I sucked in a breath. Markers. They would show me where to go.
Another light went out, making this even darker. Run. If I didn’t start running, I’d be fumbling around in the dark, risking yet another run-in with the beasts. Their flashing fangs were still seared in my memory.
I raced forward, faster than I’d ever ran before, trying to beat the dimming lamps. I wanted to get to the end of this, to finally reunite with Fabio.
When I reached the last lamp, total darkness encapsulated me. Ice flooded my veins, and my ears perked, searching for the sound of paws on the ground. Screen, screen, come on screen...
You have one chance, earthling...
The first or the last.
I chose last. For what reason, I didn’t know.
Another passage opened up before me, this time with two doors. Someone—or something—banged on the first door, making it shudder.
I jumped back.
“Help!” someone cried behind the first door.
I went to it, but the screen popped up.
MOVE ON, EARTHLING. THE PRISONER IS OURS. DO NOT BOTHER WITH THINGS THAT DO NOT CONCERN YOU.
Another cry for help came. The worst part was that I couldn’t tell whether it was an actual person or not...
I had to get out of here.
“I’m sorry,” I yelled. “I’m sorry!”
I sprinted forward, my heart racing just as quickly, and flung open the last door. There stood Fabio, and I jumped right into his arms.
He stumbled back onto the floor, and I fell on top of him, squeezing him tight.
“Oh my gosh, that was horrible!” I cried. “I didn’t think I’d ever get out of it.”
He hugged me back and laughed softly. “You could have taken the mask off, silly.”
“Oh.” I rolled to the side, off of him, coming to sit. I pulled my mask off and saw him doing the same. “I hadn’t thought of that.” Why hadn’t I thought of that? “It just felt so...”
“Real?” he finished.
I rested my elbows on my knees and put my head in my hands. Real. It had been real. I’d been such an idiot to suggest his games were anything but. This world, how it made me feel—what else had made my heart race like that? Other than Fabio’s hand, brushing my hair from under my lanyard. The feel of his scar under my fingertips...
“It was real,” I said. I turned my eyes on him. I wanted to look at him when I told him this.
People ran around us, but all I had eyes for was Fabio. Sweat dampened his hairline, and as he pulled his mask all the way off, strands of hair lifted, forming a blond mess atop his head.
His eyes held all the questions in his heart, and I could only think of one way to answer them.
I moved forward on my knees and pressed my lips to his.
He must have been stunned, surprised, because he froze before leaning into the kiss. I didn’t know what kissing your best friend was supposed to feel like, but this wasn’t it. Fireworks, sparks, a full-blown fire hazard exploded between us. The way his lips moved against mine was nowhere near familiar or awkward.
I thought I knew Fabio before, but it was only the tip of the iceberg. How had I never noticed how soft his lips were? How gentle he would be running his fingers through my hair? How he cradled me like he held the entire world to his chest?
No time could have been long enough to spend discovering my best friend, but we ran out of breath.
I pulled back and looked him right in the eyes. “This is real. And so is how I feel about you.”
And that made what I had to tell him about leaving even worse.
Seventeen
Fabio
Grace just kissed me.
GRACE just kissed me.
HOLY, ACTUAL, CRAP!
I could still taste her lip gloss. And I probably looked like a total creep, but I licked my lips. I’d never tasted anything better than my best friend’s lips. Never seen anything better than her dazed eyes looking right at me.
I’d done that. We’d done that.
Holy crap.
She was waiting for me to talk, I could see it, but my brain was short-circuiting.
GRACE KISSED ME.
How could I get my brain to return to functionality?
I wouldn’t mind experimenting with more kissing.
But the volunteer from earlier yelled at us. “Dude, come on. Get a room. A different room.”
Grace blushed and giggled. Giggled. It was adorable.
I got up and stuck my hand out for her. She let me help her up, and we walked through all the people darting around the VR maze, back to the registration table. They helped us out of our suits and masks, and then Grace and I stood in the hall, face to face, in the aftermath of our kiss. Of THE kiss.
“So...” I said.
“So,” she said.
Silence hung between us.
Her cheeks got red, and she giggled. Her laugh was so contagious, I laughed too. But when the humor died down, it was just us. Me and my best friend, like it was supposed to be.
“So,” I said, “does this mean you’ll be my girlfriend?”
Her cheeks heated, and she turned her eyes toward the floor, smiling. “I think so. And you’re my...”
“Boyfriend?” I finished.
Her grin grew wider, and she put her hands on her cheeks. “This is crazy.”
“Crazy enough it just might work.”
She put her hand in mine. “Let’s ditch this popsicle stand?”
“Are you quoting Spongebob?”
“Who else?”
This was why I loved her. I smiled. “Come on. I think it’s time for some ice cream.”
She squeezed my hand. “I love that idea.”
“And I love you.” I did. I always had.
Grace leaned her head against my arm, saying so much more with her actions than she could with words.
I still had that heady rush, you know, the one you get when all of your wildest dreams come true. But it was time for ice cream. And even though sharing dessert was a ridiculous idea, maybe we could share a spoon.
