Page 153 of Levi

I let out a sarcastic laugh. “The day Rod Wolfe settles down is the day hell will freeze over.”

“You’re speaking on his behalf.”

“I know Rod very well, Sydney,” I counter.

“What’s the worst that can happen if you were to open up to him about how you feel?”

I might lose my best friend.

If that were to happen, it would unravel my world.

Heck, I’d be nothing more than a drifter without a compass.

I can’t allow that to happen.

I offer a one-shoulder shrug. “It’s a non-issue, anyway.”

She frowns at my cryptic response. “What do you mean?”

“I’m starting an intense training course next week. I’ll be off to New York, then Europe.” A little distance between my best friend and I will help me get my head screwed back on straight.

“You can’t brush your feelings under the rug,” she argues.

I’ve perfected the art.“Six weeks where Rod and I won’t be in each other’s way should clear the air between us. By the time I come back from my training, we can go back to just being Rod and Dom.” Minus the weird vibe playing between us and those stupid butterflies constantly fluttering in my tummy.

“That’s it?” Sydney is visibly shocked by my response.

“That’s it,” I state matter-of-factly.

She’s dumbfounded.

I know she means well, but I have no desire to keep on this subject.

When she recovers, she says, “Okay. Rod is a no go. Got it,” she affirms with a strong nod. The way her eyebrows knit in confusion suggests the contrary.

I force a smile. “Great! Let’s go back inside. I need another glass of champagne.”...or three.

My lifelong sentence is to be locked in the friend zone dungeon until the end of time, without a hope of ever escaping.

Sigh.

Unrequited love is an easier pill to swallow than watching the demise of a decade-long friendship.

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And They Lived Happily Ever After!

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