Page 40 of I Choose You

“Well, thanks for asking. I’ll be heading back to Pittsburgh next week, then I’ll fly out on the weekends here and there. She barely needs me now that she has Lucky.”

I notice the Caribbean blue when he pulls away from our hug. His eyes are like diamonds and could easily turn into any woman’s best friend. I can’t help but think how happy he’ll make someone one day, and smile.

“Come on. You’re going to love this place.” He pulls on the door, holding it open for me. On the inside, it looks like your regular pizza shop, with a counter and stone fireplace behind it. Small tables fit in the space in front of the window. My stomach growls when I get a hint of cheesy dough and tomato sauce. “I already placed our order when you told me you were on your way. Pick a table, and I’ll grab it.”

I’m at the point of eating my arm off with the way my stomach and head are competing with one another. My stomach growls from not having food for way too many hours. My head thumps with the same dull headache I woke up with earlier this morning.

When he makes it over to the table, he pulls two circular containers from a brown paper bag. He pops the lid to one, pushing it my way as I peek to look at what he ordered. My nose wrinkles in confusion.

“Alfredo?” I know it’s strange, but I’ve never eaten alfredo. I’m not a fan of white sauce and prefer the acidic taste of tomato sauce over everything else. Though I’m skeptical, I grab a fork from the center of the table and get ready to dig in.

“Yep.” He lifts his lid with a flick of his finger. “I think I told you about this place that night at the club.” The night we bailed and ate donuts curbside.

I shake my head, feeling horrible that night revolved around me and my problems. “Nothing in my memory points to a talk about alfredo.”

He stabs a fork into his food, swirling the noodles to get a good coating of sauce on them. “It’s the best you’ll ever taste.”

My stomach growls impatiently. Here goes nothing. I grab extra napkins from the compartment in the center of the table and prepare myself. I’m too hungry to get a grip on whether it’s my starved stomach convincing me it’s good enough or the fact that it actually is tasty. Halfway through, I find Owen watching me from across the table with a growing smirk.

“I was scared for a second, but you’re right. This is amazing.” For no good reason, I find myself comparing Owen to Mason. Owen is my best friend’s opposite. His eyes are perkier, and his skin less flawed. Even his blond hair proves to be airier and lighter in comparison.

For a second, I get the urge to go home and press my lips to Mason’s mouth, as he did to me last night. Then I remember the severity of our situation. Last night was a dare. He’s my best friend and moving halfway across the country in a month. Oh, and I want to vomit whenever I think about the possibility of commitment.

My face falls at the thought.

“Whoa.” Owen points his fork at me before twirling more noodles around it. “What’s that look for?”

I try to shrug it off but end up caving. Something about Owen makes it super easy for me to confide in him. Maybe it’s that he’s a few years older than me and more mature. Maybe it’s his easy-going personality. Nonetheless, I know I can share what happened last night with zero judgment.

I also know he’ll let me work through my emotions through discussion. He won’t tell me what I should do. Nelly is my go-to for that when I need it. Not to mention, she’s going to flip shit when I tell her the latest.

“Something happened last night.” His brow lifts, and curiosity sparks. There’s no point in holding it in, so I blurt it out. “Mason kissed me, but it’s not what you think.”

“It isn’t?”

“No.”

“Care to explain?”

I share all the details. Even the parts that lead to Layla’s dare, like Luke twerking on the coffee table and Layla falling on her ass and all of us scrambling to our rooms afterward.

“I don’t know what to do,” I tell him.

“You told me he said not to overthink it.”

I nod and push my empty container to the side. “That was before the kiss, before either of us knew what it would be like.”

“Fair enough. Do you think he enjoyed himself?”

Mason’s throaty groans filled my mouth and brought my body to life. A charge of electricity zips through me from the memory, and my stomach soars, causing a fuzziness to spread in the center of my chest. “I’m almost positive he enjoyed it as well.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

I lean forward and lower my voice. “Don’t you remember? He’s moving to Texas, and he’s my best friend. And remember the tidbit about me not liking commitment?”

He lifts a napkin to his mouth and wipes. “You can’t go there, or you don’t want to go there?”

“Literally or figuratively?” I look around and shake my head. “Well, first off. I wasn’t invited…but also, it doesn’t end well for either of us if that kiss turns out to be anything more than a dare. Long-distance is hard. Too much space for error. Not to mention he’s my friend. If something went wrong, then what?” And that’s if I even want to commit to a solid relationship.

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