“Don’t play shy, Rosalynn,” Tyler said, using her full name. He planted a soft kiss on her collarbone. No, definitely not a dream. “After today, I won’t buy it.”
After today. That’s the problem.
She shifted position so that he couldn’t kiss her. “So…” she began.
“I know that expression, Rosalynn Atwood. It’s your serious-talk one.”
“Tyler. This is serious.”
“What’s serious?”
“Me, you, naked in bed.”
“Relax, Rose. It’s not the end of the world.”
“No, but it could be the end of our friendship. Doesn’t that scare you?”
“What do you mean?” he asked, frowning.
Tears welled in Rose’s eyes. Emotions were running high, and her throat closed, making it difficult to get the words out. “I think it was a mistake.”
“Why?”
“All your exes hate you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You cheated on all of them.”
“That’s not true.”
“Name one you haven’t.”
Tyler scrunched his face for a while and then said, “I haven’t cheated on Georgiana.”
“Oh, right, your girlfriend!” Hearing him say her name sent Rose into a frenzy. “The one you just cheated on!”
“But it was with you, so it doesn’t count.”
“I don’t think Georgiana would agree.”
Tyler shrugged, unconcerned. “I can dump her if that’s what’s bothering you.”
“How nice of you,” she replied with an edge. “Please, don’t dump her on my account.”
“Rose, I wouldn’t cheat on you.”
“How do you know?” She narrowed her eyes at him. “Do you really expect me to trust you’d be fine sleeping with me, and only with me, for the rest of your life?”
“Yes. No. What the hell do I know! I haven’t even had breakfast and you’re already talking marriage. Why don’t we choose the name of our kids already and be done with it?”
“It’s not like we can date and see how it goes, right?” Rose bit back.
“Why not? What’s wrong with that?”
“Everything’s wrong with that.”
“Nothing’s wrong with that.”
“Tyler, please stop talking. You’re making it worse.”
“I don’t get you, Rose. What do you want me to say?”
“Nothing. You’ve already said enough.”
“Why do you girls have to go cuckoo the moment the sex is over?”
“See, Tyler, that’s the problem. I’m not one of your girls, and I’ll never be.” Rose sat up, leaning away from him. “This was a big mistake. I wasn’t thinking.”
“I preferred you when you weren’t.”
“Well, I am now. This,” she added, flipping a finger between them, “shouldn’t have happened. It won’t happen again.” Rose gathered the bed linens around her, transforming into a human cocoon to shield her naked body from him, and further retreated to her side of the bed.
“Don’t worry, Rose,” Tyler said, grabbing his pants and pulling them on. “I’ll get out of your way.”
He jumped off the bed and was out of the room in three quick strides. He slammed the door behind him, making her chest jolt. The knot in her throat worsened.
The moment Tyler left, Rose felt dead inside. She reached out her hand to his side of the bed where the sheets were still warm from his body heat. Tears pricked her eyes again. She wasn’t ready to let him go, not yet.
Still wrapped in the sheets, Rose followed him out of the room. In the hall, she paused to listen. The shower was running. Rose tried the bathroom door. Unlocked. Turning the knob, she pushed the door open and tiptoed into the room. As expected, Tyler was in the shower. She tapped on the glass, the sound barely audible over the water noise.
He flung the glass door open and stared at her in shock. With a pounding heart, Rose let the bed sheet drop to the floor and stepped into the shower with him. Tyler raised his eyebrows. He probably thought she was crazy. She’d just said sleeping together had been a mistake. Yet, here she was, jumping him in the shower not two minutes later.
“Today doesn’t count,” Rose said curtly, answering his unspoken question. She stood on tiptoes and pulled him toward her in a wet kiss.
Seven
Rose
The next day ended up not counting as well. And the next. And the next.
Rose and Tyler fell into a weird routine of having sex (making love?) wherever, whenever, without ever talking about it. Afterward, they pretended nothing had happened. Rose knew she was playing a dangerous game, one impossible to win. She knew Tyler wasn’t ready for a serious relationship with her, but she couldn’t help herself. Even if having an affair with Tyler was so wrong, for so many reasons.
