Page 28 of The Friend Situation

Her denial is adorable, and I can barely handle it.

“I’m not apologizing.” Lexi grins. “You’ll thank me later.Trustme.”

“Do you know how often you’ve told me to trust you and it’s gone horribly wrong? A handful of times, Lex. Well, over ten. You should stop with the matchmaking. At least let us become friends.”

Ah, smart girl. Carlee’s a mastermind, skillfully laying the groundwork for our friendship to be recognized, so no one will be surprisedifwe’re seen together. She’s cunning, and while I can see through her carefully executed moves, I appreciate that she’s making them.

“You want me to be yourfriend? Hmm. I’ll need to think about that before agreeing. Seems like a commitment.”

Carlee might actually be offended. “I’m agreatfriend. I give amazing advice. I’m veryeasy …to be around. Plus, I’m pretty, and I have a sense of humor. I’m the whole package.”

She’s flirting, almost as if she knows I hang on to every word she says.

“Be careful, Weston. Every other dude she’s befriended fell madly in love with her, and it ruined the friendship,” Lexi says.

I glance at Carlee. “Is that true?”

She forces a smile. It’s not something she’s shared with me.

“It’s the truth. It’s why I’malwaysvery hesitant to be friends with men. I quickly become their late-night fantasy. No man haseverbeen able to leave their emotions at the door.”

“Thankfully, I don’t have emotions.” I smirk, understanding that I’m different.

I was Carlee’s fantasy before becoming a part of her life.

She knows so much about me like she’s hacked into my brain and written things I’ve never admitted to anyone—not even my brother.

Carleecouldpen a manual on me. If she did, I wonder how she’d weave together the words ofourchapter. She doesn’t realize this is just the beginning.

Carlee notices I’m lost in thought. I smile at her—a genuine one.

“Yeah, that means I’d have to friend-zone you pretty hard,” Carlee says. “Hope you’re prepared for that.”

“Same. And I’m a professional, completely unbreakable,” I assure her with a laugh, but she already knows that to be true.

This statement confuses Easton because he’s reading between the lines. He knows me too well to ignore anything I say. Our minds are too similar.

Carlee bats her long lashes. “So, friends?”

“To be determined.”

My little Firefly glows in the dark, and I grin as I focus back on my food. I’ll be her friend forever if that’s the path she chooses.

“Being friends first makes the sexsomuch better,” Lexi says.

My brother’s cheeks redden. Carlee notices.

“Oh my God. Callowayscanblush. Good to know.”

“You’re imagining things,” he says, but he’s smiling.

Throughout dinner, Carlee and I exchange unspoken words and too many stolen glances to count as our arms brush together. I want to be closer to her.

Afterward, Lexi and Easton take the long couch. I remove my suit jacket and roll up my sleeves before joining Carlee on the other one. There’s a cushion’s width between us, but I wish there weren’t. As the movie rolls on, I’m lost in my thoughts. At the hour and fifteen minute mark, she finishes her wine and moves to the kitchen to put her glass away.

I haven’t had any alcohol since I arrived. I’m sober because I need to be. When Carlee returns, she sits beside me, and our bodies mold together.

“Who pickedTitanic? This movie is long,” she whispers as she glances down at my lips.