I so could. I want to, but it wouldn’t change our situation. We can be friends. That’s the dumbest idea I’ve ever had, but perhaps Levi is correct. What can go wrong? We’re two adults realizing we can’t be together.
I dip my chin, and she gulps, licking her lips when our mouths are an inch apart. It takes inhuman power not to crush my mouth on hers and say fuck it.
A shiver rocks her as my lips press on her cheek instead. I trail them toward the corner of her mouth, where I linger for a bit. She sucks in a breath, drawing out a smirk from me. I will torture her with this friendship until she gives me a fucking chance.
“Friends,” I say, taking a step back not to lose the sham of control.
Lilly blinks and lets out a nervous giggle. She’s fucking adorable. I am a masochist. But it’s her. And she’s worth it.
She stretches out her hand and when our palms touch, we both look down at her smaller one fitting perfectly in my bigger one.
She smiles so brightly that it elicits a smile from me too. “It feels like I can breathe for the first time since I saw you.”
Oh, if she thinks I’ll make it easy for her, she’s sorely mistaken.
As we walk toward the elevator, I ask, “So, how many of my games did you watch?”
“A few.” She looks ahead, appearing lost in thought.
I press a hand to my chest in fake hurt. “What kind of friend are you?”
“I’m going to be the best of friends,” she says assuredly. “But if I watch your games, you drink my shots.”
I wave her off. That’s not a chore at all. “I love your shots. I’m glad you took a chance and chased your dream.” Pride swells in my chest, wishing only the best for her.
The past stretches between us, intimacy cloaking us in.
I swallow the football-sized lump in my throat. “Any other requirements?”
“We spend more time together. Get to know each other.” She beams.
God, that radiant smile has nothing on the sun, blinding and warming me all at once. Maybe whatever there is between us willfade. Maybe we’ll be friends, and sometime in the future, we’ll have a good laugh about our one night together. But my obsession makes its presence known, laughing its ass off at my stupidity, reminding me I’ve been pining for her since I met her.
In the elevator, I say, “Thank you for the drink.”
She grins. “Expect more.”
Are you included in the package?Good god. Stop going there. Friends.Justfriends.
“Thank you for the lily.”
“Expect more.”
Her eyes shine, making the green brighter. I’d love nothing more than to back her against the wall and kiss her senseless.
I shake myself off that all-encompassing desire. We step out of the elevator, and I watch her reach her door. She smiles at me over her shoulder. “I think we’re going to be great friends.”
“We’re going to rock this friendship thing,” I say, infusing as much confidence as I can, considering my conundrum.
She slips inside her apartment, and I stare at her door for long minutes, rooted in place.
Friends.Justfriends. And maybe one day, I’ll believe it.
The next morning,when I leave my apartment, there’s a juice cup waiting for me at my door. This ritual instantly puts a smile on my face, boosting my mood like nothing else.
I pick it up just in time for her to step out of her apartment.When Lilly looks down, the corners of her lips curl up. Her bright smile goes straight to my heart, making it act all strange, as if wanting to leap out of my chest.
She bends from her waist to gently lift the lily, completely engrossed in the delicate flower. I can’t stop looking at her, entranced as she inhales and rushes inside.
