Page 85 of Trusting Tanner
“Hanging out at my place. He’s feeling kind of down, so I invited him to come over.” She shrugged like it was no big deal, because to her, it wasn’t.
“Oh.” His shoulders slumped, and he released her. “Okay.”
She waited for him to laugh or smile or tell her everything was fine, but as the seconds ticked by, his expression remained closed off. “You’re not mad, are you?” She didn’t know why he would be. He knew she and Devon were just friends. Still, the sad look on Tanner’s face pulled at her heart. The very last thing she wanted to do was hurt him.
“Not mad. Disappointed.”
That was worse. She frowned. What else could she say or do to prove to him that Devon was more like a brother than anything else? He was important to her, but not in the same way Tanner was. How could she make him understand that, though, without jeopardizing their relationship?
“Devon is a big part of my life. He’s always been there for me, and I’ve been ignoring him lately. I miss my friend.”
His lips flattened into a thin line. “It’s fine. I’ll see what Jason is up to tonight.” His tone was flat, and he sounded defeated.
“Tanner.” Her lips trembled, and she pulled in a shaky breath. “He’s my friend. That’s it.”
The very last thing she wanted to do was fight with him, not when things had been damn near perfect between them.
“Shit.” Tanner dragged his hand through his hair.
She stepped up to him. “I love you, Tanner, and nothing is going to change that. Certainly not spending a few hours with Devon.”
“I hate the idea of you being alone with him.” He slid his arm around her waist. “I know you’d never cheat on me, but I see the way he looks at you, Jules. You can ignore it all you want, but there’s more on his mind than friendship.”
He was wrong. Devon had never crossed the line with her, and he never would. Why would Tanner even suggest anything like that?
“I gotta get to class.” He moved away from her. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
And then he walked away without so much as a peck on the cheek. The sting of hot tears burned her eyes.
…
Juliana’s stomach was in a knot in her throat, but she wasn’t sure if it was because she was going to have to face Tanner, or because she was getting sick. Her stomach had been queasy since she’d eaten last night. Tanner had been texting her almost nonstop since their disagreement yesterday. She’d been responding, but her answers were short and to the point. Anger was still simmering inside of her about his accusations. Why did everyone always think she and Devon were a couple? Didn’t people realize it was perfectly acceptable for a boy and girl to be friends and nothing more? But more than that, she’d spent too much time looking at Devon differently, trying to see if there was any validity to Tanner’s concerns, and Devon had noticed her weird behavior. The whole thing was so messed up.
Trying to sleep last night was impossible. She’d tossed and turned, eventually giving up on sleep and instead she’d hugged Tanner’s pillow to her chest. It still smelled like him, and eventually she’d dozed off.
As she approached the frat house, she had half a mind to turn around, go home, and text Tanner that she wasn’t feeling well, because she was not in the partying mood.
She shook it off and entered the house to find it packed, more so than normal. Tanner made his way through the crowd and stopped in front of her, hands tucked in his pockets.
“I’m glad you made it,” he said.
Not so much as a smile or a kiss or a touch. Her heart started to crack. Had she ruined things between them? Although she was still upset, she missed him and craved his affection. She swallowed hard. “I told you I’d be here.”
He sighed heavily. “I’m sorry about yesterday.” He stepped closer, each move tentative, as if he expected her to push him away.
“I’m sorry, too.”
“We’re going to be okay, right?”
She nodded and slipped her arms around his waist. His body visibly relaxed against her, and he returned her hug. His strong arms were familiar and safe, and she never wanted to lose this. He kissed the top of her head. She closed her eyes and tightened her hold on him.
“I missed you last night,” he whispered seconds before capturing her lips in a tender kiss.
“Juliana!” Rebecca cleared her throat, interrupting them. “Can you disentangle yourself for a sec so we can talk?” She actually looked contrite. “There’s something important I need to tell you.”
“Um, sure.” Juliana glanced at Tanner with an apologetic shrug. It was probably a mistake to give Rebecca even a minute of her time, but maybe she was finally going to tell the truth. Everyone deserved a second chance, right?
“Hold on a minute.” Tanner took Jules’s elbow and moved her out of earshot from Rebecca. “Are you really going to talk to her?”
