Page 47 of Kiss and Tell

“I’m think I’m going to turn in. Good night.” Joey pushed away from the door and walked to his bedroom.

“Night,” Miles called out, following suit, heading to his own room.

He sank down on his bed, unsurprised when his phone buzzed again with an incoming text, Rhiannon’s name flashing on the screen.

You still up?

He considered ignoring the text until the kiss he shared with Lucy replayed in his mind.

He couldn’t be a part of what Joey wanted.

He just…couldn’t.

Miles opened the message thread.

Yeah. Just climbed into bed. Been a busy week.

Coming home for Thanksgiving?

Tell her,he thought to himself. Tell her.

Tell her you can’t be her friend. Tell her you can’t talk to her anymore, can’t see her. Tell her it’s over. All of it.

Miles touched his lips, the taste of Lucy still lingering there.

Then he stared at his phone, the words he should say fading away.

No. But I’ll be home for Christmas.

He put his phone on the nightstand, not waiting for a reply. Then he lay down without bothering to get undressed and closed his eyes, closed his mind.

To all of it.

ChapterSeven

Joey watched as Lucy rolled her suitcase behind her, Miles following with Lucy’s backpack slung over one shoulder, her laptop case over the other, while he carried her camera bag in both hands.

She was coming with them.

Joey hadn’t been able to wipe the grin off his face since she’d texted him less than an hour ago. She’d gone right to the wire time-wise on making her decision. The RV had arrived just a few minutes before her text, and he’d been sweating it, mentally creating a list of ways he could convince her if she said no.

Given the fact she was ready to go, he’d venture to guess she had packed last night, just so that she would be prepared one way or the other. That felt like something Lucy would do.

“Need a hand?” Joey asked as they approached the RV.

Lucy shook her head. “Nope. Miles is lugging the heavy stuff.”

Joey reached for her hand as soon as she was within arm’s reach, tugging her close to give her yet another kiss on the cheek. “I’m so glad you’re coming with us.”

She laughed. “So I gathered.”

Ten minutes after receiving her text, he and Miles arrived at the farmhouse, anxious to get to her lest she change her mind. Lucy had stepped out onto the porch and Joey had picked her up, spinning her around, then twirling her in a celebratory dance.

Miles’s response had been more subdued as he simply rolled his eyes at Joey’s antics, then gave her a stiff sidearm hug.

Joey had felt the strong urge to roll his eyes right back at his best friend because, while Miles had a good poker face, Joey saw right through it. Miles was happy she was coming. He didn’t want to be happy, but he was.

For a few minutes last night on that couch, Joey let himself believe everything was falling into place as Miles remained there, watching him kiss Lucy, before giving their girl one hell of a kiss himself.

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