WADE
Fireworks? Explosions? More like a total mind blow?
Bree…kissed me. And it transcended anything I had ever imagined. Soft. Passionate. She fit in my arms as if she belonged there.
But why? Why did she kiss me?
Her gorgeous blue eyes bounce back and forth as she stares up at me like a scared rabbit. She looks as if she’s ready to bolt, too.
The wheels in my head spin, searching for a way to backtrack. Given how long I’ve wanted Bree, I shouldn’t be surprised by how hard it hit me. After years of fantasizing about kissing her—and pining after her like a lovesick idiot—restraint was never going to be my strong suit.
If only life had an undo button, which I seem to say a lot these days. I take a step back, rub my hand over my mouth, then stop. What if she thinks I did that to remove the feel of her lips on mine? Not possible, even if I tried. Her touch and taste have branded me now—sweet and unforgettable.
I need to say something before she leaves, and we wind up avoiding each other again. “Bree, I’m sorry. I?—”
“No, it’s my fault. Really. Lousy day, bad timing. And we’re both upset about Nana, right? It’s fine.Really. Just. Fine.” Her voice gets higher as she backs up, turns to the right, then to the left, like a malfunctioning robot, only cuter.
“It just happened. It’s okay.” I want to hold her, reassure her that nothing’s changed between us, but that feels like a lie. I know what I want, and I want Bree. I always have.
Now that I’ve experienced that mind-blowing kiss, I don’t want to go back to being friends. But what does she want? Until she figures that out, it’s best if I back off and let her call the shots. What else can I do?
Her bottom lip trembles. “I’m exhausted. I think I’ll go home.” She grabs her purse and slings it over her shoulder, making a beeline for the door.
If she leaves, who knows how long it will take for her to talk to me again. Using my well-honed goalie reflexes, I bolt into action and make it to the front door before her, blocking her path like a shot on goal.
“You’re right. This thing with Nana has me all messed up.” I pull at the back of my neck as I search for the right things to say. “Let’s start the evening over. You just got here with your smelly pizza. I’ll grab some plates, and we’ll chill, eat pizza, and talk about whatever you want, okay?”
She nods and whispers. “Okay.”
Putting my hand on the small of her back, I lead her over to where we started—simply two friends about to have dinner together.
She slings her purse over the barstool again and lifts her pizza box. “You really think my pizza is stinky?”
A smile creeps onto her face, making us both laugh, and the tension straining between us breaks. However, the ache in my chest clicks into place where it’s always lived, only stronger.
At least she’s still here, talking to me.
“On a scale of one to ten, I’d say a seven,” I add a tilted grin for effect.
She lands a light swat on my abdomen. “You’re drooling for a slice, and you know it.”
Warmth mixed with relief spreads through me. We’re back to our usual banter. That’s a good sign, right? I can work with this, salvage our connection because the only thing worse than not being with Bree is not having her in my life at all.
“Take your odoriferous box and sit down on the couch. I’ll get plates and napkins.
“Odoriferous?” She eyes me. “Are you bringing out big words today?”
“Blame Nana.”
“Does she still forward the word of the day to you?”
“Yeah, she does.” The plates clink as I snatch two from the cabinet, grab the roll of paper towels—what Nana calls ‘Pierce napkins’—and sit next to Bree on the couch.
She puts a slice on her plate. I slide one onto mine. It’s as if that kiss never happened, but I know I’ll revisit it every chance I get.
Bree does a double-take. “Taking a walk on the dark side?”
Shifting the plate back and forth, I make a show of examining the chunks of olives, peppers, and onions intermingled with sausage, pepperoni, and cheese. “I can work with this.”
