Page 27

I put on a pair of earrings Logan’s mom gave me.

They were dangling and black and pretty.

“Logan,” I said, my voice more serious as I adjusted my hair.

It was half-up, half-down. “I never want to get married or have kids. It feels… Preston has talked about being a dad and getting married and being a romantic. We either date forever or stop once he learns that I’m not changing my mind about those things, and I’m terrified of losing him as a friend when he realizes this won’t work. ”

There. I voiced my fear.

I was trying too hard to enjoy the moment, live in the now, and have fun. I could do that with everyone else but not with Preston. Not him.

Logan’s face turned serious, her eyebrows drawing together as she moved to stand next to me.

She grabbed my hand and had me face her, her clear blue eyes boring into me.

“I’ve known you for almost two decades, and I love you to pieces.

You’ve grown and changed and become this amazing, amazing human.

One thing I know about you though, is you’ll look for the way out whenever something is real.

I hate to break it to you, but I’m not sure you and Preston can be friends anymore.

I see how he sees you, looks at you. I saw how you reacted when he had a date he never even touched.

Friends isn’t really an option anymore, at least, not how you used to be. ”

That was also true, both things she said. “I can’t lose him. I can’t. I need him.”

Logan tilted her head. “You need to see this through, give him and yourself a chance. You don’t need to talk about the future tonight with him.

You’re going to a nice dinner, looking like a total babe.

You might sneak a touch and then you get to come back here and have wild animal sex. Your words, not mine. ”

“Why am I like this?” I half-joked, half-whined. “I wish I was normal and could go on a date without freaking the fuck out.”

“Well, I’ve said this before, but I think therapy might be a nice idea.”

I always dismissed it because I knew what my issues were.

And most of the time, I didn’t care. I had my friends, Logan and Preston, and that was enough.

But the reality that my issues could legit cause me lose one of the people I cared about most?

It scared the shit out of me. “Okay, one step at a time,” I said.

“Let me get through this damn dinner, then we can debrief tomorrow, and maybe you can help me search for someone?”

“I’d love that.” Logan wrapped her arms around me quickly then let go. “I’m proud of you for doing this.”

“Enough.” My eyes did that stupid prickly thing, and I’d spent too much time on the winged eyeliner for it to be ruined. “Put on your playlist. I’m done having emotions.”

She blasted our party-anthem songs as I did the final touches and then all of a sudden, it was time. “Fuck,” I stared at Logan as footsteps thudded down the hall.

“This is weird. Oh my god.”

“It is not weird. Stop it. Take it from someone who has been dating our housemate for a few months.”

Okay, she had a point. I stood, waiting for Preston to knock on my door, my heart fucking pounding against my ribs in anticipation. He stopped outside the door, paused, then knock, knock.

I can do this. I want to do this.

I twisted the handle, flung it open. Preston stood there in a dark sweater with a gray tie underneath. His black slacks hugged his thighs, and the sweater material stretched over his chest, and holy shit. “You are so beautiful,” I blurted out, my skin heating.

“Are you trying to take my line? Damn, Jordan, give me a chance here.” Preston rolled his eyes, somehow diffusing my nerves just like that. “Feel like I gotta up my game here seeing you like this. Fuck, baby, you look dangerous.”

“Oh, he’s good,” Logan said, moving to stand next to me. “Now, Preston Charming, what are your intentions in dating my best friend?”

“Logan.” I elbowed her, half-annoyed, half-amused.

“No, let him answer.”

“I plan to take her to dinner, make her smile three times, then defile her somewhere after.”

Logan hummed. “Yeah, sounds like a great night. Have fun, be safe, don’t die.” Then my goofy friend patted my ass and waltzed down the hallway into her room. We both watched her, smiles on our faces.

“Defile me? Really?”

“Oh, yes.” Preston grinned wide. “There is no way this night isn’t ending with you sitting on my face. That’s just reality.”

Laughing, all my worries disappeared. He felt like home. The feeling of warmth you got when you were outside all day and ran inside? That was how it was when I was near Preston. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Ridiculously attracted and into you. Fucking shit, J. Turn around. I want to eye-fuck you for a second.”

Swoop.

My pesky little stomach and heart galloped when I did what he asked, turning around slowly so he could see every mesh part.

He reached out and cupped my ass, groaning. “Are you even wearing anything underneath?”

“Guess we’ll have to wait until you defile me to find out, huh?”

“Goddamn.” He cleared his throat, his eyes flashing as he adjusted the front of his slacks. “You are literal perfection. Every fucking inch. ”

“Stop, you’re getting laid either way. No need to lay it on.”

“Not laying it on. I’m done holding back with you, don’t you get it? All these inside thoughts I’ve had for years, fighting my attraction to you, pretending I didn’t want to lick you head to toe. I’m saying what I want.”

“Okay, that’s hot.” I fanned my face, my body heating in anticipation of getting naked later already. “Now I want to know… what else have you thought but never said?”

“Oh, honey.” He held out an arm, and I looped mine through it. “You have no fucking idea.”