I feel stupid. Confused. Even slightly betrayed. Friends are supposed to be honest. But at the same time, I’m kind of glad I didn’t know.
“This is a lot,” I finally tell Baylor.
“I know.” He clears his throat. “And I understand if you need time to think about you and me. I’ve felt this way for a long time, but this is all new to you.”
I nod.
Baylor eyes me. “Do you regret this?”
I watch as he waves a finger between our bodies, and my chest warms. “If I thought it was a mistake, I wouldn’t have made it so many times.”
The way he smiles at me makes my stomach flutter. I’m so used to seeing him scowl and grimace at me. I like seeing this side of him—the happy side—and knowing I’m the cause of it.
“What made you suddenly change your mind and tell me?” I ask.
He turns and moves closer. “It was the way your body reacted to me when I found you naked.”
I roll my eyes. “I was trying to get a rise out of you.”
“And you liked it when you did.”
I suck in a breath as he grabs my leg and wraps it around him.
“I saw it in your eyes. Your body language. That gave me hope. Henry had his chance. He’s had two years to tell you how he feels about you, but he hasn’t. I stayed away out of respect because he’s my friend, but I’m done waiting. I’m done pretending. You deserve to be loved by someone who’s not afraid to tell you how much you matter to them.”