For one, it put their friendship, the most important thing in her life, at stake. Then there was the obvious moral issue: Tyler still had a girlfriend. He hadn’t broken up with Georgiana. And even if he didn’t bring her to the house anymore, he was still with her. Was he sleeping with her too? On the odd nights when he didn’t come home and stayed at her place, Rose cried herself to sleep in her room. For the next few days, she would pout and ignore Tyler, but eventually, she’d break. Then she would jump right back into his arms, and their unhealthy routine started all over.
Another week like this—another day—and she’d go crazy. The right thing to do would be to stop. But Rose didn’t know how to be strong, not anymore. She’d wanted Tyler for too long to be able to keep saying no. Rose told herself she preferred to be the one he was cheating with, instead of the one he was cheating on. After a month, however, even this excuse was running thin.
True, Rose had told him he didn’t have to leave Georgiana for her, but that had been ages ago! After a month of sleeping together, everything was different. How could Tyler not see it? She refused to beg him—what if he said no? What if he said yes? They’d get together, and then he’d cheat on her. Nothing terrified Rose more. On one hand, she wanted Tyler to leave Georgiana and be with her officially. On the other, it scared her to death. Unsure of everything else, the only thing Rose knew for a fact was that her life couldn’t keep going like this.
Something had to change, soon, but Rose didn’t know what, or how.
Tyler
For the first time in his life, Tyler didn’t understand his best friend. How to read her, how to translate what she said as opposed to what went on inside her head. Rose had been adamant they shouldn’t be together. Not unless he proposed right then and there, and he wasn’t ready for that kind of commitment. At twenty-four and still in school, who the hell would be? He didn’t want to be tied down already. But Rose had become a drug for him. He couldn’t go back to being just her friend, and he couldn’t be with her, either—not in the way she wanted.
Screwed, he was so screwed.
Georgiana was driving him mad, too. His girlfriend wasn’t stupid, and she must have sensed his emotional distance. The few nights she forced him to stay at her apartment, he pretended to be tired to avoid sleeping with her, and he never invited her to the house anymore. They were arguing more often than not, and he was getting tired. And school hadn’t even started yet. His love life was proving more stressful than Harvard Law. To survive one was hard, but the two combined? Impossible. How would he handle the pressure in less than a month when the academic year started? What would happen when he’d have to spend all his days in class squeezed between the two women in his life? It would be a disaster, no doubt. He should dump Georgiana, but the idea scared him. If he became single, what would happen with Rose? Wedding bells? And what would happen if he kept a girlfriend on the side to avoid commitment?
If he didn’t do something, the situation with Rose and Georgiana was going to explode in his face. But what could he do? Tyler was stuck, strangled in a situation of his own making, with no es
cape in sight. He wished girls came with an instruction manual. The only thing he knew was that his life couldn’t keep going like this.
Something had to change, soon, but Tyler didn’t know what, or how.
Georgiana
Something was up with Tyler. No sex since the night of their fight about Rose moving out of his apartment. That was a month ago. A month. Whenever Georgiana tried initiating, Tyler mumbled some lame excuse about being tired. Usually, he couldn’t keep his hands off her, and now nothing for a month. Thirty. Freaking. Days. He also made it clear she wasn’t welcome at his apartment anymore. Why? What did he have to hide?
If not with her, he was sleeping with someone else. Rose? It must be that bitch. Why keep his girlfriend away from the house otherwise?
Georgiana was almost certain something had happened between them. When she finally admitted to herself that her boyfriend was cheating on her, Georgiana went to a dark place. She shut herself in her apartment without eating and without getting out of bed for two days. Tyler didn’t check on her once. His conspicuous absence and indifference transformed the numbing pain in a rampaging fury. The blind rage manifested in a strong desire to burn Tyler’s expensive car to the ground. She’d also been tempted to dump him without ever looking back. But then her pride took over. She discovered she didn’t care if he’d cheated on her—she was in love with Tyler. He was hers, and she was ready to fight for him. She wasn’t going to let that ho snatch him away from her. No matter what it took, Georgiana was determined to keep Tyler. But their relationship couldn’t keep going like this.
