Page 36 of Setting Limits

“Hey, Chels.”

“Hey, Wes.”

“Mind if I come in for a second? I promise to be quick.”

“Um, sure.” I move aside to let him pass, holding onto the doorknob for support.

He walks into the middle of the room and runs his hand up the back of his head while the other sits planted on his hip. If I didn’t know better, I’d say Wes is nervous.

“So, I wanted to apologize for last night. I guess I was reading the signals wrong, and really, that doesn’t matter because you have a boyfriend.” When he mentions the boyfriend, he finally raises his eyes to meet mine.

“I don’t have a boyfriend.”

His mouth opens like a gaping fish, but no words come out for a moment. “Oh. Uh, Lochlyn didn’t mention.”

“He doesn’t know. Neither does Shay.”

“Interesting. Okay, well then, I guess everything else I was going to say is moot. I’ll get out of your hair.” He starts to leave and just as he passes me, I stop him.

“Wait.” I touch his arm briefly, causing him to freeze. He looks down at my hand, then up to my face and there’s a twinkle in his eyes. I wonder if he feels the same tingling sensation I do at our connection.

“You didn’t read any signals wrong, Wes. It’s a bit complicated. Not only because Ijustbroke up with my boyfriend. But because you’re Lochlyn’s best friend, and I just lost my ever-loving mind about him dating mine. It’s something I’m trying to get over, but am struggling with.”

“He’s never said a single bad word about it.”

“That doesn’t meanIfeel better about it. And I need to in order to forgive myself and be able to truly move on with everything. With my life.”

We stand in silence for a few minutes while Wes nods ever so slowly.

“I’m going to make a request, Chelsea. Go on a date with me. One date. But go with an open mind. If after that, you’re still not sure, then fine, no hard feelings, we can just be friends, and I can push my feelings for you down while we’re together with Shay and Lochlyn. But if you have fun, give yourself the freedom to go on another date with me. Please.”

A date. Can I handle that? I’m still unpacking these feelings I have for Wes. Will agreeing and going make it better? Or worse? Maybe I’ll go and realize he chews with his mouth open, or has terrible table manners, or is rude to the wait staff at the restaurant, all things that are no-gos in my book. “Okay. One date.”

The smile that lights his face steals my breath.

“I have one condition, though. I’m not ready for Lochlyn and Shay to find out that I broke up with Brendan. So, I’d prefer that we kept it between us for now.” Besides. If it ends up being one date, there’s nothing to tell.

“I suppose that’s alright. For now.”

Lying to his best friend is probably something very low on his list of things that he wants to do. That’s how I know that he feels strongly about this date, and possibly even me.

“I’d like to pick you up tomorrow night at six. Will that work?”

“Tomorrow?” My brows shoot to my hairline. I wasn’t expecting something so immediate.

“Yes. Is that too soon?”

“I just, I have a class until six. Can we do later?”

“How about Tuesday?”

“Yeah, okay.”

A giant smile crosses his lips, and he gives a single, firm nod. “Good. I’ll see you then Chelsea. And remember. Open mind.”

He taps his temple three times as he crosses through the threshold to my room.

The only problem with this plan is that an open mind may get me in trouble, and feeling far more than I already do and more than I should.

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