Best Friend Zone: A Brutal Awakening

se and keys, planning to slip out before he woke up. I could go to a cof

en the front door when

ning

ng up on the couch, his hair a mess, his eyes still heavy with

ng to get coffee," I

n, not me. "I' m already making some. An

was tilting on its axis, and he was acting like it was just another mor

..." I started, needing

racked eggs into a pan. "Don' t say you' r

s back, stunne

t some kid you' ve known your whole life. I haven' t seen you as just my sister

ager who was always tagging along with me and Lily. But the man standing in fro

d on the counter. The screen lit up wi

en. It felt like an intrusion, a ghost from a li

he phone, then back to my

ssibly want? To apologize again? To make sure I

ver, picked up the phone, and swip

you ran out last night," Ethan' s voice fil

and hard. "She was a little busy crying her eyes out after

end. "Who is this?" Ethan asked, his

ago, I' d been on a terrible date with a guy who wouldn' t take no for an answer. Liam, who was only eighteen at the time

s standing between me and th

He saw the turmoil in my face, the fresh wave of pain Ethan' s voice

d was deafening. He had

t the comfortable warmth I felt with Ethan. This was a jolt,

rwhelmed. My hand went to my che

one that," I whispered, but

end, who I missed every single day. Getting involved wit

. "I can' t do this. It' s not fair to

ced by a deep, weary understanding. He looke

said softly.

bing his jacket from the hook. I watched

before I could stop it. "How will y

your plants when you' re on work trips for three years. I know where you hide the spare key. I know you

der than the kiss. He knew me. He saw the small, mundane

d stepped out, closin

fee and eggs still lingered in the air, a ghost of his prese

nt. But the shapes wouldn't form. The colors all seemed wrong. My creativity, usually my escape, was go

t carried me on a familiar path. Before I knew it, I was standing across the street from the sl

en I s

d tucked into the crook of his arm. She was beautiful, with sharp, confident fea

ul real estate agent I' d seen h

kiss, full of an easy intimacy that I had only ever dreamed of. When they broke apart, he was still smiling. It was a smile I had nev

, it felt like the ground had complet