Page 81 of F*ckboys

"I can't do that." I step closer, searching her face. "Mia, please talk to me."

Her eyes shine with tears she won't shed. She whispers, "Watching you with him...it hurts, okay?"

The air feels heavy with unspoken words. I sense a distance growing between us, a wedge driven by something unsaid. I press on, "Mia, seriously, what's going on? You're acting strange."

Mia hesitates, her eyes avoiding my gaze. "It's nothing, really. Just dealing with my own stuff."

Never one to let things slide, I push further. "Mia, we don't keep secrets from each other. What's going on?"

"I told you, it's nothing." Her voice is tight. She's lying.

I step closer and place a hand on her shoulder. "Mia, please. Look at me."

She meets my eyes, hers turbulent. I read the truth in them and my chest aches.

"You're jealous," I whisper.

She jerks back. "Don't be ridiculous."

"Admit it." I grasp her hands. "Mia, please. We promised we'd always be honest with each other."

"I..." Her lower lip trembles. "Okay, fine. I'm jealous, all right? Happy now?"

She tries to pull away, but I hold on tighter. "Mia, look at me. I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you."

"Well, you did." She swipes at her eyes. "Hearing about you with him, it feels like you're slipping away. For years, I've held you while you cried over him and how much he hurt you. I guess I'm not ready to share you with him yet. I'm scared of things going back to how they were. You've done so much work to get over your shattered heart."

My heart swells. "You don't have to be scared or worried. Things between us haven't changed. You're my best friend, Mia, always."

A fragile hope glimmers in her gaze. "Truly? You mean that?"

I cup her face, pressing my forehead to hers. "Truly. No one will ever come between us again."

She closes her eyes, a tear sliding down her cheek. But she's smiling. "Promise?"

"I promise," I whisper. "BFFs. Always have been, always will be."

She takes a shaky breath and nods. "Okay. I believe you."

I brush the tears from her cheeks. "Good. Now, how about we order some pizza, crack open a bottle of wine, and have a movie marathon like old times?"

Her smile widens. "That sounds perfect."

We head back to her place and settle onto the couch with two glasses of merlot and a pizza between us. Mia curls into my side, her head on my shoulder.

Halfway through some trashy horror romance she let me choose, she murmurs, "He's not right for you, you know."

I glance at her. "Who?" I ask, despite there only being one person she could possibly mean.

"Aksel," she rolls her eyes, the merlot giving her a boost of confidence to say what's on her mind. "He's too..." She waves a hand, searching for the word. "… self-absorbed. And polished and stuffy. He doesn't understand you like I do."

"What? You trying to date me, Mia?" I smirk.

"No," she laughs, a wistful look on her face. "I just don't want to have to pick up the pieces all over again."

Chapter 45

Fallon

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