Something had to change, soon, and Georgiana knew exactly what, and how.
Eight
Rose
“Rose, can you please pass me the ketchup bottle?” Georgiana asked, her tone so viciously polite, she might as well have said, “I know what you did.”
Rose lowered her gaze. Georgiana’s razor sharp blue eyes were too much for her now. “Sure.” She took the red plastic bottle and handed it to Tyler’s girlfriend.
Two weeks later, and not only had her “situation” with Tyler not resolved—or improved, or changed at all—now she was also having lunch with the happy couple in a cafeteria on campus. The fall semester hadn’t started yet, but it was orientation period, and the campus was already buzzing with students. How in hell did this lunch happen? The three of them eating burgers together was too weird.
Tyler’s text, “lunch 2gether,” had been innocent enough; it didn’t say, “Georgiana the Ice Queen will attend too,” anywhere, not even a hint. Since their affair, Tyler had avoided any unnecessary contact between mistress and girlfriend. Rose suspected Georgiana must’ve orchestrated the lunch trapping them here.
But, why? Did she know? That had to be it. Georgiana knew about her and Tyler, and now she would slowly torture them until they confessed. No matter how many fake smiles Georgiana shot Rose, they never reached her cold, calculating eyes. That freezing blue gaze sent Rose a clear message, “I hate you.”
Rose studied Georgiana as she sat possessively next to Tyler, eating all his fries. Did she know Rose loved eating his fries? Was her dominion over his French fries a metaphor for their love triangle? Rose hated that out in the open Tyler belonged to Georgiana, and that she, the other woman, was powerless about it.
“Rose,” Georgiana said, still all sweetness, “do you have any plans for this coming Friday?”
“No, nothing in particular,” Rose said cautiously.
This had to be an ambush or some kind of plot—Georgiana never asked about her “plans.” Not to mention she was still being uncharacteristically nice. Had Tyler’s girlfriend decided to kill her with kindness? Rose wasn’t a fan of this sudden change; it was easier to sneak around with Tyler behind her back when Georgiana was being a bitch to her. If she considered Georgiana a nice, normal girl, then Rose’s guilt would overwhelm her. The Ice Queen almost certainly had an ulterior motive.
“Oh, that’s perfect!” Georgiana exclaimed. “I’m having a dinner with some friends for my birthday. I want you to be there. Will you come?”
Rose couldn’t think of a polite way to say no. “Um… yeah, sure. Where?”
“Great.” Georgiana’s lips parted in a cruel grin. “I haven’t decided yet. But you can come with Tyler straight from your house. I’ll meet you there.”
“Okay.”
Even more peculiar. Georgiana not bugging Tyler to pick her up and instead suggesting he chauffeured Rose. Something was definitely up.
Tyler
Tyler followed the exchange, at a loss for words. He pushed his plate away, his stomach churning. What was Georgiana planning? She’d already thrown him a curve ball impossible to catch. He was trapped; what else did she need?
He should’ve left her when he had the chance. He should’ve known Georgiana wouldn’t stand idly by while he was having his way with Rose. That his conniving girlfriend would fight. And she had. She’d fought and won, at least the first battle: make sure Tyler and Rose didn't share a roof. Heck, make sure they didn’t live in the same continent!
Tyler smiled a bitter smile. He had to give it to Georgiana. She was resourceful. Even without proof, he was sure she had orchestrated everything. Scholarships abroad did not reopen out of the blue. Georgiana’s doing or not, the damage was done, and Tyler was left with no other choice other than when to tell Rose. No turning back time at this point.
He looked at his best friend with longing. He’d have to talk to her soon, but Tyler couldn’t bear the thought of losing her. And after talking to her, he’d consider himself lucky if she ever spoke two words to him again.
