Page 10 of The Friend Zone

I already owe Luca after he let me stay on the royal yacht all summer. “No. I know how much that man loves you. If you tell him, he’ll find a way to have a house built to the Dean’s ridiculous specs overnight.”

My sister is so stubborn, we have that in common. “And that would be bad, how?”

I use my most serious look. “Lake. You have to promise.”

“Fine.” She finally relents. “But you can tell him yourself next week. You’re coming to the Knights game in Bridgeport, right? I can’t believe it was supposed to be two weeks ago but they moved the game. There was some problem with the cooling system at the arena and they had to close it until it could be fixed. I couldn’t believe that they reshuffled all the home games, I’ve been dying to see you.”

I sigh, feeling guilty. “I know. We’re only three hours away, I should have tried to drive up to Bridgeport regardless of the game.”

Lakyn’s gaze softens at my admission. “You’ve had a lot going on, sweetie. Between the house fire and a hot friend with benefits, I don’t blame you for not having time to come and see your little sister.”

I giggle. “Stop teasing me, Lake. We both know you hate it when I call myself your big sister.”

“Yeah, because it’s just by seven minutes. But seriously, I’ve been following the guys on the road and you’ve been busy getting all those mind blowing orgasms.”

The mention of orgasms, makes me immediately picture Jagger’s sexy smile and my heart clenches. “Yeah, about that.Maybe I’ll have plenty of time to come visit you, Lake. I have the horrible feeling Jagger is ignoring me. I’ve barely caught a glimpse of him all week.”

“The guys have a really full schedule once the hockey season starts. And don’t forget that they also have classes and tests and finals too. Last year I almost thought that Cash wanted to end things with me more than once, but he was just super busy. I bet it’s the same thing for Jagger.” Lakyn’s tone is reasonable and calm, unlike the panic that rises in the pit of my stomach at the memory of how Jagger hasn’t so much as said hello to me all week.

Right. What she’s saying makes total sense. Then why do I have the nagging feeling that there’s more to Jagger’s change of behavior than just a busy schedule? He’s in the room right next to mine. Even if he was too tired to spend time with me, a text doesn’t take more than a second.

Cole has been acting the same way too and I can’t help but thinking that there might be a connection here.

Rather than dwelling on the reasons why my friends are ghosting me, I decide to get back at Lakyn for teasing me. “I don’t know, Lake. I just feel like all my meaningful connections are weakening these days. Take me and you for instance. When you had your first orgasm, Ifeltit. How come you didn’t know it immediately when I hooked up with Jagger?”

Lakyn’s eye roll is so hard, I’m surprised her eyeballs don’t fall off. “Oh my God, Bay.” She groans. “Still with that twin connection theory? I call bullshit on that. How could youfeelmy orgasm when you just admitted you never had one until you hooked up with Jagger?”

I have an answer ready for that question.

“I didn’t have an orgasm per say, but my heartbeat quickened without an explanation and there was this warm tingling sensation spreading everywhere?—”

“Stop,” she laughs, blushing under the thin layer of her flawlessly applied foundation. “You’re messing with me now.”

I am, but not completely. I didn’t feel the way I just described, but I had a hunch. It’s hard to explain. Lakyn came to my mind all of a sudden and there was this positive, glowing feeling in my heart. I knew something good had happened to her. “I’m not,” I insist. “I always know when something good or bad happens to you. Maybe you couldn’t feel what happened to me because you’re in Bridgeport?”

“Are you saying that twin sixth sense has a mileage range?” Lakyn snorts.

“Maybe?” I grin. “But it’s a shame you couldn’t feel anything because Jagger is…”

I can’t find the words to describe it. Anything I could say wouldn’t give justice to the attraction between me and Jagger. When we’re in the same room, you can feel the electricity in the air.

But maybe it was just in my head and to him I’m nothing but a run of the mill, casual hookup.

“I’m glad you and Jagger had fun,” Lake says.

“But?” I know there’s a but from her tone.

“No buts,” she shrugs. “I just always thought you’d end up with Cole, if you had the sense to dump Topher. I think you two would be perfect together.”

Emotion clogs my throat as I try to keep the sudden tears the well in my eyes from falling. “You know,” I admit. “I think I’ve always been in love with Cole. I was just in denial for the longest time because I had a boyfriend. But Lake, I swear, he doesn’t feel the same way about me. I think he might find me physically repulsive.”

Lakyn’s reaction is immediate. “Shut the front door. Not to be arrogant, but have you looked at yourself? You’re a knockout,Bay. An eleven out of ten. And that’s without considering your intelligence, your big heart and your wicked sense of humor.”

Her words fill my heart and my throat burns as those tears cause my eyes to burn with the need to fall. “Funny you should say that, since we’re identical.” I tease her to deflect from my emotions.

“Duh,” she argues. “That’s why there was a disclaimer there, Bay. We might look identical when I get dolled up, but you don’t even need makeup to look stunning. There’s a reason why everyone has always said you were the pretty twin.”

She’s wrong. “No Lake. You’re the pretty one. And you put up with my crazy ass?—”

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