Page 71 of My Scorned Best Friend

I jog into my bedroom and pack an overnight bag, but see the men’s sexy underwear on the bed. “If only for laughs.”

I toss them in and change into jeans and a sweater, grab my coat, and I’m out the door to the airport. An hour later, I’m on a plane headed toward Anchorage, Alaska.

“Hold on, baby, I’m coming to nurse you back to health.”

22

“THIS IS WHERE I’M SUPPOSED TO BE.”

Clara

I wake up drenched in sweat, my sheets as soaked as I am, but I feel a lot better.

BANG.

I startle and bolt up from my bed, listening. Someone’s trying to get into my house. I tiptoe out of bed and look out the window, but there’s no car in front of my house.

The doorknob jiggles again. This time I hear whoever it is put something in the lock, as if they’re trying to break in. I search my room for anything to hit them with. I knew I should’ve adopted one of Cam’s dog’s puppies.

I pick up my cell phone from on top of the mattress and see that it’s dead. I need to get to the kitchen for a knife before they can get in. I lightly walk down the stairs on my toes, each step gentle so they don’t squeak. Whoever it is gets the door open and I catapult myself from the stairs to my couch. There’s no way they’ll see me from here. If they go upstairs, I can round the couch and head to the kitchen for a knife.

A bag drops and the door shuts, the lock clicking. What kind of thief locks themself in the house?

A flashlight shines through the room, and a male voice groans. I hear him open my fridge and crack open a water bottle.

I peek over the couch. What the hell?

I turn on the light and Xavier jumps into a karate pose.

“What are you doing here? You scared me shitless,” I say.

“You scared me.” He relaxes, taking a deep breath.

“Hello, this is my house and you’re supposed to be in San Francisco.”

He tilts his head and walks over, looking up and over the back of the couch. “Please greet me this way every day when we live together.” His gaze soaks in my naked body.

“Don’t come close, I’m sick and I just sweated off my fever.” I put out my hand, but he comes over to the couch, taking me until he’s next to me.

“If your fever’s broken, it means you’re not contagious.” I sneeze right on him, and he looks at his shirt. “Good thing I grew up from that ‘girls have cooties’ stage.”

He leans forward to kiss me, and I turn my head at the last moment, giving him my cheek.

“I did not travel this far for your cheek.” He places his finger and thumb on my chin and draws me toward him, placing a light kiss on my lips. “I have chicken soup. You want it now?”

“You brought me chicken noodle soup?”

“It’s the best. Remember when I was really sick a few years ago? I swear it got me healthy in, like, a day.”

I laugh. “You flew all the way here just to give me chicken noodle soup?” No one has ever gone to that much trouble for me.

He shrugs. “I have to admit, I selfishly wanted to see you.”

“But practice. You won’t be back in time. Won’t you be fined?”

“Maybe. But I’m saying I had an emergency.”

My head falls back so I’m staring at the ceiling. “You don’t have an emergency.”

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