Page 24 of The Love Chase

“Because.”

That was enough of a reason, right?

Bridget arched a brow. “Wow, you really convinced me.”

I ran my fingers through my hair, tugging at the strands. “I can’t marry Emma. She’s my best friend.” Then I muttered beneath my breath, “Or at least she was.”

There was a beat of silence before Bridget chuckled.

“A girl like that and you’ve never thought of her in a more than friends way?” she asked, her eyes wide.

I looked her dead in the eye. “No.”

No, I’d never let myself think such thoughts.

Sure, I’d always thought Emma was pretty and smart and funny—she was my best friend after all—but I never let myself feel more than friendly feelings for her. I didn’t want to risk our relationship. It was too important to me. Maybe it was a conscious choice, or maybe it was subconscious to turn my eyes away from her and focus on all the other girls because I couldn’t handle the thought of losing the one person who meant everything to me. I would rather be Emma’s friend for the rest of my life than go down a road with her that meant I might lose her entirely.

“Why on earth not? Have you seen her?”

Heat rushed to my face as I stuttered out, “O-of course, I have.”

She blinked at me. “Liam, are you blushing?” Bridget said, her mouth dropping open. “The bad boy of country music, Liam Walker, is blushing?”

I let out a growl in irritation and started pacing the small room, Bridget watching with an amused expression from the edge of the bed.

“So, you do have feelings for Emma.”

“No,” I said quickly, my voice cracking. I cleared my throat and tried again. “No, of course not.”

Bridget just laughed at whatever expression was on my face. “That was very convincing. Just admit it. You have a thing for your best friend. What’s so wrong with that? This is great. Maybe—”

I put my hands on my hips. “I do not have a thing for Emma. She just means a lot to me. I don’t want to risk ruining our relationship.”

“I hate to break it to you, but it kind of seemed like you’ve already ruined it with the way she was acting toward you at the restaurant.”

I winced, knowing she was right.

“Now’s your chance to mend the relationship,” she continued.

“Or destroy it completely,” I snapped back. “I can’t marry her.”

Bridget’s lips pressed together into a tight line—the first sign that she was beginning to get angry with me.

“Sorry, Liam, but you don’t have a choice. It’s this or risk the label dropping you, and I’ll be darned if I let that happen. You’re marrying the girl and that’s that.” Bridget shoved past me and grabbed her suitcase, rolling it to the door. “I’ll have the contract drawn up and sent to both of you tonight.”

She opened the door, pausing as she entered the hallway. “And Liam? Don’t look at this as a bad thing. You guys were best friends. Maybe this is the nudge you two need to finally be something more. Don’t waste such an opportunity. Some of us can only dream of marrying someone that means so much to us.”

Without another word, Bridget left the room, leaving me with my spinning thoughts over saying “I do” to my best friend in just a few short days.

Emma

ME

Help

SOS

Mayday

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