Page 87 of That Friendzone Feeling

Ishrug. “Youcould say that.Partially.”

Anotherhammer strike and the stake drops about an inch.

“Ithink you’ve broken through the frozen surface.”Helooks up at me. “Thatall sounds very mysterious, though.Notlike you.Issomething up?”

Igive the stake the hardest bash yet, and it drops another couple of inches.

“Thatshould do it.”Hepicks up the camera, takes off a glove, and starts to unscrew the bracket on the base that attaches it to the stake.

Spillingthe wholeEmilystory toConnorlast night was one thing, but telling another of the guys would only be setting myself up for a bigger fall.

But, hell, the energy is buzzing inside me like bees trapped in a jar.Imight have only made this decision in the time it’s taken us to walk from the house to the flower bed, butIknow it’s the right one.I’veknown all along it was the right one.Ijust needed the fog to lift from my eyes to see it.

Onechat withMaggieabout her school hamster, a blast of icyNewHampshirewinter air, and it’s likeI’veseen the light.AndbelieveIcan capture it.

“It’sEmily.”

“Youguys disagreeing about a way forward for the business or something?”Elliotasks.

“Well, we’re disagreeing about the way forward with something.Butthat something is whether there’s a way forward with us as more than business partners.”

“Whoa.”Hiseyebrows pop above his glasses, and he drops the screw. “Shit.”

“Yeah.Thingssort of changed between us.Thenshe decided it was all a terrible idea.Shethinks it’s a no go, that it would wreck our friendship and make work no fun anymore.”

Elliotpicks up the dropped screw. “Doesthat mean youdothink it’s a good idea?”Heslides the camera over the stake and tightens up the bracket to hold it in place.

“Ithink it’s the best ideaI’vehad in my entire fucking life.AndIthink she does too, but she’s scared of letting herself have something good because she doesn’t think she deserves it.”

Hesteps back from the stake. “Myfingers are too cold to tighten it.Couldyou give it a try?”

Ipull off a glove. “AndnowChaseCooper’sfluttering around her like a charming, handsome moth around a light, and there’s a chance it might be too late for me.”

“ChaseCooper?”Elliotbreathes on his fingers before pullinghis glove back on. “Whatthe hell doesChaseCooperhave to do with anything?”

“Yeah, different story.Along one.He’sinvesting in the resort.”Itry to turn the screw. “Ithink you’ve tightened this as far as it’ll go.Havefaith in yourself,El.”

Islap him on the back—suddenly everyone else’s self-help guru as well as my own.

“Anyway,Chaseis a great guy.I’msure he’d be good for her.Andif this had happened two months ago,I’dbe cheering her on and telling her to go for it.”

“Butnow you want to punch him in the face?”

“Prettymuch.Notthat it would make any difference.Emwould still think being with me was a bad idea.But”—Irub my hands together—“I’mgoing to make her understand how wrong she is.”

“Wow.That’sfighting talk.”Hepoints down the sloped lawn. “Ithought we’d put the next camera over there, by those evergreen shrubs.”

“Sure.”Wegather up the other two stakes and cameras and head off. “Andyes.It’sdefinitely fighting talk.I’venever wanted to fight for anything as much in my life.AndI’venever felt likeIhave as much fight in me asIdo right now.”

Elliotlooks at me with a slight smile. “I’mnot exactly the right person to hand out relationship advice,” he says. “Haveyou spoken toConnor?”

“Yup.Hesaid to pick a path.AndIhad.I’dpicked the path of coming to terms with losing her.”Ijab a stake into the frosty ground, using it like a ski pole as we walk. “Butfuck that.Iwant her, andI’mcertain she wants me just as much.SonowI’vepicked the other path.I’mgoing to make it happen.”

Thefrozen-white grass crunches under our feet.

“Well, if talking about it helps,I’mhappy to listen,” he says. “Ialways thought you had the hots forEmilyfrom way back when.”

“Seriously?”