Page 66 of Don't Fall For Your Best Friend

“Yes, we had sex.”

She gasps. “Shut up, you did? How was it?” She immediately regrets her question and shakes her head, while twisting her face into one of disgust. “No, don’t want details, but now what?”

I press my hand to my heart. “It was amazing. Better than anything I’ve ever experienced, but now I don’t know.” I drop my hand and it lands with a thud on the bed. “You know Paxton, he’s never serious about that type of stuff. I think he’ll be single for the rest of his life. What if I made a huge mistake and lose him for good?”

Anya thinks about what I’ve said and then smiles. “What if it’s just right, and it turns into something beautiful? Like better than this friendship has ever been.”

I try to imagine that type of life with Paxton. A better than friendship kind of life. Is it possible? “I don’t know.”

Anya lifts a perfectly shaped brow. “I know one thing”—she pins me with a stare—“that boy is crazy about you.”

After a few more minutes, we head down to dinner, and the smell of garlic engulfs me.

“It smells delicious, Carol,” I say, sitting between Anya and Paxton at the dinner table.

Carol gives me a warm smile. “I love cooking for everybody. I’d be happier cooking for a bigger family. I need to get these boys married off. I want grandkids.”

My eyes nearly pop out of the socket at the thought of marriage. In ten years, will Paxton be sitting here with his future wife and his future kids? Where will I be? Alone?

Paxton squeezes my leg under the table and leans close. “You okay?”

I pick up the dinner roll basket and plop one onto my plate. “Just peachy.” He’s going to know something’s up, because I have never uttered that phrase in my life, but he just raises a brow.

“Did you get that Smokehouse’s account?” Callum asks Paxton, and the tension between Paxton and me fizzles.

“I think so. Just need to go over a few details. I wanted him to give us two lines, but he’s only offering one.”

“Two beers on tap would be great for us.” Callum digs into the lasagna on his plate.

“I know, that’s why I’m going for two lines,” Paxton answers. He takes the basket of rolls from my hands and gives me a tiny smile.

Are things growing weird between us? Will I be pushed out once his special someone comes along?

I push the food around on my plate, not hungry as I listen to the conversation around the table. You can tell there’s major tension between Anya and Callum. I want to come to her defense and tell Callum he’s being stubborn, but it’s not my place.

Shepherd talks about his time in Florida, helping out their cousins, and meeting Ellis’ new fiancée, Kiki. I listen about how Ellis and Kiki met and laugh at the fact a goat ate her engagement ring when she was engaged to another man. A man that Ellis was best man for in their wedding that never took place.

How they were both strangers when they shared their first kiss.

From the sounds of it, Kiki and Ellis sound perfect for each other.

Kind of like Paxton and me.

We’re perfect for each other, aren’t we?

There’s only one way to find out. We need to have sex once more. To really see if it’s meant to be.

Later that evening, when we return to Paxton’s apartment, he stares at me.

“What?” I ask.

“You were quiet at dinner. You barely ate anything.” Paxton shoves his hands into his jeans pockets.

“I’m fine.” I inch closer to him and wrap my arms around his neck just because I can. “I was thinking we could practice a scene tonight.”

Paxton raises a brow. “Yeah? There is one thing I can’t stop thinking about.”

I step back and drop my hands. “What’s that?”

---