Stuck With My Best Friend: A Quarantine Novella
Page 11
Déjà gripped me to stay on her feet. “Hunter…you never…”
“Yeah. I never said it.” I bit back the profanity. I’d already fucked up the proposal. No sense swearing like a drunken convict while I poured out my heart and soul. “But I’m in love with you. Never knew how to tell you. Didn’t know if you felt the same way. So, I’m just going to lay it out here. No fucking around anymore. I want you. I want a life with you. I want a marriage with you. I want to have a baby with you. I want everything you think is missing in life, and I’d do anything to make it happen.”
The woman was on the verge of tears, fainting, and shock.
She stared at me, curling her nails into my arms to stay standing.
Apparently, Déjà used her claws when confronted with surefire relationship PTSD. Good to know. I gritted my teeth before she drew blood.
“Why…didn’t you tell me?” she whispered.
“Because what the hell was I going to say? I figured you’d tell me to get lost. That I’d destroy our friendship. That you didn’t feel the same way. Then you asked me to have a baby with you…” I wasn’t a praying man, but I figured the church and Pastor V could use a donation once this shit passed. “It was like a goddamned miracle, Vu. I thought it’d be easy. That I could finally have you in my arms, in my bed. But it’s been…fucking awful.”
Déjà crumbled, covering her mouth. “Oh, no. I knew it. It was bad.”
Shit.
“No!” I nudged her chin, forcing her to look at me. “No, the sex is fantastic. Taking you every day, holding you in my arms, making a baby. That’s been the most amazing experience of my life. But I haven’t been honest with you. I wasn’t able to tell you what I felt, how it killed me every time I laid you down in that bed without confessing everything. I can’t do it anymore, Déjà.”
Her lip trembled. “Can’t do…what?”
“I want the baby. I want you. But I need you to understand what it means to me. How fucking grateful I am that I get to start this life with you. I want to be a part of your everything. I want to take you to bed as my wife. I want you to know the reason I’ve fucked you isn’t because I wanted to be a friend or because I’m doing a favor, but because I’m so goddamned in love with you that I’d do anything to make you happy.”
I batted the pregnancy test away, scowling at the damned box.
“It doesn’t matter what the test says,” I said. “If it’s negative, it’s negative. If it’s positive, it’s positive. Either way, I will be the happiest man in this world as long as you realize just how I feel about you. I kissed her hand, bringing her delicate fingers to my lips. “Now, I’ve gotta hear it. Do you love me too?”
Déjà burst into heavy tears.
Wasn’t exactly the response I wanted.
Couldn’t tell if they were good tears or bad tears either. But I was always a lousy judge. Tears were tears. Panic was panic. Anger was anger.
And love…
Well, I thought love was love.
Apparently, a hell of a lot more went into it. A shit ton of complications. An untenable amount of uncertainty. This was the sort of vulnerability that would make a man prefer a kick in the balls than another fucking second of this agony.
But Déjà wrapped her arms around me and sank into my embrace. Her words were muffled, spoken into my neck as her eyes filled with tears.
“Of course I’m in love with you,” she whispered.
My turn to fucking collapse.
Three words.
Three goddamned words.
I prided myself on being a strong man. Never let a broken bone or a dirty job slow me down.
But that sweet secret tumbling from her lips nearly knocked me to my knees.
“I had no idea I loved you,” Déjà said. “Until…all of a sudden. I just did. And it was like everything suddenly made sense. Every feeling inside, every fear swirling around the pit of my stomach. I saw the future I wanted, and I knew it was right, because it was you I’d imagined.”
“You didn’t say anything either.”
She clutched at me, her tears drying and trading out for a bright and beautiful smile.
“How could I say anything? I was so afraid we’d ruin this friendship. But everything was already ruined. I already measured every man I’d ever met up to you. How strong you are. How kind. How amazing. It never occurred to me that I might have feelings for you…until I realized how much I feared losing you. You’ve been the greatest thing in my life. I couldn’t jeopardize what we had.”
“But what if we could have something even better?”
She peeked up at me. “Are you sure you want to take that risk?”
“Loving you isn’t a risk, Déjà.”
She fell into my arms once more, giggling as I hauled her off her feet. “All this time…I thought I was missing something in my life. And I kept searching and searching for something to fill what was missing. So that I could be happy like everyone else.” She kissed me, soft and gentle. “And here you are. Here you’ve been. I can’t believe it took me this long to realize how I felt, but I can promise you, from this day on, you’re never going to doubt my love for you.”
I nodded towards the box on the table. “What about the test?”
She didn’t look at the damned thing. “Who cares about the test? If I’m with you, we’ll handle anything. If it’s negative, we can try again. And if it’s positive…”
“We already know that it is.”
“Then I’ll fall in love twice in one day.”
“All the more reason to celebrate then.”
She squealed as I swept her into my arms.
But this time, I wasn’t about to rush.
We had no need to hurry. No feelings to outrun. No fears to suppress.
It was just me and her.
The way it should’ve always been.
The only way the story could’ve played out.
And so, I did what any red-blooded man would do.
I took the woman who owned my heart to bed.
And, for the first time, we made love.
10
Déjà
I never thought sex with Hunter could get any better…
Until we made love.
The pillows puffed around us as he set me upon the blankets. I kissed him softly, savoring the skilled possession of his embrace. For the first time, we didn’t rush. Had no need for anything frantic and crazed.
It was as if our clothes simply fell away, and we were left bare, exposed, and entirely entrusted with the other.
And it was like the first time.
Our first kiss. Our first embrace. Our first everything.
The beginning of a new life together.
I didn’t have to search very far to find answers in the only man I’d ever loved. He knew everything about me—my fears, my hopes, my dreams.
