Page 29 of Shameless With Him

“Why did you say my name that way? Like both names were one word. A title.”

She shook her head and turned away.

Regret filled my stomach, and I took a step forward. “I’m sorry.”

She turned then, raising her chin. “Sorry for kissing me? Thanks for that.”

“I don’t know what to say. I didn’t mean that I was sorry for kissing you. Because I’m not. But I’m sorry that I’m hurting you for some reason. I don’t know what I did or said. But I apologize for how I’m making you feel. Or maybe even that you didn’t want that kiss. I thought you did. Perhaps I read the signs wrong.”

“You didn’t read the signs wrong,” she whispered.

“Good. Good.” I was usually better at my words than this. But I couldn’t figure out what they were. Even as I was speaking, my pulse started to race, and my head began to pound. Fuck. I needed to get home soon, or I would get a full-blown migraine. No one needed to see that, let alone Zoey.

Zoey.

What was I doing? Standing here in her foyer like I had the right to start something. But I couldn’t walk away. Not now. Because what if I did, and it all changed? I didn’t know what the answers were, but if I knew anything, I knew that if I walked away without saying a damn thing, I’d regret it. And I hoped maybe she would regret it, too.

“You’ve never kissed me before. Why did you kiss me just then?” Zoey asked.

“I guess the phrase because I wanted to isn’t a good one,” I answered honestly.

She stared at me, and I tried to read her gaze. I couldn’t. “Actually, that’s a pretty good answer.” She ran her hands over her face and then began to pace again. “I wasn’t expecting this. This wasn’t part of the plan.”

She froze then, and I took a step forward.

“What plan?”

“No plan. No plan at all. Seriously, there was never a plan.”

“You have me intrigued. Was there a plan for me, Zoey?” Had those looks I had seen been real? Did she want me as much as I wanted her? Not that I knew exactly how much I wanted her. After all, I hadn’t let myself think that far ahead.

And I shouldn’t be thinking about the future at all. However, I was going to. Even if just for a little bit.

“I think you should go. Yes, you should go. Because that would be best for everybody. It’s just…everything is so complicated, you know?”

She said the words quickly, and I shook my head. “I don’t know if I believe that. Do you?”

“I don’t know, Caleb. I thought maybe… No, never mind. It’s a little bit too much honesty when we’re trying to figure things out. You know?”

“I can honestly say I don’t know.”

“I wasn’t expecting this. But I don’t know. Caleb?”

“Yeah?”

“You kissed me. And I don’t know what that means. As much as I really liked it. Because I’m not going to lie to you. I really liked that.”

“I did, too, Zoey.” My voice was soft, and her eyes darkened just a bit. I wanted to count that as a good thing. Though I wasn’t sure it was.

“However, Caleb, now that I think about it, it’s really tricky.”

“Because you’re best friends with my sister and with my brother’s fiancée?”

“That and I’d like to think we’re friends, too.”

I took a few steps forward and cupped her face, surprising us both. “You’re my friend, Zoey. Since you were little. I saved you on the beach that one day, remember? All the way in Hawaii, of all places.”

She blinked away a tear, and it surprised me. “I didn’t think you remembered that.”

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