Grace navigated as I drove across town to Cold Stone. That place was her favorite, even though she always ordered the weirdest thing. Plain coffee ice cream. No toppings. Nothing. Seriously, that was the whole point of going there. And she didn’t even put her favorite candies in it. But I’d argued too much with her about it already, and after the Freshman Fallout, we agreed not to argue about ice cream again.
I ordered my usual, Chocolate Devotion with peanut butter, and we sat down at one of the little tables.
Side note: why are the tables in ice cream shops always small? And sticky? Do they not clean them? Ever?
Grace took a first spoonful of ice cream and closed her eyes in pure bliss. I loved that look. I wanted to be the one to put it there, every day of her life. I would order her ridiculous ice cream every day if that’s what it took.
But I was getting ahead of myself.
I took a bite of my own ice cream and held it in my mouth until the flavors melted into this perfect puddle of deliciousness on my tongue.
“Watcha thinkin’?” Grace asked.
I swallowed and smiled at her. “I think you’re cute.”
She smiled and turned her eyes down. Was she seriously going to do that every time I complimented her?
“What about you?” I asked.
“I think you’re sweet.” She said it like she was testing the words, seeing how they felt.
I didn’t know about her, but for me, the words felt amazing. Better than a chocolate peanut buttery ice cream puddle on my tongue.
“Thanks,” I said.
There was that silence again.
I didn’t know there would be so many silences as a couple. I hoped she knew she could still talk to me about stuff.
Wait.
Maybe that was something I should tell her.
“Hey Grace, you know you can still act like my friend, right?”
She turned her
spoon over in her hand and watched the ice cream drop back into her cup. “Yeah. I guess it’s just weird...you know? Three days ago, I thought I’d be breaking your heart right now.”
Ouch. But... “Three days ago, I thought you would be too.”
Her lips pursed and twisted to one side as she chewed on her cheek. “What happens if this doesn’t work out?”
“Why are you breaking up with me before we can even date?”
“I’m not,” she said, but her voice wavered. “I’m not,” she repeated, more firmly this time. “But the odds aren’t in our fava.”
She tried to lighten the moment with a quote from The Hunger Games, but that wasn’t really helping. Our relationship was starting to feel like a fight to the death. First getting her to acknowledge her feelings, and now keeping her.
“Grace,” I said, “I don’t know about you, but I’m in this for the long haul.”
Her lips trembled, and she stuck her spoon in her ice cream as she sighed. “What if I mess something up?”
I put my hand on her shoulder, rubbing a slow circle. “You’ve been my best friend for seven years. What could you do that you haven’t already done?”
She turned those big, dark eyes on me. “Fabio, I have something to tell you.”
Eighteen
Grace
“What is it?” Fabio asked.
Could I do this? Break his heart so soon after I’d given him mine? But I had to be honest with him. In less than thirty days, I’d be going back to China for a year, and he’d spend his first year of college at an out-of-state school without knowing anyone there.
“Fabio, I—”
The door to the ice cream shop banged open, and an entire t-ball team came running in, yelling, jumping around, being energetic little kids. At the worst possible moment.
Fabio’s eyes glanced over the crew. “Make you think of the kids from the orphanage?”
My heart panged, and I nodded. I missed them so much. I’d given Fabio my heart in that room, but I’d left a piece of it in China.
“Come on,” he said. “Let’s get out of here.”
I stood up with my now melted ice cream, dumped it in the trash, and followed him out the door. I’d tell him about my job soon, when the time was right. But now, I was getting in his car, and Lord knew he’d need my help finding the way back to our hotel room.
Once we made it, Fabio ordered a pizza and I found the Sci-fi channel on TV. Some film with aliens and bad CGI was on.
Perfection.
Fabio settled onto his bed, leaning back against the headboard. I found my spot, tucked into his side. We’d watched movies like this before, but now it felt different. We were in uncharted territory.
He put his arm around me and softly brushed his fingers over my shoulder. My stomach flip-flopped. I couldn’t tell if it was good and bad. Maybe some acidic mix of excited and terrified. Because I still had to tell him I was leaving. But I couldn’t. I wanted to have one night, one perfect night, with a guy who thought I hung the moon.
Somewhere between pizza and sci-fi movie three, Fabio fell asleep. Carefully, I untangled myself from his arms, and he barely moved.
From here, I could watch him. He slept with his mouth slightly parted. If it wouldn’t wake him up, I’d reach out and trace his lips with my fingertips. Would they be as soft as when he’d kissed me?
Ours had been my first kiss, but I couldn’t imagine one better. Fabio had turned out to be nothing that I’d expected, but everything I needed. Why hadn’t I thought how best friends and romance could be the perfect mix?
His left hand lay palm up, and I laced my fingers through his. Even though he was asleep, he grasped my hand back like he knew it was me. Warmth radiated from where our skin met throughout my entire body, like my heart had relocated to be closer to him.
I nestled back into his arms, pulled the blanket over us, and fell asleep, right next to my very best friend.
Only when I woke up the next morning did I realize what a mistake that had been.
Lying next to Fabio felt even better in the morning, his arm draped over my stomach, cocooning me in safety and warmth. His soft breaths tickled the base of my neck, cooling my exposed skin.