***
Friday night, on the way to the restaurant, Tyler still hadn’t spoken to Rose. He’d vowed to do it tonight after they got back home, but maybe it had been a mistake to wait a week. It’d only make Rose angrier. And the prospect of Rose and Georgiana in the same room for a whole dinner made him nervous. An ominous feeling about the party crept up his back and settled heavily on his shoulders.
Rose sat in silence beside him, staring out the window. She was holding a tiny gift-wrapped package in her hands. He’d told her it wasn’t necessary to buy Georgiana a present, but Rose had insisted. Thinking about it, he had no clue what was in the box. Something poisonous? Tyler could only hope.
At home, Rose had stunned him again. She’d emerged from her room dressed in a tight black jumpsuit with cutouts around the waist, and an almost bare back. She was also wearing black heels and a furry-leathery jacket thingy. The outfit looked like a Catwoman costume. Rose was only missing the ears, whiskers, and tail. Again, he’d never seen these clothes before. He was discovering an entirely new side of her she’d kept secret all this time. And even if it was great to see Rose in a different light, sometimes Tyler wished he were still oblivious. His life would be much simpler without the temptation.
This sort of gear must’ve been reserved for Marcus. Jealousy made Tyler swallow hard. He still hated Rose’s ex with all his guts, but tonight the sexiness was for him, or to compete with Georgiana. To be honest, he didn’t know which one.
Tyler’s skittish mood worsened as they entered the restaurant. Georgiana and some of her guests were already there, sitting at a long, rectangular table laid for at least twenty people. Georgiana sat at the head of the table with an empty space on her left, followed by a couple of nicely dressed girls. On her right sat a rather plain guy followed by two other girls and another arrogant-looking dude who seemed older than everyone else. Fifteen or so empty places were left at the table.
The older guy fixated his gaze on Rose the moment she entered the door. Noticing the competition, Tyler felt an immediate, irrational surge of hatred for the stranger. For no other reason than the way he was looking at Rose, Tyler wanted to punch the dude’s face.
Nine
Rose
Walking inside the restaurant, Rose watched Georgiana rise to her feet to greet them. Tyler’s girlfriend looked resplende
nt in a short dress made of lace flowers, white from the waist up and pale pink on the skirt.
“You’ve made it!” she said. “Here, come meet the others.” She did a quick round of introduction, starting counterclockwise and working around the whole table.
Rose stood there awkwardly, looking around at half a dozen strangers. In particular, the guy sitting at the edge of the group, who Georgiana introduced as Ethan, made her self-conscious with all his staring. Rose met his gaze shyly. He had bright, unsettling light blue eyes that looked somewhat familiar. Short black hair, high cheekbones, and a square jaw made the dude good-looking in that arrogant vampire-flick-villain kind of way.
Embarrassed by all the attention, Rose delivered her gift to Georgiana—a noncommittal makeup palette—who thanked her without opening the present. With nothing left to do, Rose wanted to shrink away and play invisible for the rest of the evening. Sitting down was the first camouflaging step. A quick scan of the table told Rose where she stood in the food chain. The seat beside Her Birthday Majesty was obviously intended for Tyler, and the ones nearest for her court. Rose didn’t want to be anywhere near the couple, anyway, so she backtracked to the opposite end of the table. Georgiana protested with no real conviction that she shouldn’t sit so far away, but Rose assured her majesty she’d be fine, and Georgiana didn’t insist further.
Rose had a hunch about the night ending badly for her. She’d never seen Georgiana look so radiant, so smug. At this very moment, Georgiana was watching Rose with an expression in-between triumph and pity. Why? Something was happening, and Rose felt like the only clueless party present. Tyler had been behaving strangely all week, and she couldn’t tell what had changed. Combining that with the evil stare above Georgiana’s smiles only increased her anxiety about this party. What on earth had made her agree to come?
Let's Be Just Friends Page 3
