Page 7 of Falling for Her

The smile lights up Cash’s face as he pushes his bowl away from him, leaning back against the back of the chair.

“No, that guy will always have a thing for her. I’m just surprised you noticed. Addison has no fucking clue he feels that way, I don’t even know if she likes him back.”

I smile, shaking my head softly because sometimes I think men are just dense when it comes to women and their feelings, or women get so caught up in their own feelings they can’t see past them.

“Oh, she likes him, but knowing Addison, she’s waiting for him to make a move, and knowing Max, he probably never will.”

The only reason I know any of this is because one drunken night after graduation, Addison and I laid bare all our secrets, promising to never tell a soul. I confessed my feelings for Cash, and to my surprise, she told me about hers for Max.

“Do you think they know?” I tilt my head, sitting back and waiting for him to continue. When he doesn’t, I fill the silence.

“Do they know what?”

“That the other one has feelings?” I’ve wondered that over the years. It’s obvious to me, but when you’re on the inside looking out, it’s hard to see the signs.

“I honestly don’t know. I think Addison has a suspicion, but she’ll never act on it. She will most likely wait for him to make the first move.”

An overwhelming sense of compassion fills my chest because that’s exactly what happened between Cash and me.

“That’s fucked up,” Cash mutters before taking our dishes and bringing them into the kitchen. “The fact that she’s letting him think she has no idea how he feels… I don’t know. That doesn’t really sit well with me.”

My first instinct is to defend Addison, but I take a breath and try to see where he’s coming from as I stand and follow him into the kitchen.

“Look, I see where you’re coming from, but you have to see it from her perspective here. Even Max’s perspective is complicated.”

Cash leans back against the counter, arms flexed as my eyes take in the strong chest, loose-fitting sweats, and bare feet.

“If either of them admits their feelings, there are other factors at stake. Addison is Max’s best friend’s little sister. That alone makes it miles more complicated than it should be, but add in the fact that Max is older and has known her since she was a kid… it makes things a bit grayer.” Cash’s eyes widen as if none of that ever crossed his mind.

“But Drew knows about Max’s feelings,” Cash admits and I nod, remembering all those times Drew would make passing comments that often flew under the radar.

“That’s true, but knowing about it and being okay with your best friend potentially fucking your little sister are two very different emotions.” Cash laughs, nodding as his eyes track over my entire body, taking stock of the oversized T-shirt I pulled from my luggage earlier.

“You know, I remember when I gave you that shirt.”

His head juts out toward the wrinkled, dirty, and well-worn shirt that is hanging off my body. I think I’ve worn this shirt every night for the past five years, my subconscious obviously playing tricks on me.

“You wanted to see Paramore so bad that summer, you couldn’t stop talking about it and how much you wanted to dye your hair orange and red like old-school Hayley Williams.” His eyes glaze over, the memory taking him far away from the kitchen we’re currently standing in.

“God, I was so pissed when my parents wouldn’t let me go. I said so many horrible things to them that summer. I thought they were ruining my life.”

A small laugh escapes as I remember the look of amusement on my parents’ faces when I expressed just how much I hated them. Now, as an adult, I completely understand not letting your seventeen-year-old daughter travel out of town to see a band. I was failing history and algebra and had an attitude the size of Texas back then. So, looking back, I know I deserved it, but in hindsight, it wasn’t the band I wanted to see, it was the opportunity to spend the night with Cash that I wanted.

“I didn’t want to go without you, you know,” he whispers, those green eyes boring into mine as I take a breath, his steps measured as he makes his way toward me.

Before I can say a word, his fingers grip my hips, lifting me off the ground until I’m sitting on the counter, my legs spread as he deftly sinks farther into me. The need to close my eyes and savor the heat of his body against mine is strong as my fingers white knuckle the edge of the granite.

“Then why did you go?” My voice is barely above a whisper, the air crackling with arousal and I know the second my eyes meet his, I’m a goner.

“Because I knew you wanted to be there, and I wanted to make sure you had a piece of that night, even if you couldn’t be there.” His fingers play with the hem of my shirt, the backs of his knuckles gently caressing my skin just above the shorts I have on underneath. “I’m not going to lie and say I’m not happy you still wear it. It’s almost like you’re wearing a piece of me on you, and you have no fucking idea what that’s doing to me.” Cash’s voice is husky, melting every ounce of resolve I have to stay away from him.

I want him, I never stopped wanting him. I just assumed he moved on, forgot me and so I should do the same. But now, knowing what I know, I can’t stop the thoughts of us together as they filter through my head.

“Cash?” I question, panting as those same fingers stop playing with my shirt and rest against my bare stomach as my muscles contract beneath his touch. “What are we doing?”

His eyes flick up to mine, and when that smirk graces his face, I know I’m in big trouble.

“Something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time,” he mutters before taking my lips in a soft kiss that lights every nerve on fire.

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