“My girl,” Nicole smiles with satisfaction, nodding her head. “What are you guys going to do, since you won?”
Heat creeps up my neck. “Ah, well.” I pause, swallowing. “We already did something.”
Ellie raises her eyebrows, eyes wide and eating up every tidbit of that night I’m giving them. “Do tell.”
“It was a spur of the moment thing.”
Nicole tilts her head to the side. “Yeah? The suspense is killing me.”
“Um, well… we had sex in the coat closet during the auction.”
Nicole spits her water out and Ellie’s jaw drops. “Shut the fuck up,” Ellie laughs in disbelief.
“Oh my god,” Nicole says, her eyes wide. “Like in the middle of the gala?”
I smile sheepishly, my cheeks burning. “Yeah.”
“That’s so hot,” Ellie says, fanning herself dramatically. “Did anyone try to come into the closet?”
“No,” I admit, breathing a sigh of relief. “That would have been horrific.”
“Could you imagine?” Nicole laughs, shaking her head. “Thank God no one saw you guys.”
“I know,” I chuckle, sucking in a deep breath as I push the memory of last weekend from my mind. “It wasn’t exactly planned, but it was definitely worth the risk.”
“I’d say so,” Nicole smiles.
Ellie pulls out her phone and taps away on the screen. “Adding that to my list of things I want to do.”
Nicole and I lock eyes before we burst into laughter, Ellie joining us after she adds “public sex” to a list neither of us knew she was keeping.
“How are things with him?” Ellie asks. “He’s good to you, right?”
“Of course,” I say without hesitation. “Too good sometimes. He’s very thoughtful and kind… nothing like I imagined he would be.” I laugh and shake my head. “I thought he’d just be afuckboy, you know? But he’s not. He has that persona, although I think it’s just a mask. The Matteo beneath it is a great guy.”
Ellie and Nicole both stare at me, slow smiles lifting their lips.
“What?” My stomach does a gymnastics routine as I lift my brows at them.
They share a glance. “You’re in love,” Nicole accuses.
“I—what? No,” I swiftly shake my head. “No. We agreed we wouldn’t catch feelings.”
“Oh, babe…” Ellie gives me a sympathetic look. “I think it’s too late.”
My breath catches and my eyes grow wider as I stare back at both of my best friends. Ellie’s right. It is too late. “Fuck,” I mutter, letting out a breath as I close my eyes. “I caught feelings.”
Nicole reaches for my hand and gives it a gentle squeeze. “It’s okay. It happens.”
“I mean, how could you not?” Ellie offers. “With everything you said about him and the way he’s come through for you.”
“And the two of you are sleeping together,” Nicole adds.
I open my eyes and press my fingers to my temples. “Fuck,” I say again, dropping my elbows to the table. I hold my head in my hands. How the hell did I let this happen? And what the heck am I supposed to do about it now? “What do I do? I can’t tell him.”
“Why not?”
I look at Ellie. “Because we agreed this wouldn’t happen.”