I’d slept better than I ever had, like I belonged there, in his arms, and I knew I’d never be the same again.
What had I been missing all the years I thought he was just my best friend?
Looking back, Fabio had never been just a friend. He’d been there—every homecoming, every prom, every Marvel release. We’d laughed, cried, dreamed together. Sure, he was my friend, but he was so much more. And I was about to lose all of that. No matter how amazing he thought I was, Fabio deserved better. That, I knew for certain.
Like he could sense me thinking about him, he stirred, stretching his free arm all the way overhead and making an exaggerated yawn.
“Morning,” I said, twisting in his arms so we were face to face.
He smiled at me, gazing through thick lashes and barely open eyes. “Morning, beautiful.” His voice was all husky and scratchy.
I couldn’t help but smile back. “How’d you sleep?”
He nestled his head further into the pillow. “Amazing. Can we just stay here forever?”
“I was about to ask you the same thing.”
He leaned forward and kissed my shoulder. “I’m game.”
But my bladder had other ideas. Eventually, I had to slip out of his arms and use the bathroom, get ready for our trip home. I needed to see my family, my friends. My other friends.
While I showered, Fabio got us breakfast, and I ate while he cleaned up in the bathroom.
Too soon, we were back on the road, heading to Oklahoma City. I navigated us out of Dallas, and Fabio relaxed once we got on I-35 North. It was a straight shot from here back home.
We only had about two hours left, and it was time to tell him what was going on.
“Hey, Fabio?” I said.
He squeezed my hand. “Yeah?”
“I—”
His phone started playing “Grandma Got Runover by a Reindeer.” His Grandma’s ringtone.
“Can I get it?” he asked. “It might be important.”
I nodded. “Yes, of course.” I knew he worried about their health, even though he didn’t say so. Hopefully they were alright.
“Hello?” he said into the phone. “Yeah, I think so. What’s up?...Have you plugged it in?...Tried unplugging it?”
For the next two hours, Fabio troubleshooted a DVD player that wouldn’t play for his grandma’s movie date with her friends.
It was hilarious. And unfortunate. When would I have a chance to tell him about China?
We had already passed the Oklahoma City limits when he confirmed the opening credits were playing on Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.
“Love you, Grandma. Yes, she said yes.” His grin got wide, and he looked at me. “I couldn’t be happier...Okay, talk to you soon.”
He hung up as we pulled into my neighborhood.
“So,” I said, “I’m Grandma-approved?”
“You have been since freshman year.”
“Prom?”
He nodded. “She thought it was cute that you brought a hostess gift to pick me up.”
My cheeks heated. “That’s all Cookie’s fault.”
He shrugged. “It worked, didn’t it?”
Yeah, it had. And I couldn’t complain. His family had become my own over the last few years. I missed them, missed my parents, Cookie, my sister.
He pulled into the driveway, and I couldn’t wait to see them.
We lugged all of my bags to the front porch, but I left them there, darting into the house instead. Cookie was yelling at a gameshow, just like Fabio’s grandpa did.
I ran up to her and took her in a big hug. “I missed you!”
Cookie hugged me back and started yelling, “Nuo’s home! Nuo’s back!”
My whole family imploded on the room like magnets, all drawn to me. Fabio s
tayed like he belonged, because he did.
“Fabio,” Mom said, “join us for tea?”
“I’d love to,” he said.
So there we were, all circled around the table, and suddenly, I felt whole again. I missed China, but I’d missed this too. More than I could put into words.
“It feels so good to have you home,” Mom said.
“Agreed,” Dad said. “Fabio, what are you going to do without Nuo when she’s in China next year?”
No. No, no, no.
Nineteen
Fabio
I rubbed my ears. I hadn’t heard that right. Had I?
“What?” I asked.
Her dad’s face went blank. “Oh, I...”
Grace looked from him to me, leaving me to put the pieces together.
Grace.
China.
Next year.
This puzzle didn’t fit together.
“Are you going for Christmas break or something?” I asked.
Grace shook her head. “Fabio, I’m sorry...”
I felt like I was on an exam table with her entire family watching my heart get torn to shreds. Why hadn’t she told me?
I pushed my chair back. “Thanks for the tea, Mrs. Chu. I think I need to go.” I stood up and turned to leave.
A scraping chair sounded behind me. Grace. I bet it was Grace. But I didn’t want her to come after me, to see the water stinging my eyes.
What about us? We had plans. We were going to college together. We’d planned to look at apartments soon. And now she was going to China? For how long? And now, who knew if what she said would even be the truth. Grace had never kept a secret from me before.
I went out the front door, past all her luggage sitting on the porch, and walked down the sidewalk toward my grandparents’ car.
“Fabio,” Grace called, “wait!”
I did. Because I had to. I couldn’t not.
“What?” I asked.
She came around me so she could face me, but I wiped my eyes and looked away. Humiliation. That was a good word for this.
“I was going to tell you,” she said.
“When?”
Fabio vs. the Friend Zone (The Pen Pal Romance Series) Page 8
