Page 33 of Best Friend's Dirty Ex

She nods her head, and I see warmth in her eyes that’s at odds with the steel in her backbone. “I appreciate the honesty and the sentiment. Thank you.”

At this point, I can only hope that with time she'll forgive me.

“Do you think I should call the cops on him anyway?” She's eyeing me with a seriousness that tells me that she trusts my answer, and I want to make sure that I give her a good one.

I pull my phone out of my pocket. “I don't know how helpful it is, but I recorded the entire encounter, so if you need proof that he was here and shouldn't have been, I will gladly turn this over to the officers.”

Her face lights up, and she glances up toward the corner of the room. “I didn't even think about it, but I caught the whole thing on camera too. I added a home security system after I broke up with him and I completely forgot about it.” I can see the sudden animated excitement in her features and know she feels a lot less helpless and a lot more dedicated to making her ex pay for what he’s done to her.

“Smart move.”

She smiles at me. “I'm sorry I haven't been in to the office to watch the renovations. I kind of just told the guys to go ahead because they know the plan and have everything laid out. I kept worrying that it would be too awkward or that I might wind up getting close to you and doing something we regret.” Her gaze meets mine. “Because if I'm being honest, I have to admit that there is absolutely a magnetic pull between the two of us, and it's really hard for me to hit the brakes and stay away.”

Hearing her say those words has my heart doing a happy dance in my chest, and I have to take a breath and remind myself to stay calm. Knowing that she feels the same thing gives me some hope that maybe she'll come around eventually and forgive me for the stupid thing I did that hurt her.

“Thank you for saying that; it’s good to hear.” I want her to know that I appreciate her being open and vulnerable with me, especially since life and even myself have given her every reason not to do so.

“Of course.”

There's something so soft and warm in her features that I want to reach out and grab her and pull her clothes. Instead, I know that I need to curb that emotion, so I stand up and let her know that I'm about ready to go. She stands up with me and before I can do anything, she pulls me into a hug.

When her lips press to mine, it's all I can do not to pick her up and lay her on the table and have my way with her. Since our encounter, my body craves her like I've never craved anyone else. But I'm not about to take advantage of her, especially not given the emotionally charged situation she just experienced with her ex.

When her lips leave mine, there's a slight smile on her face. “Thank you for checking up on me.” She barely whispers the words, her gaze darting back and forth between mine. And I know that if I don't escape now, I won't leave.

Chapter Seventeen

Everly

I'm humming as I dance around my dirty kitchen. There's flour dusting multiple surfaces and chocolate chips strewn about, and a bit of egg white that I spilled on the countertop. But I'm making cookies and I’m happier than I can remember being in a long time.

Pressing charges against James was probably the best idea I've ever had and having Troy’s backup absolutely helped me have the courage to do so.

Between the home video that I had taken on my security cameras and the extra cell phone video that Troy had taken in secret, the cops had assured me that James was behind bars. While I know it might not make a big difference because James doesn't see the error of his ways, nor does he think he's done anything wrong, at least he's being held accountable for what he’s done, whether he accepts the truth or not.

And now I'm here baking cookies for Troy as a way of saying thanks.

I keep humming along with the music that's playing from my phone on the counter, and I realize there's a dusting of flour or sugar or baking soda on my phone. I blow it off really quick before taking the cookie sheet and sliding it into the oven.

As I peek at the cookies inside the lit oven, I realize they look a little strange, but I'm sure it'll be absolutely fine. I followed the recipe exactly, so they'll definitely turn out. After all, baking is chemistry, right?

I glance back at the counter, realizing that maybe I didn't follow the recipe exactly, but I followed it very, very close, so there's definitely a good chance that these cookies will turn out well.

Or maybe substituting baking soda for baking powder might have caused a problem, but maybe it'll be fine. Or I can always stop at the store and pick up some cookies if these don't turn out.

I continue singing along to the music and dancing around my kitchen as the cookies become golden in color and I pull them out to put in the next batch.

It's crazy that I feel like my whole life is falling into place, even though not that long ago I felt like it was all falling apart. I know Troy feels bad for what he's done. I know that the universe is making Lyla pay for her part in the bet and trying to rip people off. And I know that things seem to be looking up for me and I'm hopeful that they will continue getting better and better.

After all, with all the bad things I've been through, it does feel like it's time for something good to happen.

When all of the cookies are finally baked, I wrap them up in the cute little gift box that I'd picked up just for this purpose. But once I've packed the box to the brim, I realize there's still a plate full of cookies that won't fit, and I don't want to just shove them in there and crush them down. So I leave the plate on the counter, cover it with some plastic wrap so it'll stay safe and fresh, and carry the warm box as I grab my keys, phone, and purse.

With a little skip in my step, I head toward my car and drive over to Troy’s place. I know the workers have the day off today, so it'll just be him and me, which means, of course, that I have to be very, very careful. Winding up in bed with him now might send the wrong message, no matter how much I actually want to do it. I know that I'm on the path to forgiving him for what he did, but I’m not completely over the betrayal. Maybe I'll never be completely over the betrayal, but I absolutely don't want to hold a grudge against him for the past, no matter how bad what he did was.

Because he's also done a lot of good things for me, too. Unlike James, there were no ulterior motives to a lot of the things that he did. He wasn't verbally abusive. He wasn't physically abusive. Heck, I could probably just say that he made a bad decision in the spur of the moment. I won't excuse the awful thing he did, but it's not on the same level as what James did to me and it's not fair to hold him to the same level of distrust I hold my ex to.

I hold my breath and take the elevator, reminding myself that I’m strong. The second the doors open, I bolt out and rush toward his door.

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