by Ava May
I pulled away and wiped my tears. “Thanks.” He could tell that I was pulling away and he frowned, but again, he kept quiet. He was respecting me. I turned and went to the door. I unlocked it and went inside. Without a word I walked away and to my room. Inside, I stripped and crawled into bed. I wasn’t ready to wash Evan’s scent from my skin. Not yet. I needed to feel him near me, and I wouldn’t be selfish enough to ask him to hold me. Not when I was crying over another man.
Chapter 7
It turned out I didn’t have to ask. When I woke up, it was to the feel of Evan’s strong arms wrapping around me. I lay as still as possible and kept my breathing even. It felt too good having him wrap around me.
“I called your father.”
“I figured.”
“I told him about Wes, about him showing up tonight.”
I nodded.
“I told him about us. I know you didn’t want me too, but I didn’t feel right. Even if you decide nothing can come of this, I couldn’t lie to him.”
I gasped. “How did he react?”
Evan chuckled and tightened his hold on me. “Not how I thought. He wasn’t surprised.”
“Why not? I was with Wes.”
“I guess he just always saw this coming. He asked if I loved you though.”
I froze, not sure I wanted to hear the answer, yet my heart leapt wondering.
“I told him I do.”
My body shook and I cried. I had known that’s what I saw, but I didn’t believe he could really love me. “What did he say?” I asked in a whisper, but Evan heard.
“He told me to treat you right, and he said if you want him to come home he will.”
I laughed. I couldn’t help it. I was so worried that my father would lose it, and I didn’t want to have to hurt Evan. It turned out my dad knew something I hadn’t. I really didn’t see that coming. I wondered if he was only okay with it because he knew Evan would take care of me, and he wouldn’t have to any longer.
“I don’t want him to come home.”
“And?”
“I want you too, but I don’t feel right.”
“Why not, darlin’?”
“I just had my heart broken, and it’s not your job to fix me.”
“I don’t want to fix you; I just want you to be mine. We can take it as slow as you want.”
I turned and faced him. His eyes shined, and I could see how genuine he was. Evan wore his heart on his sleeve, waiting for me to take it and crush it.
“Okay.” It was a risk, but wasn’t love worth it?
He smiled. “Yeah?”
I nodded and brushed my lips on his quickly before pulling back. “But I want to take it slow. I need to get over Wes in my own way. I can’t have you trying to fix everything I’m feeling.”
“I won’t be able to just stand by when you’re hurting, Zoe. Have I ever?”
“No, but now it’s different. We’re equals.”
“Understood, but bear with me. I might push the boundaries and it’s only because I care. I want you to be happy, and I want to be the one to make that smile appear on your face every day.”
I shook my head, wondering if I was crazy for jumping right in. By the way he looked at me, I didn’t think so. I was fairly certain that I could trust my heart in Evan’s hands. He’d always been my number one supporter.
****
It was a week later before I’d heard from Wes again. He called, but I refused to answer the phone. The voicemail was long with more apologies and more begging me for a second chance. It would never happen. As far as I knew, he was still with Alicia, and I was happy with Evan. It had only been a week and he’d given me space when I needed it, but admittedly was a lot less than I thought. I liked having him around. We were always doing something. But I’d mourned for a week, and it was time to figure out what I wanted for my future.
I sat at the breakfast bar and smiled. It was a routine. He cooked, and I cleaned. “What are your plans for the day?”
He turned and smiled. “I figured I’d go home for a couple of days. Your dad should be back in a few hours, and I know you have things to do.”
The fork paused halfway to my mouth. “Oh, how come I never know what he’s doing but you do?”
He shrugged. “I call him.”
He had a point. I never really called my dad. He didn’t like talking, at least not to me. “Oh okay. So you’re going home.”
“Yeah, I don’t live here, and I only stayed originally because of those damned dogs.”
“Okay.”
“You can come with me if you want, darlin’.”
I shrugged. “I’m going to go enroll in classes today. It’s time. I’ve been home over a week. I also need to find a job. I don’t want to live with my dad. Then I’m going apartment looking. I saved a lot because I never had to pay for anything. So I could probably afford a few months of bills if it takes me that long to find a job.”
He leaned in and pecked my lips. “I would say you could come live with me, but I know you’ll tell me no, so I won’t.” There was a twinkle in his eye. He was offering.
“No, thank you. No offense, but I’m definitely not ready to move in. I need to stand on my own two feet for a while. Do my own thing.”
“I know, Zoe. I’m not pressuring you.”
“Good.” Then we finished eating like normal. Sharing a plate, I’d eat a bit, then he’d swipe the plate while I clean up. I’d miss our routine, but it was too domestic. We’d played house for a week, but now it was time for reality. I’d still see him—every chance I got. We just wouldn’t be living together.
