“I don’t think so, he’s just trying to figure some things out, and doesn’t know exactly how to react to all this yet. Like I said last weekend, he just needs time.”

I frowned at Jason’s words, how much time did he need? I understood things changing, but not calling me for my birthday? Not showing up? It was so unlike Eli.

“What are you doing?” Brett asked on a laugh.

I jumped at the sound of his voice suddenly behind me, and quickly forced my body to relax. “What do you mean?”

He pointed at the cupcake bottom sitting, forgotten about, on the island countertop, so I showed him the frosted part.

“I only eat the tops of cupcakes.”

“Really? So the rest of the cake just gets left behind?”

My eyes widened and my breathing hitched. “Uh . . .”

He grabbed the cake sitting on the counter and popped a piece in his mouth. “I feel bad for the poor cake.”

I slowly looked up to Kristen and Jason; both were staring at the rest of the cupcake like they didn’t know what to say. And when Kristen looked up at me, that same look of pity she’d had for the last week was there.

It was ridiculous that I wanted to say that was Eli’s part, that Brett couldn’t eat it. Because Eli wasn’t here, he’d made the decision not to be. I needed to accept that and move on.

Chapter Six

September 14, 2013

Paisley

JOGGING QUICKLY TO my front door a week later, I looked through the peephole, and a smile crossed my face as I opened the door.

“Good morning!”

Brett leaned forward to kiss my cheek as he stepped around me. “Hello, beautiful.”

“Ha . . . I’m not so sure about that. I just woke up and I’m all gross.”

Setting the two cups of coffee on the kitchen bar, he turned and pulled me close for a slower kiss. His tongue slid over mine in the most perfect, teasing way. “I’m not sure I agree with that,” he countered.

“What’s this?”

“That.” He pulled back and made a face, like he wasn’t sure how I’d respond. “You told me yesterday that you’d run of out coffee, and I figured you didn’t go to the store after work . . . so I decided to bring you some. It was my excuse to come see you.”

My smile widened, and I grabbed the cups before walking over to the couch, leaving the cups on the coffee table. “So you need an excuse to come see me now?”

“At eight A.M. on a Saturday? I figured I might.” He grinned wryly and captured my lips again.

“Definitely don’t need one,” I assured him, and he laughed huskily.

He moved to kiss a slow line up my throat toward my mouth, and though I knew I should be embarrassed about the way my chest was moving roughly up and down, I couldn’t think past the way his lips were making me feel to begin to. I moaned when he nipped on my bottom lip, and turned to bring one of my knees over his legs so I was sitting on his lap. His hands gripped at my back under my shirt as he claimed my mouth, and I rocked my hips against his hardening length, whimpering from the friction of his jeans against my sleep shorts.

“Paisley,” he growled when I rocked against him again, but I didn’t know if it was in warning, or begging me to continue.

I didn’t stop.

We hadn’t even gone this far yet, and something was telling me I wasn’t ready to sleep with him—but his lips drifting over and down my neck so he could kiss and bite on my collarbone, his large hands warming my skin wherever they touched, and his soft noises deep in his chest whenever I would move against him had me sitting up on my knees when his hands moved to the hem of my shorts.

There was a knock on my door that neither of us seemed to fully be aware of as my head tilted back and Brett’s lips moved down my chest and fingers trailed the outside of my underwear.

The knocking got louder and my body jerked when the bell rang too.

Brett was breathing roughly and his dark green eyes were focused on my door before he looked up at me. “You expecting more company at eight on a Saturday morning?”

I shook my head and glanced behind me at the door where the hard knocking was still happening. “No.”

“Do you want me to get it?” He no longer sounded curious; his voice was laced with alarm.

“No, it’s fine.” Scrambling off his lap, I worked at calming my racing heart as I walked quietly over to the door.

“Paisley,” Brett warned, and suddenly he was off the couch and behind me.

When I looked through the peephole, my breath caught and I stumbled back a step into his arms.

“Christ, who is it?” He kept one arm around me, pulling me back as he stepped forward to look through the hole. His head jerked back when the knocking got louder, and I didn’t blame him. If you didn’t know Eli, he was terrifying to look at, and it sounded like he was a few knocks away from breaking down my door. “Do we need to call the cops or something?”

“No. He’s my—well, he’s my best friend.”

Brett’s eyebrows drew together, and he pointed at the door. “Is this Eli?”

I nodded at the same time Eli’s rough voice came from the other side. “Paisley, please. I know you’re here, I need to talk to you.”

Brett looked confused, but didn’t say anything else. He knew about my best friend, but he had no idea about the conversation I’d had with him two weeks ago. He had no idea I’d been in love with him for a dozen years.

He also had no idea we’d had a falling out. Because if Eli were still my best friend, he wouldn’t be sitting there pounding on my door. He would’ve used his key and walked right in.

“I’ll, uh, give you a moment?”

I nodded and watched Brett walk over to the coffee table to grab his cup before moving toward the kitchen. With a deep breath in, I unlocked and opened the door.

“Paisley,” Eli breathed, and everything in me ached. I instantly wanted to cry all over again just looking at him. “God, Pay, I’m so sorry.”

“It has been two weeks,” I gritted out.

Eli seemed to hunch in on himself, and his face showed an exhaustion I couldn’t begin to imagine. “I know, and I’m sorry. I just got back from Texas last night after being there for a week, and I couldn’t let myself call you once I realized everything. Because I knew the second I heard your voice I would say it all, and you need to hear this in person.”

He started to walk inside, so I moved around the door and mostly shut it behind me so I was blocking his way. Eli’s brows drew together, and I just shook my head. “It’s really not a good time right now.”

It took a few seconds before understanding crossed his features. “He’s here? Did he stay the night?” His chest’s movements got more exaggerated, and his blue eyes narrowed.

Eli was about to explode.

“I think you should go.”

“Did. He. Stay.”

“You don’t have the right to know that anymore, Eli. You made this decision. You decided there wouldn’t be anything between us, and then you threw our friendship away.”

His face softened and he stepped closer. “I never wanted to throw our friendship away, Pay. You’re my best friend; you always will be. The thought of losing you kills me. I haven’t talked to you because I thought you wouldn’t want to hear from me after that, and I didn’t even know what to say to you. I felt like the biggest kind of asshole and I didn’t know how to face you after what I’d put you through for years. But, Paisley, I don’t regret any of that nearly as much as I regret not realizing I was in love with you long before now.”