Love in the Friend Zone

by Molly E. Lee

  “Yeah, Fynn?”

  “I love you.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Braylen

  I couldn’t stop stealing glances at Fynn as he drove us to my house—like I was terrified of him disappearing, or me waking up from the dream I’d fallen into. I also couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. The image of Fynn on stage, singing before he poured his heart out to me in the only way Fynn was capable, had my perma-grin to the point of aching.

  When I’d decided to accept his invitation and meet him in the crowd, him declaring his love for me on stage was the last thing I expected. But it was exactly what I needed to know without a doubt that I had been his choice.

  He parked in the driveway of my house, killing the ignition.

  “You’re awfully quiet,” he said, turning to face me.

  I shrugged, rubbing my hands on my thighs. “I don’t know what else to say.”

  “You want to talk about tonight?”

  I shook my head. “No. We don’t need to. Not after…”

  “But you know I never meant to hurt you. I never want to hurt you, Braylen. I meant every word I said on that stage.”

  “And every word after?” I asked, wanting him to say it again.

  He smirked, playing with a stand of my hair. “I love you.”

  I pressed my lips together, breathing in the sweet air of reciprocation. “You hungry?”

  He laughed. “That’s the response I get?”

  I nodded, opening the door and hopping out of the truck without checking to see if he’d follow.

  “Seriously?” he asked as I unlocked my front door. “You won’t say it back?”

  I chuckled, not looking back as I quietly made my way to the kitchen, flicking on the light.

  “Fine,” he said. “I take mine back.”

  I gasped, spinning around only to find him an inch from my face, his hands on my hips. “You can’t take yours back!”

  “I can if you won’t restate yours.” He nuzzled the tip of my nose with his before trailing his mouth lightly down my neck and back up again. A trail of warm chills erupted under his feather-light touches, and I closed my eyes.

  “Okay, fine. I love you.” I practically moaned the words as he laid kisses over my collarbone.

  A low growl sounded from his chest. He gripped my hips and pushed me backward before setting me on the kitchen counter, separating my knees to step between them. Our eyes were level, but I couldn’t stop staring at his mouth.

  He smirked, teasing me by kissing me along my jaw, my cheeks, even my nose. Everywhere but my mouth.

  “Fynn.” I sighed, scraping his scalp as I played with his hair.

  “Braylen.” He mimicked me, slowly inching his mouth toward mine.

  “Kids.” My mother’s voice shocked the hell out of us both, and I jolted on the counter so hard I smacked the back of my head against the cabinet.

  “Mom!” I looked over Fynn’s shoulder, my cheeks flaring red. “I thought you’d be asleep.”

  A near-insane grin shaped my mother’s face but she tried to hide it with a stern look. “Mmm-hmm, I bet.”

  “Evening, Mrs. Campbell,” Fynn said, slowly turning around to face her.

  “Evening?” She arched an eyebrow at him. “Honey, it’s closer to breakfast than it is dinner.”

  He chuckled, clapping his hands together as he gestured toward the stove. “Pancakes?”

  Mom grinned at him, shaking her head. “I’m going back to bed for a few hours. I’m within earshot, you know.” She leveled me with a knowing look. “Try to keep it down.”

  Fynn spun to get a skillet from the cabinet, his back toward Mom.

  She gave me an air fistbump before returning to her room.

  I laughed, shaking my head as I watched Fynn gather the ingredients for breakfast. He was so at home in my kitchen—he’d made these for me a thousand times before, of course, but tonight was different. Tonight was the first time I was able to walk up behind him and wrap my arms around him as he mixed the batter. I’d fantasized about it more times than I could count.

  Reality was so much better.

  He cocked an eyebrow at me over his shoulder, dropping a pad of butter into the skillet, which sizzled. “Yoda?”

  “Yoda.” I nodded, reaching up on my tiptoes to nibble his bottom lip, just because I could.

  As I watched him expertly design my favorite food of all time, I silently sent out a thank you to Lennon. His party on the lake had been exactly what Fynn and I had needed to finally see each other in the same light.

  Fynn slipped a Yoda-pancake onto a plate just as my cell vibrated on the kitchen counter. I snagged it and swiped to read the text from Zoey.

  Zoey: We need to talk.

  Me: Everything all right?

  I typed as fast as I could, my head rushing with all the ways Zoey could be in over her head after what Kennedy told me earlier in the night.

  Zoey: I’m fine. I just need to talk. Can I come over to your place?

