Page 6 of Yuletide Hero

“I knew it.” Sophie clapped her hands delightedly. Her best friend had had a crush on Sophie’s oldest cousin for the last decade at least. Brian was her Uncle Mark’s oldest son and was six years older than her and Hayley. Her friend thought that Brian saw her as nothing but a kid, a friend and nothing more. Sophie wasn't so sure though. She saw a spark between them. All Brian needed to do was take off his friends glasses and see Hayley for the beautiful, smart woman she was. Not a kid any longer.

“It’s nothing to be so excited about.”

“Are you kidding?” Sophie exclaimed. “Brian drops whatever he was doing to rush straight over here to make sure you were okay, that is totally romantic.”

“It might have been,” Hayley said slowly, “if he hadn't made a point of saying that he was only here to check on a friend.”

“You don’t believe that, do you?” That was crazy, both of them were crazy. Hayley should just tell Brian how she feels, and Brian should just open his eyes and see that Hayley wasn't a kid anymore and that they would be perfect for one another.

“It’s what he said.”

“It might be what he said but how did he say it?”

Hayley’s blue eyes went far away, and her friend didn't need to say anything to answer that question.

“He said it like there was something more to it, didn't he?” Sophie asked.

“Not exactly.”

“But,” she prompted when Hayley didn't continue. Her tone said there was more she wanted to say but hadn't. They were best friends, they told each other everything, always, no holding back, no secrets. Over the years, they had shared everything from their fears and anxieties to their crushes and their highest highs and lowest lows.

“He said he came because he wanted to check me out. He took my pulse, then listened to my chest, then he looked at the lump on my head, and I don’t know, his face, it looked like he felt something. And then our eyes, they kind of locked, and I was sure he was thinking about kissing me. But he didn't. He just said that he was glad Adam and Jessica had been there and that he was here to check on me because that was what friends did.”

“You thought he wanted to kiss you though?” So many times she had wanted to just tell her cousin that Hayley liked him, but she had promised her friend she wouldn’t, and they always kept their promises to each other.

“I thought so,” Hayley hedged. “But it’s not like I’m an expert in men.”

“And I am?” Sophie huffed a mirthless chuckle.

“At least you’ve been in love before.”

“Yeah, and that worked out so well.” She had been in love—or at least thought she had been—twice before, and both times the boys had turned out to be killers. After the second time, she had sworn off relationships. That was nearly ten years ago, and she hadn't dated since.

Nor did she ever see herself dating.

Her heart just couldn’t take another beating like that again.

Being single might be lonely, but at least it was safe.

After some of the things she’d been through, safe was nothing to be sneezed at.

“I’m sorry, Soph.” Hayley reached out for her hand. “That wasn't nice of me to bring that up.”

“It’s okay.”

“No. It’s not. I know you’re still not over it, but I hope that one day you will be. I don’t want to see you end up alone because of two guys who didn't deserve you. They didn't even deserve to live.”

And one of them hadn't.

One of them was dead now, the other in prison, but the scars they had left behind were still fresh and raw, and Sophie wasn't sure they would ever fade enough for her to be able to move forward with her life.

“I love you, Soph, you know that. You know I’m always here for you,” Hayley said.

“I know you are, but I want you to be happy. Just because I can't move on doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. You should tell Brian how you feel.”

“I can't.” Hayley dropped her gaze to her lap.

“You can,” she contradicted.

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