Page 42 of Don't Fall For Your Best Friend

She wraps her arms around my neck and cries. Her tears wet my skin and I close my eyes, trying to keep my own emotions in check.

“I’ve got you. You can stay here as long as you need,” I whisper, stroking her hair.

“I don’t want to put you out, but my parents have that renovation going, and they’re still in Florida while that happens. I didn’t know where else to go.”

I pull away from her and place my hands on either side of her tear-stained cheeks. “This is where you come, Hartford. When you need something, when you’re in trouble, you come to me, always. Understand me? You could never put me out.”

She nods. “Thank you, Paxton.”

We sit for a while and I put on a mindless TV show to help distract her brain. I offered her food, but she said her stomach was in knots. I convinced her to drink a bottled water, and that’s sufficient for now.

She seems more relaxed, and that’s all I wanted. Everything else will work itself out.

“Are you sure you don’t want a slice of pizza? I can heat it up.”

“No, seriously, I’m good. I’m just tired and ready to put this day behind me.”

“Yeah, I’m beat too.” I stand and stretch. “You take the bed. I’ll take the recliner.”

She jumps up, shaking her head. “No way. You can’t sleep in a chair while I enjoy your king-sized bed.”

I shrug and wrap my arm around her slender shoulders. “I’ve passed out many nights in that chair.”

She tilts her head as she stares up at me. “Right, you’ve passed out in the chair, but at some point, you went to your bed. Sleeping in a chair isn’t relaxing. You aren’t going to wake up refreshed and ready to work. You’ll be dragging ass and miserable.” She grins, searching my eyes. “I’m not gonna live with someone who’s like that.”

Sharing a bed with Hartford was something I wished for just before she knocked, but it could be dangerous having her that close to me. The selfish side of me dismisses that thought.

“You sure about this?”

“Pax, we’ve shared a bed before.”

I chuckle. “Things have changed since middle school.”

“Have they?”

I search her face and realize things are different for me, but not for her. She still won’t cross that line, and I need to accept that.

“No, I guess not. Let’s go to bed. Tomorrow I’ll empty a few drawers so you aren’t living out of a suitcase.”

I carry her suitcase into the bedroom and place it on top of my dresser. She heads to it and pulls out clothes as I step out of my sweats and remove my shirt.

“I’m going to change in the bathroom,” she says, avoiding my gaze.

She disappears into the bathroom, and I pull the comforter back and climb into bed. I can’t let my feelings get the best of me. My best friend needs me right now. She doesn’t need to know that every time she pushes me back into the friend zone, it kills me a little. All she needs to know is that I’m here for her. That’s what she needs right now—my friendship.

When she returns to the bedroom, I remind my dick of the plan, because the navy blue cotton tank top she has on is low cut and does nothing to hide her hard nipples and stops just above her matching navy blue shorts that barely cover her round ass, and it’s stirring him to life. She climbs in bed and I move closer to the edge, making sure her silky skin doesn’t touch mine.

She rolls onto her side and rests her head on her hand. “Seems nothing goes as planned, even my bath.”

Damn. She looks sexy as hell, staring at me from under her long lashes with my comforter wrapped around her.

“I know the feeling.”

“Do you?”

I roll onto my side and mimic the way she’s lying. “Of course I do. You and I are in this together. The scenes aren’t just going wrong for you, Hart, they’re going wrong for me too. You’re not alone. But, we need to remember these things are just bumps, not roadblocks.”

She smiles, a genuine smile. “I like that.”

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