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Rory

Rory

You girls wanna grab some coffee with me?

Lucia

I’m always down for coffee, Ror

You know that

Ella

Same

But you forgot to add Harlow to the chat

Let me add her real quick

Rory

Please don’t!

Lucia

Well, that’s interesting

Ella

Something happen?

Rory

No, nothing happened

I just need to talk to you both

Without Harlow

Ella

I have so many questions right now

Lucia

And I think I’m about to finally get some answers

Rory

I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?

Meet me at Urban Grind

I’ll be there in about ten minutes

I take a sip of my chai latte while Lucia and Ella sit across the booth, looking over at me expectantly. I know I asked them to meet me here, but I’m still struggling to open up.

I’m only ever this awkward when it comes to Cole.

“Rory,” Lucia smirks, the first to break the silence. “You know we think you’re beautiful, but I don’t think you wanted us here just to stare at you.”

A small laugh escapes my lips. “Maybe I did. I could use a confidence boost.”

“If that were true,” Ella says, smiling softly, “you’d have Harlow here. She’s the best person for that.”

“So,” Lucia says in a knowing tone, “why are we here, Rory?”

I groan softly. “I’m pretty sure you already know, Luc.”

Ella lights up in excitement. “Ooh, is this a secret thing? Do I get to be part of the secret this time?!”

She will never let us forget that she was the last to know Harlow and Knox were faking their relationship for most of the summer before it turned real.

“I guess so,” I sigh, rubbing my hand awkwardly over the back of my neck. “This kind of involves… someone.”

“Someone with the last name Pierce?” Lucia smiles, taking a sip of her peppermint mocha.

I take a deep, steadying breath. “Yes.” I wring my hands out in front of me, fidgeting with my fingers as I continue. “And the feelings I have for that someone.”

“I fucking knew it!” Ella shouts, slapping the table as the rest of the coffee shop turns to look at us. She turns sheepish before lowering her voice. “I knew you had a thing for him!”

“It’s been so obvious,” Lucia adds. “I figured it out months ago.”

“I’m not really that obvious, am I?” I ask, surprised.

Ella smiles. “Rory, I figured it out more than two years ago.”

“What?!” I yell softly. “How?!”

“Because the only person you ever act awkward around is Cole. You’ve been awkward around him for years, but it’s really ramped up this year.”

I sigh. “Yeah, I don’t know what’s different about this year, but I can’t keep telling myself that it’s a silly crush that will go away. It’s been three years now; it’s only getting stronger.”

“Probably because it’s getting harder for him to deny, too,” Ella replies, setting her pumpkin spice latte back on the table.

“Harder for him to deny what?” I ask. “He doesn’t want me.”

Lucia gives a derisive laugh. “You’re fucking kidding, right? That man worships the ground you walk on.”

“He does not,” I chide. “Why the fuck would he want me when he could have literally anybody else? Somebody… better.”

Ella stabs her finger in the air at me. “Do not talk down on yourself, Rory Fisher. You know we don’t allow that.” She composes herself now. “You may not have noticed, but I’m telling you now that Cole has been looking at you since you met. And why wouldn’t he? You’re gorgeous and funny, and you’re one of his closest friends.”

“I know you love a good friends to lovers trope,” Lucia smiles.

“Look,” I say, hand to my head, “even if that’s true—which I highly doubt—we couldn’t do anything about it anyway. My dad would lose his shit.”

They both roll their eyes. “Your dad is being petty,” Lucia chides.

“Yeah, and that petty man could bench Cole if anything more were to happen.”

“Anything more ?” Lucia asks in excitement.

Still need that fucking muzzle, apparently.

I groan, sinking into the booth. “Technically, nothing happened. But…” I sigh. “Something almost happened after the World Series win.”

“I was wondering about that,” Ella says. “You were both missing together.”

“Yeah,” I reply softly, picking at the edges of my sleeves to keep from going crazy. “Nothing happened, but I feel like things are starting to feel a bit different.”

Instead of keeping it all in, I pour it all out. I tell Lucia and Ella everything that happened and didn’t happen in the showers. I tell them we’re okay again now, but I still feel awkward. I tell them about how I ended our call the other night by running to my damn shower.

“Wait,” Lucia says, a mischievous smile on her face. “Cole jumped in the shower, too?”

“After you two talked again about you almost giving him head in the clubhouse, at that,” Ella adds.

“Be quieter, will you?” I chide. “That does not need to get out. But yes, he jumped in his shower when we got off. Probably had a late workout or something and needed to clean himself off.”

Instead of agreeing, Lucia and Ella just stare at me. The looks on their faces are just screaming Oh, sweetie…

“Sure,” Ella says, stifling a laugh. “We’ll go with that.”

“Why else would he?” I ask.

“Same reason as you, babe,” Lucia smiles. “He didn’t want to have to clean up either.”

“Yeah, that’s definitely not what happened.”

“You can be very naive sometimes, ricitos. You’ll believe us eventually.”

There is a zero percent chance Lucia and Ella are right. I’ve known Cole for more than three years, and I know he’s had some hookups in that time.

I’ve seen those women.

Tall.

Slender.

Beautiful.

That’s Cole’s type.

I don’t fit the mold of the women he’s interested in, and that just is what it is. Cole is so damn handsome, and he’s a sweetheart, to boot—he deserves to have whoever he wants.

But the thought of him with someone else hurts. Even if I’m not what he wants, that doesn’t mean I don’t dream of things being different.

I’m going to have to figure out how to let these feelings go without losing my friend in the process.