Chapter 8
Evan
I watched the different expressions scroll over Zoe’s face when I told her I was going home. I wouldn’t lie and say I didn’t feel a certain satisfaction knowing she was disappointed that I was going home. It had been a rough week. I did my best to give her the space she needed, and I got that she didn’t want to use me to help her get over her ex, but I was a man nearing forty. I didn’t care if she wanted to use me, as long as she was mine. She didn’t understand that and to her it was wrong, so I sat back and left her on her own, for the most part.
She didn’t really seem too devastated. I figured it was their last conversation that had really upset her. She’d told me bits and pieces, but there was something she was holding back. I didn’t want to push. I was glad that she had decided she was going to start her life over. If I had my way, she’d let me rent an apartment for her, and take care of her. I’d wanted to pamper her since she turned eighteen, but Wes was in the way, and now she’s got her growing need for independence.
“You’ll come by tonight though, right?” I felt on the verge of acting like a desperate boy.
“Yeah, I can do that. The less I see dad right now, the better. He’ll push.”
“That’s fine, darlin’. You can stay with me until you find your own place if you want.” Hell, then I’d have a chance to show her how good it would be. She wouldn’t need to leave. A man could hope, right?
“Nice try, but yeah I’ll be over tonight.”
She kissed me and my heart raced. Each day things got better. Each day she was happier, and every day I felt more at ease with the new situation. I couldn’t believe she was mine. I wouldn’t bet on forever, but I could hope.
“I love you, Evan.”
Shock couldn’t describe what I was feeling. “Say that again, darlin’?”
She giggled and kissed me again. “I said I love you.”
I dragged her into my arms and kissed her, showing her how I felt. She knew already, but hearing those words slip from her beautiful lips was the best thing to ever happen to me. She wasn’t getting away from me now.
THE END
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Finally More Than Friends
Ava May
Finally More Than Friends
Chapter 1
Sara Dylan pulls into the parking lot, shuts off her car, and steps out of her early 2000 model sedan. She looks up at the building she is parked in front of. Even though she has been here a thousand times before, she still can’t believe that one man could own an entire building. Fifteen stories to yourself. Granted, the first eight floors are solely devoted to R&D, but seven floors to do whatever you want with is an absurd amount in her mind. Closing the door of her car, she clicks her remote and is greeted with the sound of the locks engaging. The clunk of the mechanisms working is plenty loud enough for her to hear, but like every person, she clicks the lock button again and is rewarded with the horn bleating one time, shattering the relative calmness of the parking lot. Placing her keys in her purse, she turns and heads for the front doors of the building. But before she can take two steps, her best friend for over fifteen years now comes out of the front doors in a run.
Sara stands still as Dan Petrie runs across the parking lot dressed in his normal shorts and tank top, his arm and legs bulging with muscle. I bet the man wears that stuff to business meetings when he is pitching his new inventions, she thinks with a smile. His long, dark hair flies out behind him as he runs.
“What took you so long Sara?” Dan asks as he wraps her in a hug.
She relishes the feel of his strong arms around her. “I got caught up in traffic just off the freeway.”
“Sure you did.” He smiles, his dark blue eyes tinkling. “You were with a new boyfriend, weren’t you?”
Somehow, Dan always has a way of knowing when she was lying and where she had been. She didn’t know if it was the way she looked or what, but she could never pull the wool over his eyes on anything. Well, except for one thing, she thinks. One big thing.
“I was on a date, but not with a boyfriend by any means.”
“It was that bad, huh?” Dan asks as he puts an arm around her and guides her toward the building.
“He pulled the whole ‘I forgot my wallet and all I’ve got on me is a few dollars’ bit so he wouldn’t have to pay for my food.”
“What an ass. Did you tell him off?”
“I did. I paid for the whole meal and told him to get lost. I should have known better than to go out with him when I had to pick him up. He said it was because his car was in the shop, but I figure he doesn’t have one. I half suspect that if I would have went inside when he came to the door that I would have found his Mama peeking out the window to see if I was the right girl or not.”
Dan laughs and pats her on the back. “You have the most horrible times with dates, Sara. I swear that I’ll find you a man one day. You have my word.”
“Thanks, but I think I’m done dating for a while. I’m gonna focus on my career and getting myself together first. Maybe lose some weight so I’m not so big.”
“Don’t talk like that.” Dan spins around in front of her. “So what you’re a bigger girl? Be proud of what you are. Don’t let the world demoralize you because you’re not a size two with a thigh gap or whatever. You’re damn beautiful, and you should flaunt it.”
“Easy to say from the six-foot-one man who weighs in at two hundred pounds and all of it is muscle,” she retorts.
“Don’t be like that.” Dan pouts his lips.
“You know I’m kidding, Dan. There is no way that you have a perfect body. I mean, look at the face.”
