Page 8 of Always There Bayou (The BR Bayou #3)

“Cory, I’m really good at reading people, and you are really bad at hiding your feelings,” she replies.

“Every time you’ve mentioned them, you've had the biggest smile on your face. Your eyes get this sparkle in them, and your shoulders relax. You’re comfortable, content, and full of admiration. Cory, I think you might be in love.”

“Whoa, wait, h-hold on,” I say, shaking my head.

“Denny and I are just best friends. We’ve known each other since we were in sixth grade.

We’ve been on many vacations together. Our families get along so well that we’re all like one big family.

” The more I explain, the wider her smile gets.

I can feel myself sweating. “Denny and I are just close. I mean, yeah, we sleep in the same bed in nothing but our underwear, but that’s just because we’re comfortable.

Yes, we cuddle. Yes, I need to be up under them. Yes, we…”

My voice trails off as I start to register what the fuck I’ve just said.

Hearing it out loud does sound wild as hell.

Cheyenne giggles and tells me that if I can’t see it, she’s not gonna push it further before pulling out her notebook and beginning to review the recovery plan. I nod along, but my mind is elsewhere.

Was I in love with Denny?

Nah!

Nah…

Nah?

By the time our meeting was finally over, it was like two hours later than either of us had intended to be here.

When we exited the building, the sun was setting, and my stomach was growling.

We talked for a bit as we walked to the parking lot.

To our surprise, Harley was waiting for us at Cheyenne’s car, and when she saw how friendly we were, her jaw dropped.

When we explained that we’d had a heart-to-heart and better understood each other, I could see the moment her body relaxed.

She pulled me into a hug, and I laughed before pushing her away.

I swear, I’d never meet someone as touchy-feely as her.

She thanked me and then turned to pull Chey in for a hug and kiss.

I said my goodbyes and headed over to my car.

My stomach was eating my back, and if I didn’t get any food soon, I would have an attitude with anyone who stood in my way.

I decided to call Denny and ask if they wanted anything while I was out, since I knew they probably hadn’t eaten dinner yet. I chose to ignore the feeling that had been bubbling up for the last hour. I was not in love with Denny. I couldn’t be…

“Bunny,” I say as soon as they answer, calling them by the nickname I’d given them years ago. “I’m about to get something from The Charms . Would you like something?”

“Oh, uh, no? I’m doing my juice cleanse, remember?” they ask, and I roll my eyes at myself. I opened the app while I was still in the parking lot to place my order. “Tomorrow is my last day, and I gotta see it through. I feel healthier already.”

“Okay, but don’t be asking for none of my food once I come over,” I state. “You know how much I hate that.”

“Whateverrrr,” they reply in a sing-songy tone. “I’ll see you when you get here.”

“I’m serious, Denali,” I warn, but they just giggle before hanging up the phone. I sigh. “They’re gonna ask me for something.”

I add a few of their favorites to my cart and then pay for the order before starting the car and heading to the restaurant.

“You sleeping over tonight?” Denny asks, and I nod.

We’d finished off the food, and just as I expected, they ended up eating some too.

After that, we watched a movie together, and when they started to yawn, I figured it was time to call it a night.

I had a therapy session in the morning, and they had to go into the studio to get ready for a few special classes they were hosting for senior citizens .

As they took a shower in the bathroom of their room, I took one in the en-suite attached to one of the guest rooms. I let the water wash over me as I relaxed my mind, clearing it of all stress.

After about 20 minutes, I get out and run through my nightly routine using all the items I kept over here.

Although we lived in the same apartment building, we were on different floors.

So, to make things easier, we both kept clothes, toiletries, and other stuff at each other’s places.

It’s been like that since we were younger, so why would we stop now?

It wasn’t weird…

It didn’t mean anything…

I slip on a pair of boxers and a T-shirt, then tie my locs up in a durag before grabbing my clothes and tossing them in the clothes hamper.

I flick off the light and exit the bathroom, walking back to the room where Denny was.

They exit the bathroom right as I enter, and my eyes instantly travel to their ass in those little pajama shorts they like to wear.

“Damn, I always forget how fat your ass is thanks to them baggy ass clothes you stay wearing,” I chuckle as I smack Denny’s ass playfully.

They swat my hand away as they laugh, turning towards the full-length mirror to finish tying up their hair.

“I’m just saying…damn, Denny. I’m jealous of your future partner. ”

“Don’t even start with that shit, Cory,” they reply.

I smirk and hop onto the bed before grabbing my phone off the bedside table.

I start to check my messages, but I catch a glimpse of Denny out of the corner of my eyes, and I can’t help but let them travel the length of their body.

I’ve always thought they were fine as hell.

Taller than me by a couple of inches at 6 feet, chestnut-colored complexion, chubby and curvy in all the right places.

They had slightly muscular arms, decorated with tattoos.

Along with that, they were blessed with a beautiful, heart-shaped face, full lips, and big, round, smoky grey eyes that reminded me of fog on a snowy morning.

Even I could admit that they were gorgeous.

“Why do you always come over to my place and climb into my bed like it’s yours?” They ask once they get to where I am. “I don’t think your girlfriend would be too happy if she knew that this was what you do when you come over here.”

“Stop talking and come lie down with me,” I whine, reaching over to pull them by the band of their shorts gently. “And I told you, we’re not together at the moment. She broke up with me again the other day. Besides, what’s wrong with me cuddling with my bestie?”

“Um, maybe it’s the fact that anyone could misinterpret our closeness,” they point out. “Every time we cuddle, you’re in your boxers, and I barely have clothes on. Doesn’t that seem suspicious?”

