Page 42 of Best Friends
A part of me loves hearing that, but my rational side can’t accept it. I’ve never believed in fated mates like a lot of my kind. It always felt like something people told themselves to feel special. I avoid her gaze. “Well, even if that were true, which I highly doubt, that still doesn’t mean his feelings will last.”
“Of course it does. You’re who he wanted the whole time.” She grips the wheel tighter. “Frankly, I think he planned to use the fishing convention to get sexual with you. He was probably sick of waiting around for you to get the hint.”
“What?” I frown.
“You heard me.”
“Yes, I heard you but I think you’re insane,” I rasp. “Malcolm didn’t plan anything. The girls at the convention were super commitment hungry. We weren’t looking for that, so we didn’t want to hook up with them. End of story.”
“And your only other option was to have sex with each other?” She laughs. “Come on. Even you must know that’s silly. There were other hotel bars you two could have gone to.”
“We were tired,” I argue. “We didn’t feel like wandering around Vegas. We’d been walking all day at the convention.”
“I’m not buying it. I think Malcolm decided it was time to shoot his wad… so to speak.”
I murmur, “I’m not sure about your theory.”
There’s a stubborn jut to her jaw. “Who made a move on who at the fishing convention?”
My face heats. “Nobody made a move. We were both just horny.”
“Yeah, but who suggested things get sexual? You or Malcolm?”
I swallow hard. “He did.”
“I knew it. How did he bring it up?”
My face burns even hotter. “God, why does that even matter?”
She laughs. “I’m just curious how he worked that into everyday conversation. Like, hey, that’s a cool fishing lure. Wanna fuck?” She laughs again.
“Come on, Chey. Don’t mock us.”
“Sorry.” She touches my arm. “But seriously, how did he even bring it up?”
I sigh. “Like I said, we were both horny and the chicks weren’t working out. He… he said some friend of his told himmales sometimes help each other out when there aren’t any women around. Like in the military or in prison.”
She laughs. “Oh my god, Carrick, he totally planned it.”
“No, he’s not manipulative like that.”
She scrunches her face. “I don’t see it as manipulative so much as opportunistic. He saw his chance and he took it.”
“So was it planned or was he opportunistic? They’re different.”
“It was probably a little of both.”
I groan. “Chey, the girls at the convention really were all super commitment hungry. He didn’t make that up and he couldn’t have planned that.”
“Maybe they were, but I still think he used that as an excuse to be with you sexually, Carrick. Do you really think he needed you to help him get off? Even if he didn’t want to pick up any of the girls that night, he didn’t need you to get off.”
Embarrassment shifts through me. “He wanted human touch. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“No, there isn’t. But I think he wanted more than that, and he wanted it with you and only you.”
“It… it was just blow jobs.”
She grunts. “Did you kiss?”