They share a laugh as they step on the elevator and Dan pushes the button for the fifteenth floor, his bachelor pad, but deep down inside, Sara feels like someone had just taken her stomach and twisted it into a ball. For what seemed like forever, she had been keeping a secret from Dan. She was afraid that if he ever found out that she liked him as more than a friend, it would destroy their friendship, and she valued his friendship so much. He was always there for her when she needed him and they had such great times together. For those reasons, she keep her secret and bit her tongue when she was around him.
The elevator jerks into motion and shoots through the fifteen floors in a matter of seconds. Sara never liked elevators and as she is soaring upwards she remembers why. Her organs still seem to be five floors below when they come to a stop and the doors open to a lavish apartment.
The decorative theme of Dan’s apartment is mostly modern, but he also collects old artifacts from different cultures. Sara never grows tired of looking at the different masks, statues, idols, and weapons from ancient cultures that most have already forgotten. Dan points to the couch and tells her to have a seat while he gets them something to drink. As she sits on the white couch with black pillows she feels the same as she always does. Uncomfortable. For a girl that grew up on a farm playing in dirt and manure, the white couch is an oddity. She is forever afraid when she comes up here and sits that she will dirty the couch and ruin it. It’s not like Dan couldn’t buy more. Heck, he could buy the company if he wanted to, but I would still feel bad, she thinks.
Dan emerges from the kitchen a few minutes later with two large martini glasses in his hands. Each glass is filled with a bright purple liquid. Oh lord, thinks Sara, he’s concocted another new drink and wants to know what I think about it.
“Here.” He hands her one of the martini glasses and sits down opposite to her in a chair. “It’s my new drink. I call it Purple Thunder.”
“You know, if I didn’t know better, I would think that you were gay.”
“Well, I’m not.” Dan grins. “I don’t see why everyone thinks that these drinks are girly or gay. First of all, beer is disgusting. Second, these so-called girly or gay drinks have hard liquor in them, which gets you drunk faster and tastes way better. And tell me this. Most of them contain something that is vaguely similar to punch or Kool-Aid. Who the hell doesn’t like Kool-Aid? No one, that’s who. Everybody likes it.”
“Agreed.” Sara raises her glass to her lips and takes a cautionary sip. She is ready for it to be nasty, as most of Dan’s drink combinations are, but the drink is surprisingly sweet and delicious. She takes a larger drink and smiles. “This is great.”
“Thanks, but you could have said that like the other times weren’t so horrible.”
“Sorry.” She smiles over the glass at him, her blue eyes twinkling. “But most of them were.”
“Yeah, you’re right. So, what are we going to do tonight?”
“I don’t know.” Sara takes another sip of her drink. “To tell you the truth, after the date I just had, I really don’t feel like doing much of anything.”
“Well, how about we have a little dinner here later on? We don’t have to go out anywhere. We can stay here and maybe watch a few bad action movies, pop some popcorn, and have some drinks. How’s that sound?”
“Sounds great, except for the bad action movie part. How about a nice romance or maybe a romantic comedy?”
“No freakin’ way. My love for things female goes only so far as the drinks. I’d rather see the action hero blowing away the bad guys with a machine gun than watch a couple row around in a boat while swans and ducks float gently by and they realize that they have always loved each other.”
“Whatever,” she says with a snort of derision. “That all sounds like a great night, but first, I think I’ll take another one of these Purple Thunders.”
“Coming right up.”
Dan leaps up from the couch as nimble as can be and scoops the glass from Sara’s hand. She watches him walk away with a longing in her heart. For so long at the beginning of their friendship, she tried to hint to him that she liked him as more that just a bro, but he couldn’t or wouldn’t take the hint. Eventually, she gave up and fell into a kind of niche with him. She wasn’t exactly a bro, but she wasn’t exactly a girlfriend either. Over time, she had become a person that he could talk with about the wo
men he was dating. These were the stories that she hated to hear, but she sat through them patiently and offered advice when she could.
Oh, how I wish I would have just come out and told him how I felt about him in the beginning, she thinks to herself as she hears him clinking glasses around in the kitchen. But then again it’s for the best that I didn’t. A man like him would have never went for an overweight girl like me. Face it, Sara—you’re fat and alone.
She smiles as Dan comes back into the living room and places the glass of purple liquid in front of her. Digging in her purse, she comes out with a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. Holding them up for him to see, she speaks.
“Do you mind?” She asks the same question every time she comes up here. It is just one of those things that has become a ritual.
“Why do you ask that every time?” He replies and the ritual moves forward.
“I would hate to ruin your bitching pad with my smoking.” She grins and lights up.
“Sure you would. How about some music?”
“None of that rap shit that you listen to.” She exhales smoke and points her finger at him. “I mean it.”
“You know, you’re the first girl I have ever met in the city who doesn’t like rap. Want to hear some country? That’s were you’re from. Head on back down to your roots?” Dan snickers as his voice takes on a southern drawl.
“You know damn well I don’t.” She laughs along with him. “But if you had some nice grove metal or just plain old heavy metal, that would be fine.”
