Page 84 of Just Friends
“Huh?” I blinked. “I don’t understand.”
“I don’t blame you,” she said. She stared at me for the longest time. Before she started talking again, her throat wentgulp.“It’s hard to understand because her feelings are really,reallycomplex—so complex, she’s not even suresheunderstands them entirely.”
Hell, I could definitely relate to that. But I didn’t say a word.
“But that kiss changed things, Jax.”
I nodded guiltily. “Yeah. I know.”
“And so, maybe it hurts her now when she thinks about you getting with other girls, because she’s finally realizing, deep down, that she’s liked you all along.”
Wha?
I stared at her, my heart thudding in my chest. Her eyes had moistened, but she didn’t spill a tear. I knew I was supposed to speak my mind,say something—anything at all—but I didn’t know what to say. Even if I knew what to say, I’m not sure I could’ve managed to get the words out. I felt like I’d been caught out on the ice for two whole minutes—my lungs were constricted so tight, I couldn’t draw in any air.
“Ilikeyou, Jax,” she whispered. And now that all pretense that we were talking about someone else was gone, she let out a deep breath, looking freer. “I used to be able lie to myself, but I can’t do it anymore. That one small kiss? It woke me up.”
She—she actually likes me?
With every beat, my heart revved to the redline and jumped into my throat. I wanted to say so much but I didn’t know where to start. I didn’t know how to untangle the confusion in my head and turn it intowordsthat made sense.
So … I said nothing.
“And that’s the real reason I think it’s best if I move out,” she said. “I caught feelings, Jax. And I can’t see them going away anytime soon—not when I live right down the hall from you.” She shook her head with sullen conviction. “Because I know how you feel.”
No,I thought, but my throat was glued shut.No, you don’t.
“I know you don’t want a relationship,” she said. “And I have no right to be upset about that because you’ve been very, very clear about it since the beginning.” She let out a deep breath. “But now, knowing what I know, I can’t do this to myself anymore. It’s not right.”
You can’t go,I thought.
“God, listen to me,” she said, rolling her eyes at herself. “I’m blabbing and you haven’t said a word. Ugh, you probably think I’m crazy.”
No.
I wet my lips. But before I could begin to speak—
Knock knock.
“That’s them,” she whispered.
Quickly composing herself, she blotted at the corners of her eyes to dry the tears that never spilled, and wiggled out of bed. She answered the door and the girls spilled into the room, wine coolers and champagne flutes in hand, brightening the room with their big smiles and nonstop laughter. The raucous party swarmed Piper with hugs and once the greetings were done, the girls whisked Piper out the door, leaving as quickly as they’d arrived.
I laid in bed, staring at the canopy above, the sudden silence I found myself in deafening. She’d only just left, but I missed Piper now more than ever, and wondered how much more I’d miss her once she moved out …
21
Piper
A mist of essential oils puffed out of the aromatherapy diffuser, filling the room with the warm and soothing notes of lavender and the smooth richness of vanilla. Ambient new age music calmed the body and relaxed the mind.
“Mmmm,” I quietly moaned. My face melted into the padded face rest, as the massage therapist worked my shoulder blades with his strong and talented hands.
The other girls in the room—Katerina, Austen, Emma, and Ainsley—quietly moaned and groaned as they enjoyed their rub downs, too.
The drama with Jax was an afterthought. He wasn’t even on my mind one tiny bit. While hanging out with these girls, there was no need for me tofake it ’til you make it—the genuine laughs were nonstop, even if I didn’t always getallof their inside jokes. Nevertheless, they welcomed me as one of their own, as always.
When my massage therapist, Pierre, walked into the room and shook my hand, Isuddenlyunderstood why the girls had insisted that I, the only single girl in the group, ended up on his table. Pierre was a total babe with movie-star good looks and olive-toned skin. His muscular arms bulged out of his tight, white t-shirt; his tight pants were glued to his built legs. Did I mention he was good with his hands? ’Cause he was.