My body.
In that moment, it was only us, tucked away in the smallest and most insignificant part of the world, and yet, just where we’d find what mattered most in life.
It hadn’t come easily, and it certainly wasn’t expected, but in his arms, all the struggle, pain, and confusion faded away. I found something greater than my emptiness and stronger than my isolation.
Love.
We wasted no time, and yet we took it all. Our bodies entwined, and I welcomed the weight of his body over mine.
A minute passed.
Or was it an hour?
I didn’t know, didn’t care. He entered me with a loving gentleness, and I was lost to a rush of desire that bound me so tightly to this man I feared I’d never free myself.
But I wasn’t sure I ever needed to escape.
His hitched breath caught, same as mine. He felt that connection too. Every thrust, every bump of our hips.
This was how it was supposed to be.
Sex had been great, but this was something far better. Every motion meant so much more, every whispered promise resonated deep inside me, and every shudder a
nd offered pleasure stilled my heart.
For the first time, I could release everything inside of me. I could cry out. Hold him. Whimper my secrets. Confess even more.
I loved him. I needed him. And I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him.
He slipped his arms around me and held me tight as our bodies shifted together. He took me. I accepted him. And the reward was a grand and consuming pleasure that rocked us both in perfect harmony.
No racing to the end. Just savoring, loving, feeling us together as one.
A quiet rush built inside me, stealing my words, strength, and power. My breath quickened. My body trembled.
But he was there. Holding me. Murmuring silken words of adoration and praise.
It was everything I’d ever hoped love would be, made better because I felt it in his arms, under his control, protected and caressed with the same brush of his hand against my cheek.
I wrapped my legs tighter around him, crying out as he buried himself exactly where I needed him to be. My body had been made for him, for this perfect moment, as if my entire life had led to this heartbeat in time.
I shattered around him. Gasped his name. Surrendered to his love.
No words.
No warnings.
No hiding it.
We erupted together in the simple perfection of truth.
His heat jetted inside me, and my body claimed everything he offered. I clung to him, breathless, crying out. I chased every shiver as it teased my body, mind, and soul with that pinnacle of passion.
Why had I not done this sooner?
What had frightened me into silence?
How had I gone so many years without welcoming him to my bed, my arms, my heart?
He parted from me but pulled me tight into his arms. His fingers danced through my hair as I rested against his chest, listening to his racing heartbeat.
“I love you,” I whispered.
His smile came easily—unburdened and free. He held me tight, warm and safe against his strength. His touch was gentle. Cautious, and yet, finally free to take me as he’d wanted for so long. He brushed his fingers along my cheek and studied me with such devotion it stole my breath.
“I love you too, Déjà…” Hunter pulled me into a kiss. “And I’m not gonna waste anymore time keeping it to myself. I’m going to make you the happiest woman in this world. Give me a chance, and I’ll give you everything you want.”
“I only want one thing.”
“What’s that?”
I snuggled into his chest, allowing the exhaustion to wash over me.
“You.”
Epilogue
Déjà
“Is it selfish to hope the quarantine lasts a little longer?” I twisted in the sheets as the morning sun teased over the bedspread. “I’d love to spend the next month here with you.”
Hunter’s voice rumbled with desire. “Is that all you want? Just a month?”
“I wouldn’t mind being stuck with you forever.”
“I think I can make that happen.” His blue eyes frosted with a new mischief. “’Course…I’m wonder if we’re spending that forever alone.”
I wondered too, especially as my stomach still bumbled and fretted.
And I couldn’t be sure only anxiety caused it.
“Do you want to know?” I asked.
“Do you?”
I didn’t answer.
I’d done enough crazy things during this past month. What was one more reckless, impulsive, thoroughly insane decision?
I rolled out of bed before Hunter could catch me, hurrying downstairs to pull the test out of the cabinet where we’d banished it while debating on whether we were ready to know the truth.
What a stupid idea.
Neither of us could focus on anything except the answer. I fumbled for the box and raced to the bathroom. Hunter reached the door with a lazy yawn. Poor guy hadn’t had much sleep this past week, but he’d brought that punishment on himself.
And I’d reaped the benefits.
“Don’t keep me waiting, Vu.” His fist pounded the door. “The suspense is gonna kill me.”
Kill him?
I didn’t know if I’d last until the test was ready.
My entire life had changed in five minute increments.
Five minutes was enough time to seduce my best friend.
Five minutes was enough time to get in trouble with my best friend.
And five minutes was enough time to admit every secret in my heart to my best friend.
And in the minutes following?
I’d had my world rocked, fallen head-over-heels in love, and potentially started a family with the man who had once been my best friend and now became…
Well, still my best friend.
But something so much more.
Especially when the two little lines appeared on the pregnancy test.
I emerged from the bathroom, and my smile revealed everything.
I was always lousy at hiding secrets from Hunter.
And this one was the biggest of all.
He hooted in celebration, rushing to gather me in his arms and hold me tight.
“We’re having a baby?” he asked.
“We’re having a baby.”
“You and me?”
“Can’t think of a better way to start a family,” I said.
“I can.” Hunter kissed my ring finger, right where the twisty-tie had remained until it’d been lost in a night of passion. “You never gave me an answer, Déjà Derrick.”
He bent onto one knee and promised me the world.
“Are you gonna marry me?” he asked.
My heart fluttered.
I couldn’t imagine a better or more wonderful life than a marriage to the only man I’ve ever loved.
It was the easiest decision I’d ever made.
And, as I spoke the words, I knew my life was finally complete.
“It’s always been you, Hunter,” I whispered. “I can’t wait to marry you.”
THE END
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