Page 50 of All It Takes

Me:Ross said he missed his parents tonight and cried. He said he didn’t want to talk more about it. Nilla was a big help.

Tiffany:Oh, wow. I’m glad he was with Nilla. He’s really bonded with her. Dogs are better than humans for listening. I’m glad you were there too.

Me:Also, he told me he saw us kissing and asked me if I liked you.

Staring at my phone screen, there was a pause before I saw the dots appear, indicating she was typing.

Tiffany:Fuck. What did you say?

Me:First, he asked me if I liked you. I said yes and that we’ve known each other for years because we grew up together. Then he told me he saw us kissing, basically calling me out for trying to avoid the topic.

Tiffany:??What did you say when he said he saw us kissing?

Me:He saved me by telling me I didn’t have to explain, that he knew kissing was a grown-up thing.

Tiffany:We need a better answer than that.

Me:I’d love any suggestions.

Tiffany:I don’t have any. We need to talk.

Me:Now?

Tiffany:I’m exhausted. Not now. I’ll call you. Sleep well.

Me:Good night, then.

I tried to ignore the sense of disappointment that slipped through me. I wanted to talk to her tonight. Just because of scheduling and Ross and life, we hadn’t had a night together in more nights than I wanted to contemplate. I missed her.

Tiffany:Good night.

My fingers itched to say more, to tell her I missed her and I was falling for her. I didn’t know if she was ready to hear any of that yet.

I recalled Chase’s warning to me that Tiffany had issues with trust and I’d better not hurt her.

ChapterThirty-Three

TIFFANY

“So Wes?” McKenna prompted.

I lifted my eyes from the menu, colliding with her knowing gaze. “What about Wes?” I sidestepped.

“He’s totally got the hots for you. He’s not my type, but he is hot.” She gave me an exaggerated brow waggle.

Heat flashed into my cheeks. I wanted to ignore her and pretend it was nothing, but McKenna and I were pretty close. We had connected easily, and there was a benefit that she didn’t live in Willow Brook, so confiding in her was a little safer. Not that I didn’t trust most of my friends, but because it was hard to keep anything quiet here.

I ignored the fiery burn on my cheeks and held McKenna’s gaze. “Like I mentioned, I’m worried it’s complicated.” The teasing look in her eyes faded. “I like Wes. A lot. Probably too much, and we made the mistake of—” I paused, stumbling as I tried to come up with a word to define the lightning strike of chemistry between us.

“Falling for his hotness,” McKenna interjected helpfully.

I snorted a laugh, gathering myself. Anxiety spun in my chest. I felt tangled in a net of my own making. “It’s complicated. We have Ross to consider, and he doesn’t need complicated.”

The moment got somber instantly. McKenna considered me quietly before nodding. “I understand that concern. I’m confident you’re not alone in your feelings. I saw the way he looked at you the other night. Have you talked about it with Wes?”

Emotion roared forward, throwing me off balance mentally. “A little. He thinks it’s worth the risk.”

“And you don’t?” McKenna pressed.

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