  Me: Of course.

  I glanced up at Fynn, who continued making pancakes.

  Me: Fynn is here.

  Zoey texted back a shocked emoji next to a heart and followed by another shocked emoji.

  Zoey: Never mind. I’m not getting in the way of four years of sexual frustration. It can wait until tomorrow.

  My cheeks flushed as I texted back: Are you sure?

  Zoey: Hell yes. I’m proud of you. I’ll see you tomorrow.

  Me: Thanks, Zoe. LY!

  Zoey: LY2!! I’ll want a full write-up tomorrow!

  Me: Never going to happen.

  Zoey: Lmao. We’ll see.

  I shook my head, barely restraining the giddiness bubbling up in my chest. Before setting my cell down, I opened up the camera and snapped a quick selfie of Fynn and me.

  “What’s that for?” he asked, grinning as he made another pancake.

  I pulled up Lennon’s Snapchat story of the party.

  “I’m adding us to Lennon’s story.”

  Fynn flipped the pancake before setting the spatula down and wrapped his arms around me.

  “Why don’t we start one of our own?” He kissed my neck.

  “What did you have in mind?” I asked, breathless.

  He shrugged. “Anything we want. The move to Northwestern will be a good start, right?”

  I nodded, pushing back some of his black hair, my heart overflowing with everything I thought I’d never have.

  “You’re there, I’m there.” I didn’t give him time to respond because I didn’t need to hear the words returned. All I needed was for him to kiss me again, and that’s exactly what he did.

  Find out what happens to Zoey and Gordon in the second book in the Grad Night series, Love Between Enemies by Molly E. Lee, coming soon!

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  Acknowledgments

  I always thank you first, awesome reader! Thank you for coming to this epic party with me!

  To my husband, thanks for being my best friend first and then not faulting me the five years it took to realize how much I loved you!

  To my sister, thank you for reading and helping me make this party authentic and as awesome as possible!

  To my family, thank you for your continued support and love!

  To Stacy, my incredible editor, thanks for making this series sparkle brighter than Lennon’s fireworks. :) I love working with you and can’t wait for the next one!

  To Melissa Montovani, thanks for all your work behind the scenes to shine light on the series! You rock!

  To the entire Entangled team who makes working with each of you like one giant wicked-cool family, thank you a million times over! I’m so honored to be part of this crew!

  Rebecca, thanks for literally everything—the calls, the chats, the books—you’re an inspiration and I adore you!

  Mindy a
nd Sam, thank you for reading things at the drop of a hat, and for giving me honest notes that only push me to be better. You both are incredible!

  Molly, my awesome friend, the coolest half of #MollySquared, I don’t know what I’d do without you!

  To Esther, my bestie. Thanks for showing me what true friendship is, and how no amount of space or time can weaken it. You are the best and I love you.

  Cindi Madsen, I’m so glad I met you. You are truly an awesome person and I have #lifegoals to develop dance moves as badass as yours! Thank you for blurbing this book, and for being such an amazing author I can’t help but gobble up your books!

  Cora, Jay, Kim, Rachel, Megan, Micalea, Rebecca…thanks for being such amazing authors. I strive to be as cool as you!

  To Karen, thanks for giving this a look and helping me make all my work a shade better than I ever thought possible. I adore you.

  To Linda, my PR rock star, thanks for handling all the hot-mess that is my life!

  To the amazing bloggers who do ALL the things, you all are my heroes. The hard work you do and the sacrifices you make for this community ARE noticed and so deeply appreciated! Vilma, Natasha, Captain, Tina, Megan, Stephanie, Jillian…my list could go on and on and on! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

  A huge thanks to my cover designer Anna Crosswell for creating something so fun and perfect for Braylen and Fynn! I love it so much!

  Mayhem Members! All of you rock and have made my reader room such a super fun and awesome place to be! Thank you!

  And finally, again, to you…awesome reader. Thank you. You make all things possible.

  About the Author

  Molly E. Lee is an author best known for her debut novel Edge of Chaos, and was selected as a 1001 Dark Nights Discovery Author for 2017. Molly writes new adult and young adult contemporary, featuring strong female heroines who are unafraid to challenge their male counterparts, yet still vulnerable enough to have love sneak up on them. In addition to being a military spouse and mother of two plus one stubborn English bulldog, Molly loves watching storms from her back porch at her Midwest home and digging for treasures in antique stores. Visit her online at http://www.mollyelee.com.

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