He’d been so supportive when she and Jason parted ways. Ty had always been supportive. Back when she’d left for college and was missing home, he stayed in close contact. When she’d struggled with her statistics class, he even came up several times to study with her. He was a true-blue friend. It meant a lot, especially after the way she’d lost most of her Alexandria “friends” when she and Jason broke up.
The reminder of Jason stirred some thoughts she’d been struggling with lately. Thoughts about their relationship and her own part in what had happened.
Tyson’s gaze sharpened on her. “There something else bothering you?”
Should she share the concerns she’d been having lately? She took in Ty’s warm and caring expression. If not with Ty, then with who? “I’ve been thinking about my relationship with Jason and processing what went wrong.”
Ty gave a droll smile. “Ah, the postmortem. I’m familiar. And as I recall, I did a fair amount of that processing with you.”
He’d had plenty to sort out when Britt left him for another man. “Right. I just can’t help but think... that maybe I didn’t love Jason the way I was supposed to. I mean, I got over him so quickly. So that can’t be love, right? I thought I was in love, but there must’ve been some reason I was putting off marriage. Some reason I couldn’t say yes when he proposed. Maybe he was right about that after all.”
“Why do you think you stayed with him so long, if not for love?”
She’d wondered this dozens of times over the past few months. Her sigh seemed to come from her toes. “I don’t know. When I first met him I looked up to him. Maybe I just wanted to be with someone. Wanted that connection, that intimacy.” She leaned into the warmth radiating from Ty’s expression and spoke the truth. “I don’t think I’ve ever been in love, Ty. Not really.”
“Well, that’s okay. It can take time to find the right person.”
“Yeah, but...” She clamped her lips shut over the words threatening to escape. They seemed to pile up in her throat, forming a big lump.
“But what?”
Her heart was thudding so hard that it felt like it might burst from her chest. “I think there might be something wrong with me.”
“Ah, Jen.” He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her in. “There’s nothing wrong with you.”
Tears pressed against her eyes as she dropped her head to his shoulder. “Then why did I stay with him so long? I led him on.”
“Not intentionally. Maybe you wanted it to work so badly that you let yourself believe it was true. It sounds like you admired him a lot.”
She snorted. “That’s a far cry from being in love, isn’t it?”
“If you’ve never been in love, how can you know for sure what it feels like? Don’t be so hard on yourself. Remember how I second-guessed everything with Britt? Maybe I wasn’t a good husband. Maybe I didn’t meet her needs. Maybe I wasn’t enough.”
Jenna pressed away and gave him a stern look. “Youareenough. And her cheating wasnotyour fault.”
“Maybe not. But that didn’t stop me from wondering.” He cupped her cheek as his gaze homed in on her. “There is nothing wrong with you. You are a very loving person, and when you find the right man, you’ll fall in love.”
She huffed. “You have to say that. You’re my best friend.” But the way his touch warmed her skin, the way his gaze burned through her, seemed to challenge that claim. Her heart did a strange little wobble. The pause lengthened between them.
His gaze held hers.
Her pulse skittered to a halt. Seeking his touch, she leaned ever so slightly into his palm.
His gaze softened on her. His lips parted.
What would his mouth feel like on hers? She already knew the answer. Once upon a time he’d kissed her. It was over so fast, but not before she realized Tyson was a masterful kisser. The soft, reverenttouch was a memory she’d carried for years, judging each first kiss by it—and often finding they fell far short.
And though she’d tried to put it from her mind all these years, there’d been a while after that kiss when she’d caught feelings for her best friend. But before she could even process those feelings, Ty got back with Danielle Collins and ended any fantasy Jenna might’ve had about being more than friends.
She’d never told a soul about those feelings—especially not Ty. She felt too vulnerable. Too embarrassed that it was so obviously one-sided. And eventually, as the summer wore on, she decided it was for the best. Romantic relationships came and went. But her friendship with Tyson was steady and strong. Nothing was worth the risk of losing it.
But now those same thoughts and feelings seemed to be resurfacing.
Tyson cleared his throat, jerking Jenna to the present. He gave her shoulder a quick squeeze before he released her altogether.
She shook the strange thoughts and feelings away.Seriously, what is wrong with you? You cannot have romantic feelings for Tyson.
And now he was putting space between them, probably completely perplexed by her behavior.
