Page 49 of The Friend

Whatever happened to mending her heart in peace once he shipped out to whatever godforsaken place he was headed next?

Whatever happened to slipping back into their old friendship over time?

Worst of all, how could she stay immune to the guy and pretend she didn’t have feelings for him when he’d be in her face all the time?

“You’re not pleased, are you?”

Abby frantically searched her brain for something to say, something other than the obvious ‘Why now?’

“Damn it, Abby, what’s going on with you? I thought you’d be happy for me. Happy I’m sticking around?”

“Yeah, but for how long?”

Oops, her first thought popped out and worse, it sounded way more sarcastic than it had in her head.

“What does it matter?” His bitterness stung as he swung out of bed, padded across the room and into the bathroom before she could apologise.

How could he look so delectable naked and so royally pissed off at the same time? Shaking her head, she stepped out of bed, wrapped the sheet around her, and followed him.

“You took me by surprise, that’s all,” she said, raising her voice to be heard through the bathroom door. “I’m sorry.”

Silence greeted her before the shower turned on, effectively drowning out anything else she might have to say.

Great. Not only had she screwed up big time by falling in love with her best friend, she’d also ruined their friendship with her less than stellar reaction to his announcement.

So the nomad was staying in town for a while? Big deal. As he said, what did it matter for how long? He’d soon tire of Sydney, he’d move on like he always did; leaving her more bereft, more broken-hearted, than she’d ever imagined.

Friendship she could do; she sucked at this lovers business.

Desperate to escape, she slipped her clothes and shoes on in record time—the shoes making her blush a matching shade as she remembered last night—and bolted.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Judd had the coldest shower on record to wake up—and to douse his libido that hot-wired the moment he opened his eyes and caught sight of Abby lying next to him rumpled and sexy—and waited until he heard the loud click of the main door latch before stalking out of the bathroom.

What the hell had happened?

One minute he’d woken to find Abby, a vision of post-coital glowing woman staring at him with what he’d thought was tenderness. The next, she’d been colder than an Arctic blizzard.

If she’d given him a chance to explain his motivation behind sticking around in Sydney he would’ve told her the truth. All of it. Instead, she’d acted like she didn’t want to know him, let alone spend more time with him back in Sydney and it hurt more than it should.

He’d always doubted the validity of love. Yet he’d been stupid enough to go ahead and fall for her anyway.

What was he thinking?

Unfortunately, he knew exactly what path his mind had taken once he realised he loved her last night. He’d built a cosy little scenario in his head that involved the two of them having a relationship, his first real, honest, relationship in his life.

So much for that fantasy. She’d meant it when she’d said she only wanted an island fling yet he hoped she felt more. There had been times when the look in her eyes…

He sat on the bed, picked up a pillow, and buried his face in it rather than punching the crap out of it. Bad move. The pillow still bore the indentation of Abby’s head and he inhaled deeply, savouring the faint jasmine fragrance that filled his senses, the same scent that surrounded them when they had sex.

Damn it, he’d had his fair share of women but nothing came close to the earth-shattering, climactic experience of sex with Abby. Though it went beyond the purely physical between them and he knew it.

Whenever they were together, he felt like he’d finally come home.

She’d always had that effect on him, giving him a constant in his nomadic life. Now they’d taken their relationship to the next level, he felt like he could stay in the one place forever, as long as he had her by his side, and it scared him. It absolutely terrified him.

Not that it mattered anymore.

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