Their outward appearance was nothing alike, but the way I had felt for Cole, the deep attraction and passion, was the same, or even stronger for Brian, which frightened me to no end.
But I couldn’t deny I missed him.
Without thinking, my fingers moved across the screen, texting him back. Maybe I could set him straight, reiterate what our platonic relationship entailed. Or maybe . . . I was lying to myself, and my mind was already losing the battle against my heart. Either way, I wanted to see him. If lying to convince myself that I was in control of this situation would justify meeting him, then so be it.
Me: Okay. Meet at my place.
***
BRIAN
As I knocked on her door, my palms began to sweat. I had no idea why I was so damn jittery. I wasn’t usually the nervous type, and this wasn’t a first date.
Still, I hadn’t seen Kendy in almost a week, and a part of me was a little worried, because she had been so brief over our texts. An unsettling feeling came over me. Had Stiff finally made his move? Was she done with me?
The thought of either scenario made me sick to my stomach, but I’d made the decision that I was all in with her. Just like a game of poker, even though I didn’t know if I had the winning hand, I was going to fight for her, and I’d fight dirty if I had to.
Today was the day. I was going to claim her, make her mine—tell her how I feel.
My knuckles were about to hit her door again when she opened it. At first, she seemed hesitant, and then she bit her bottom lip, a telling sign that she was nervous.
Half of her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, the rest cascading down her back. Her short shorts revealed the span of her toned legs, and her fitted Cubs T-shirt was straining against her chest, the red ‘C’ stretching to the max. She didn’t have on an ounce of makeup on, but damn was she gorgeous.
A second later, that hesitation washed away and she smiled, stepping aside to let me in. I swear if I hadn’t seen her smile before, today it would’ve knocked me on my ass.
***
KENDY
Brian stepped into my apartment and wrapped one arm around my lower back, leaning in to me to give me a kiss on my cheek. I swear he inhaled me as his arm tightened around my waist, and his head dropped to the crook of my neck. My whole being felt content just being in his arms, but I was having a hard time shaking this nervousness.
I bit the inside of my cheek and told myself this was not a repeat of history. I repeated Beth’s words in my head: paths can change; futures can change.
His hug lingered a tad bit longer than what could be considered just friendly. Not that I minded.
My body molded to his, fitting against the span of his chest like this was my natural place, caged in his arms. Just like a book in its natural spot on a bookshelf, snug between two other books.
I inhaled his masculine scent and let out a soft exhale. I hadn’t realized until now how much I’d missed him this past week.
He released me and tucked an escaping strand of hair behind my ear. “I missed you.” The way he said it, the seriousness in his tone, made my heart race faster than before, faster than I should’ve allowed it to.
I shied away. “I know why you missed me, you horny little man.” I was playing off how much his words affected me. I stepped away from him and tried to calm my raging pulse. “Let me grab my purse.” My voice sounded shaky when I hadn’t meant it to be.
But he reached for me, squeezing me from behind. “I missed you. Your smile. Your laugh. I’ve had a very uneventful, boring week without you.”
I closed my eyes, my eyebrows pulling together. He didn’t even realize he was going from zero to one hundred, not giving me a chance to breathe. I headed down the hallway, not meeting his eyes. “I need to potty first.” Torment was happening inside of me, a battle brewing between my heart and my head, and I was confused as hell.
What do I do?
I rushed to the bathroom. Resting my back against the door, I dropped my head into my hands. His words had made me swoon, but as much as I tried to deny it, I couldn’t resist his charms.
And there it was, the real truth—I was slowly but undeniably falling for this man.
***
BRIAN
I was making it a point to break every rule in her book, ones mentioned in passing and even the rules left unsaid. I wasn’t even hiding it anymore.
I held her hand as we got off the train and kissed her palm when we were stopped at a crosswalk. I didn’t break contact as the crowd weaved past us, rushing to the same place. I led us toward the entry ramp to the Manhattan Bridge, where we could catch a good spot. She didn’t say a word, just let me lead.
When I took side-glances of her, I noticed her sagging shoulders and there were faint bags under her eyes. She had told me she’d worked twelve hour shifts three days in a row.
Damn.
I should’ve suggested we stay in, but knowing me and how much I’d missed her, not much resting would take place.
Just being in her vicinity had me itching to touch her. If we’d been alone, I’d bury myself deep inside her, make love to her until we were too tired to do anything else but lie there. Just the thought had me wanting to forget the fireworks and take her back to my place.
When we reached the bridge, the area was bustling with families and couples, all ready for the firework celebration. A set of triplets were wearing matching red, white, and blue shirts. They glided in front of us, holding their parents’ hands. A woman held an American flag proudly above her head.
I sensed Kendy’s excitement as she bounced on her tiptoes while we walked. Her tiredness from a moment ago was disappearing.
“Can we get closer to the front?” she asked giddily as she took the lead and forced us through the crowd. “I want a better view.”
She tried to break contact when the crowd didn’t budge, but I didn’t let up on my hold. Instead, I pulled her back, stepped in front of her, and used my upper body to weave us to the front.
I stopped behind the little kids sitting on top of their parents’ shoulders. It wouldn’t have been fair to block their view.
Satisfied with our spot, I moved Kendy in front of me, caged her with my arms and rested my chin on top of her head. We watched two little boys light up sparklers in front of us.
Kendy’s eyes lit up as she watched their interaction, their laughter matching hers. When the dazzling flame burned slowly to the end and they lit up another, I had an undeniable urge to kiss her. The way the light caught the aqua blue in her eyes left me breathless. I turned her slightly, cupped the side of her face, and ran my thumb up and down her cheek.
***
KENDY
Brian was about to kiss me. And I knew it was going to change things. We’d kissed so many times, but this, here . . . it felt different. We felt different.
Most importantly, I was slowly coming to realize what I wanted, and I knew I wanted more. I wanted him. The movies the other night and now this had given me glimpses of how our relationship would be, how effortless it would be to be with him.
As I peered up at him, the bridge’s lights highlighting all his boyish features, I found myself wondering about a future with him. Would it be possible? What would it be like to be solely his? There was something so incredibly gentle in his eyes. A look of adoration and awe. For me.
Excitement fluttered in my belly. Everything as I knew it was shifting. I could feel it. In his hold, when we had sex and in everything we did together. I should’ve stopped the building of this budding relationship, but I wanted to accept it, even though the stars and that psychic’s prediction had lead me to James.
Brian bent down farther, and just before he kissed me, I caught that look again, as if he thought I was the most beautiful girl in the world.