Page 33 of The Last Key
Without a second thought, everything rushes out of me. How things felt different, teasing each other, the tension surrounding us every second, and what just happened in the kitchen.
“Damn,” Frannie says.
“It’s about time,” Hallie agrees.
“About time for what?”
“For you two to stop ignoring how great you could be together,” Frannie says matter-of-factly.
Swallowing hard, I stare at the screen, completely overwhelmed.
“What’s wrong?” Hallie asks.
“What if… he doesn’twantme? What if he thinks it would be fun to hookup? Or mess around while I’m here? I couldn’t do that. Or…” I trail off, my biggest fear hitting hard and leaving me on the verge of tears. “What if he does want more—everything—but we ruin it? This is why I never wanted to consider doing anything with him.”
“Okay, I think we need backup,” Frannie says.
“Agreed.”
“Backup? What do you mean?”
Hallie taps away at her screen, and a moment later, there’s a request for Ryan Hardison to join the call. And then Brian Ackley. I let them both in at the same time Mark appears next to Frannie.
“What’s up, baby girl?” Ryan asks. “Shit, why do you look sad? Do I need to fly out there and kick someone’s ass?”
“I’m coming, too,” Brian says.
“She’s worried about how Devon feels about her since they’ve been sharing a bed?—”
“And he told her he wants to screw her on the kitchen counter!” Hallie shouts, cutting Frannie off.
“Sounds to me like it’s clear what he wants,” Mark says.
“She’s scared of what would happen if they crossed that line,” Frannie clarifies.
“You said he’s being sweet to you,” Brian says softly. “What do you mean?”
“We’re sleeping in the same bed, cuddling at night. Last night when we were snuggling in bed, he asked me what I wanted out of the future. I asked him too. It seemed like we were both talking about each other, but?—”
Then Hardy cuts through the bullshit. “Baby girl, are you in love with him?”
I’m silent for a moment as they all stare at me. A screen full of eyes boring into me.
“I’ve tried really hard never to ask myself that question,” I finally admit.
“I think you need to now,” Hallie says. “You need to know what you want, so you know how to deal with this.”
“Agreed,” Frannie says.
“Okay. Maybe. What do I do in the meantime?”
“You could talk to him?” Mark offers.
“Or, if you’re too chicken to do that, you could always turn that flirting back to something sweet until you work up the courage,” Brian says.
I nod slowly.
“Don’t let fear hold you back. Have fun. Be honest with yourself. Then with him,” Hardy says.
