Page 29 of What if I Told You

“Great! It’s settled.” Ella claps her hands like a giddy teenager. “Come on in, guys. Make yourselves at home.”

We stop just inside the apartment letting the guys move past us and then Ella rounds on me and in an excited whisper says, “Okay, first of all, oh, my God! You cleaned the apartment and I told you that you didn’t have to do that. I promised I would do it when I got home. And secondly,” she lays her hands on my chest and the contact alone makes me feel oddly fuzzy inside. “This is okay, right? We’re just having some fun and I really want to get to know the guys.” She leans in closer. “I really want them to like me.”

The slightest bit of trepidation in her eyes melts me.

Fuck, I would give anything to make that look in her eyes disappear. I’d lasso the fucking moon if she asked me to.

“Yeah, babe. We’re good. And stop worrying. They’re going to love you.”

She pats my chest twice more and then kisses my cheek. “Thank you. Come on,” she says, taking my hand. “This will be fun.”

For her.

It’ll be fun for her.

For me?

It’ll be pure torture.

“Mmm! Smells good in here, Auggie,” Griffin states as he walks toward the kitchen. “Did you make cinnamon rolls?”

“Dude,she’s helping you find a girlfriend?” Ledger asks on one side of me when Ella leaves the room to grab her notebook and pen.

“Don’t ask.”

“You better tell us quick,” Griffin adds from the other side of me. “Are we describing some random woman you’ve fucked before or are we describing her?”

My head snaps to Griffin. “What?”

“You heard me.”

“Why would you describe her?”

Griffin’s lips form a wide grin. “You’re cute, Blackstone.”

I shrug. “What?”

He leans a little closer to my ear. “First of all, look at her. It’s no wonder you’ve kept her to yourself all these years. She’s hot as fuck and any one of us would easily drool over her but?—”

“Shut it, Griff.” My face heats at the mere mention of any one of them putting the moves on Ella.

“But,” he continues, lifting a finger and making me pause, “she chose you. She loves you. She’s living with you.”

“I told you it’s not like that with us though. It doesn’t mean anything,” I quietly spit back at him.

He looks me in the eye and then smiles as Ledger pats my leg. “Mmkay. You keep telling yourself that big guy.”

I hear what Griffin’s saying but until today—right this second—I’ve been able to deny all feelings of attraction toward my best friend because she’s just that. My best friend. I can’t allow myself to think about her in any other way because it just wouldn’t work. Sure, she’s unfairly attractive with a personality that would rival anyone’s. She’s kind, compassionate, and has a spirit I’ve always appreciated.

But she’s Ella.

She’s my best friend.

My person.

There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her.

And that includes ruining the relationship we have had for our entire lives just because I find her attractive.

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