It blew his mind to think that.
Your hands are also dangerously close to sliding down over her lush ass.
He reluctantly released her and shoved his hands into his pockets once again, needing some space and room to breathe without taking in her breath and smelling her temptingly headyscent. “I see how different you are now. But there’s something else. Something I don’t like. There’s this distance you’ve put between us. You’ve never been a fan of Kristi’s. You made that clear. She’s no fan of yours either. I wish it wasn’t that way, but I get it. But tonight you’re pushing me back to her, and the last few days, you’ve been outright avoiding me. Why, damnit?”
He just wanted things to go back to the way they used to be, when he and Brooke were simple. She was his friend, his confidant, his everything he needed her to be, and she was happy to be it.
Except she was right. He’d complicated things by kissing her and stirring up the feelings that sprouted when they shared that moment during the picnic and grew into what he felt tonight when he kissed her and meant it with every cell of his body.
“It’s simple, Cody. I’ve finally grown up enough to see things from her side. I’m sorry that our friendship hurts her. It’s not intentional, but it’s real because she can see how much I care about you. She sees that you care for me. As a friend.” A sad look came over her and he felt it in his chest. She wanted more from him.
He’d spent all these years trying to protect her heart for lots of different reasons—she was too young. It was inappropriate. He only cared for her as a friend—but things were different now. They could have something different than what they’d always shared. But she still had school. They lived apart. They were both extremely busy.
How exactly would this work?
“You know how I feel,” she went on. “I don’t think Kristi is good enough for you. Then again, we both know I think the only woman good enough for you is me.”
He couldn’t believe she’d put it all on the line like that even if she knew he knew how she felt. They’d never really discussed this part of their relationship.
Brooke grinned. “Don’t start getting nervous, or thinking about how you’re going to let me down easy like you always do. I appreciate that you always tried to spare my feelings. All I’m saying is our friendship hurts her, and if she leaves you because of it, that will hurt you. I never want to cause you pain.”
With all the friction between him and Kristi lately, he wasn’t so sure he’d be all that upset. It felt like as hard as he tried to be everything she wanted, he failed. Sometimes it felt like she liked who he was and what he did for a living and what it afforded her more than she truly liked him. If that even made sense.
He took Brooke’s hand in his and stared down at her, truly, honestly looking at her.
God, she’s beautiful. Inside and out. My friend. The person I need in my life the most.
His chest grew tight as his hand tensed around hers.
He wanted to hold on, but should he let her go?
Was he holding on because he needed her more than he needed Kristi, or was he just doing it because he didn’t want things to change?
“Iwon’tgive you, and the friendship we share, up for her, or anyone else.”
Brooke squeezed his hand, looking him in the eye with so much regret in hers he could barely breathe. “Then maybe you don’t love her the way you think you do. If you did, changing the nature of our friendship wouldn’t affect you like this.”
She wants you out of my life and that can’t happen.
Brooke released his hands and took a step away before he called her back. “Brooke.” Just her name, that’s all he could say for everything he felt. It was all a mess inside him, and he couldn’t sort it out. He needed to before he lost the only person in his life he counted on to be there no matter what.
“Don’t worry, Cody. We’ll always be friends. Just not like it’s been in the past. I grew up. I want more. You have your life with Kristi. Those two things don’t go together.”
Moving to him, she went up on tiptoe and pressed a kiss to his cheek.
He wanted to grab her and hold her and never let her go.
“I’m going in to spend some time with Mom. In a few days, I’ll be back to school, and you’ll have your life back in order, exactly as it was before I came home.”
That’s not what happened when you went back to school last time. All I do is miss you.
Would his life ever be the same again?
Brooke released him and walked away, leaving him standing there alone, his chest tight, his gut in a knot, and his heart cracked wide-open.
All he wanted to do was go after Brooke and kiss her again. He could still taste her.
Lost. Unbalanced. He walked back into the party and Kristi’s cold glare bore into him.
