Reina snuggled into the blankets, her head resting on my shoulder."This is the perfect night.First the sunset and then this."
"I'm glad you're enjoying it."Was she comfortable putting her head on my shoulder because she saw me as a friend?The thought made my heart squeeze painfully.This wasn't going exactly as planned.I thought this was the perfect romantic evening, and she was more entrenched in the friend zone than ever.
When the credits rolled, I realized I hadn't paid any attention to the plot.Instead, I was hyperaware of her touching me, the weight of her body, and the tickle of her hair.
She moved before I did and stretched."I'm exhausted."
"You can go to bed.I'll clean up."
Her forehead wrinkled."Are you sure?"
"You're my guest, remember?"
She stood and folded the blanket."I can take a few things in."
Once the food was inside, I rolled the screen up and turned off the heater.
Inside, she stood in the kitchen, sipping water."Thanks for a nice evening."
"You're welcome."
"You don't have to avoid me, but you don't have to show me a good time either.We're roommates.Friends."
My heart contracted at the wordfriends."Of course."
Her smile was soft."I had a nice time though."
My throat tightened, and I couldn't form a response.
She gave me one last look before she said, "Good night," and then she took her glass upstairs.
I sighed; it hadn't gone exactly as planned.She had a good time but needed to put up that boundary that we were just roommates.Was that her way of telling me she didn't want anything to do with me?
I wasn't ready to give up yet.Maybe she wasn't even thinking about me the way I thought about her.We were on two separate pages, and I needed to get us on the same one.
Living together was supposed to give me an advantage, but all it did was put me in the dreaded friend zone.
Chapter11
Reina
My stomach was fluttering.Were those butterflies?Roommates sharing a meal and watching a movie shouldn't make my heart beat faster.
I assumed we could sit close to each other on the couch and share popcorn, and it didn't mean anything.Except every brush of our fingers set an electric jolt through my arm while he seemed unaffected.Then there was the steady press of his thigh against mine.
He'd eaten the popcorn and kept his gaze on the screen.
When I mentioned that I had a nice time, but he didn't have to babysit me, he hadn't reacted.Why would he?He saw me as my brother's younger sister.
Why did I expect him to view me as a sensual woman, someone he could see himself with?It wasn't like we could be in a relationship, not with Tom between us.We couldn't be anything serious anyway.So why was I caught up in this fantasy of us?
He hadn't argued with me or said that we weren't friends.If he knew what I was feeling, he'd probably think I was silly.
I had a crush on my brother's best friend.It was ridiculous.I should be focusing on my business, not the heat between us.Heat that I'd obviously imagined.
As I got into bed, I couldn't help but think about the sudden change, from avoiding me to suddenly being everywhere.That had to mean something, didn't it?
It was the proximity, living in the same house and being forced to interact that had me mixed up.If we lived separately, I wouldn't even think about him.Then there was the daring rescue that conjured up all kinds of feelings inside me.If not for those factors, he'd still be my brother's friend, someone I didn't know at all.
