Page 64 of My Scorned Best Friend

“What?” I ask a second time.

“I loved last night, X. I mean, I’m in this with you, one hundred percent. And I know you mean well with the flowers and trying to hold off on our physical intimacy, but I’m still afraid of being the laughingstock of this town. Someday when I’m eighty and wheeling my scooter to the library, I don’t want some parent using me as a cautionary tale and telling their kids stories about the librarian who got her heart broken by the professional football player.”

“Jesus, no.” I shake my head.

“I thought you wanted to keep us quiet when you didn’t want me to come with you to get coffee.”

“Hell no. Keeping us out of the press is one thing, but the town is something else entirely.” I take her hand. “Get your coffee and muffin. I’m walking you to work so you can talk to Unessa.”

She grabs all her stuff, and we walk out of her house hand in hand. All through town, we get second glances, and some people openly whisper as they pass us. I text Nikki to look out the front of the radio station so she can report what’s truthful.

Once we hit the middle of the square, I spot Cade, Presley, and Leighton at an outside table of The Grind.

I stop us and put my coffee and Clara’s on the nearby bench, pull up the radio station, and stream it on my phone. Then I take her in my arms. And with one hand around her waist and the other cradling her face, I kiss her, sliding my tongue between her lips. She clings to me, which is the best feeling in the world.

“And I’m watching my stepbrother, Xavier, right now kissing Clara Harrison in the middle of downtown. I do suspect this is Xavier’s declaration to the town that these two are now the ‘it’ couple of Sunrise Bay.”

When I pull back, I say quietly, “You’re my girlfriend. I don’t want to rush you, but I want to tell the world. You let me know when you’re comfortable with that.”

Her fingers graze down my cheek. “You didn’t have to.”

“I did. I’m not hiding us. I never will.” I kiss her forehead and step back to see a smile I’d die a happy man seeing every day for the rest of my life.

20

“WHO DOESN’T LOVE A MAN OF MYSTERY.”

Clara

Long-distance relationships suck.

Especially when you’re heavy in the lust phase. Even the fact that it’s been full steam ahead on the extension of the library since many people in the community have been donating money hasn’t helped take my mind off of Xavier.

On my way to meet Presley and Leighton at Truth or Dare, I stop to see Theo at Fired Up. He’s in the studio, in the middle of sculpting something. He doesn’t stop the spinning wheel thing, briefly looking up. I have no idea how he concentrates with the music so loud.

“I just wanted to stop by and say thank you for the donation to the extension.”

His eyebrows crinkle as though he doesn’t understand me.

“The donation online,” I clarify, speaking louder over the music.

He nods and smiles, giving me a thumbs-up before concentrating on his piece of art.

After walking out, I stop by Trent Lawson’s, but only his wife is there. She has stacks of papers. The bell rings when I open up the door.

“Hi, Rebecca.”

“Clara. I heard the news about Xavier and you. I always knew you’d end up with him. I think your mom did too.”

I can’t fight my smile. My mom always did tell me that Xavier and I would find love one day, but always told me not to rush because if you get to marry your best friend, you’re luckier than most. “Thank you. I just wanted to stop by. That donation to the library was way too generous.”

She picks up some files, and lines on her forehead wrinkle. “Oh, that must have been Trent. He’s been handling the finances since I’ve been up to my ears in cleaning out these files. He wanted to move to a bigger office, and I said no, we’re putting some of this in storage. I’ll mention to him that you stopped by.”

“I appreciate that. I just didn’t want it going unnoticed.”

“You’ve always been such a sweet girl.”

“Well, don’t work too hard. I gotta go meet up with Presley at Truth or Dare.” For a moment, I almost laugh. The first time I came face-to-face with Presley was in Trent’s office down the hall.

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