“Nope,” I shrug. I ignored the rapid pounding of my heart as I tugged on their shorts once more. They don’t move as they cross their arms over their chest. “Bunny, come onnnn. I’m sleepy, and I know you are too. We can talk about this shit in the morning. Come lie down with me.”

They finally give in to me with a sigh and climb into bed, so I pull them into my arms like I’ve been doing for years.

Simone and Harley always tease me about how close we are, and I’m constantly fighting for my life trying to explain that what Denny and I have is purely platonic, just like I had said to Chey earlier today.

I’m not a very social person, and until I met Simone and Harley, Denny was my only friend, so of course, we were close as can be.

At first, we bonded over our love for being away from all the drama of messy kids in middle school, but we eventually realized that we fit together like two opposite sides of a magnet.

They were the artist, and I was the athlete.

They were optimistic, eccentric, and a little bit na?ve, and I was more laid back, stoic, and a protector.

We may not have had many of the same interests, but we learned to appreciate and respect each other’s differences.

But I think we also bonded over a shared trauma of losing people important to us.

When I learned about how they’d witnessed their mom get murdered at the age of six and then how their aunt and uncle adopted them after their dad went to jail for killing her murderer, I knew then that I had to protect them.

I couldn’t imagine how they were feeling after that.

However, much like everything else, we had different ways of coping, too.

I bottled all my feelings up and constantly thought about troubled times, yet Denny chose to only focus on the positive to stop the sad feelings from moving in.

And in turn, some of their optimism rubbed off on me from time to time.

But I appreciated it, because they made every day so much easier.

They were undoubtedly my other half, and although I was more on the introverted side, I had no problem standing up for them against anyone who made them feel less than. They had a permanent spot in my heart, and I knew that the same was true for them about me .

I’d do anything to ensure that they only ever felt loved and accepted.

Damn…maybe I was in love with them.

“What are you thinking about so hard?” Denny asks as they turn around in my arms to face me. Their beautiful, doe-like eyes stare into mine as that funny feeling starts to build up in my stomach again.

My stomach knotted up with nerves. Even before Chey pointed it out, I noticed a while ago that I’d feel my heart skip a beat whenever Denny was close.

It always confused the fuck out of me because I’d never felt this way about them in the past, yet it was getting increasingly intense with each passing day.

So, I chose to ignore the feelings and think about other things.

“Oh, um, nothing,” I say, averting my eyes.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Why do you…need to hold me every time you spend the night?” They ask hesitantly, pulling my eyes back to theirs.

“I know we’ve been cuddling for years now because it was the only thing that calmed you down, but now…

now you cuddle with me just to cuddle with me.

Hell, every time we’re around each other, you unconsciously find a way to have some physical contact.

I mean, I’m not complaining at all, I’m just curious as to… why.”

“Truthfully?” I ask and they nod. “I think it’s because I think of you as my comfort person. You anchor me. ”

“Yeah, you’ve said that before,” they chuckle. “And I get that, but…like…it’s the way you hold on to me. It’s almost like you don’t want me to ever leave your side.”

“Wow, you’re dragging it,” I joke, but my grip on their hips doesn’t loosen. I ignored the feeling that started to build up in my chest once again. “So, what? You want me to give you space? Say the word and I will.”

As soon as those words left my mouth, my heart knew it was a lie.

“I-I didn’t say that,” Denny stuttered.

“You acting like you want me to let you go,” I tease with a smirk.

Their cheeks were bright red, and it always did something to me.

I got pleasure out of being one of the only people who could make them blush.

I liked the fact that I could always make them laugh, smile, and everything that came with being their best friend.

I mean, yeah, like I’ve said, it wasn’t lost on me that they were attractive as hell, but who wouldn’t think that?

“I…”

I don’t even give them time to finish before I pull them closer to my chest. I bury my face in their neck and inhale the scent of their favorite body wash.

I wasn’t sure what was coming over me, but suddenly Denny wasn’t close enough.

They were so soft, and my mind was spinning because of it.

I kissed them softly on the neck as my hands gripped them tightly.

Fuck, why did I suddenly want them so bad?

“Cory,” I hear Denny whimper against my ear, and I shiver, panic finally setting in. I quickly pull away and glance at their face. Their cheeks were flushed, and I could feel my heart pounding against my chest. What the fuck had I just done? “Cory…”

“I’m…I’m sorry,” I cut them off, afraid of what they were gonna say next. “I don’t know what…I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” they say. “Let’s, uh, let’s just go to bed, okay?”

I could’ve been mistaken, but I swear I could hear slight disappointment in their voice, which confused me. All day, my emotions have been all over the place. We’d never crossed that line, but the more I lay next to them, the more I wanted to cross that line.

I knew I needed to end whatever this was before I did something that would change the course of our friendship.

I didn’t need that. I didn’t want that…did I?

I wasn’t sure what I wanted. All I knew was that Denny was the only constant in my life, and if I acted on my hormones, allowing this to go further than it should, I would ruin that.

Besides, I wasn’t even sure if they were having the same feelings that I was having. Maybe I’d misinterpreted that look. Whatever. It didn’t matter. Even if they did like me like that, I knew that I wasn’t good enough for them anyway. I refused to subject them to anything less than they deserve.

“Denny…” I whisper before sighing.

“Cory, please don’t apologize again,” they tell me, but I can hear a slight somberness in their voice. “We both just got a little carried away, is all.”

“Can I still hold you?” I ask softly. They nod, and I do my best to keep a straight face. “Thank you. ”

They don’t reply as they turn to face away from me, so I could wrap my arms around them once again, burying my face in their necks. I know it’s selfish of me, but the only way I could get a good sleep was if Denny was in my arms, and they knew that.

I slept well that night.