Page 127 of Lost Track

Who was he kidding? He loved everything about her.

Every. Damn. Thing.

Instead of admitting that though, he just crossed the room and rolled his eyes at her. “Shut up.”

After he was done in the bathroom, he joined Kara, Max, and Sabine in the living room. They were sitting on the couch with a couple pizza boxes on the ottoman.

“Sleeping beauty,” Max greeted.

“I didn’t know you were in town,” Dave said, taking the empty seat nearest Sabine. He leaned forward and grabbed a couple slices while he slid his other hand along her thigh. He sat back and ate with one hand, keeping his other on her.

“I haven’t left. I’m actually looking at getting my own place in your building.”

“Really? I thought you said you’d never leave New York.”

Max smirked and his eyes drifted to Kara. “I’m not leaving New York. But since I’m here so often I might as well have my own place.”

They ate, they watched movies, they laughed.

They laughed a lot.

And not once did Sabine make him feel weird about what had happened between them earlier.

Dave couldn’t stop picturing it. What if this could be his life? Quiet nights in, his friends relaxed and happy, Sabine within arm’s reach.

Fuck.

He wanted Sabine within arm’s reach.

As a friendandas a lover.

He’d never wanted both in the same woman before.

Max made moves to say goodbye for the night, but Dave didn’t want to go.

“What’s going on? Are you and her…?” Max asked a valid question.

Dave rubbed the back of his neck. “No. I mean…no,” he settled on that for an answer. Because they weren’t. Not yet.

“Then you don’t need to stay here, right?” Max pointed out.

“Right.” Dave agreed but he also didn’t care.

“If you’re not in a place to make a declaration, you shouldn’t be spending nights. It’s confusing,” Max reminded him gently.

“Yeah. Okay.” Dave took a deep breath and nodded.

Max was right. As usual.

Sometimes Dave needed it spelled out for him. He needed to be reminded that just because he saw things one way, didn’t mean it was therightway. It definitely wasn’t the only way.

He gathered his things and shoved them into his bag. While he did so, he recalibrated his emotions and expectations.

He wanted to be her friend so much.

She was funny and smart and wasn’t annoyed with him yet. When they went places together, she made it fun and people thought better of him because of her.

His attraction to her was going to ruin all of the good they had built.

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