JEN
ALEX AND KAYLAhad returned from their honeymoon yesterday, and Kayla called to invite me to her house for lunch. Part of me couldn’t wait to see her; we usually didn’t go more than a couple days without talking, so I’d really missed her this past week. But I was worried Aiden told them he’d seen me kissing Tyler, and I wasn’t up to answering the subsequent inquisition that was sure to come. She never hid her belief that Tyler and I would make a good couple. I supposed I’d just have to keep her occupied with my own questions about her and Alex’s trip.
I hadn’t even put the car in park in her driveway when the front door opened, and Kayla flew down the front steps. I shut the car off and barely managed to get my body all the way out of the car when she slammed into me. We squealed like little girls as we swayed back and forth in our embrace.
“You look amazing, Kayla,” I exclaimed as we walked into the house. “I guess Alex let you out of bed long enough to get some sun, huh?” I winked at her.
“Only because my skills aren’t limited to the bedroom,” a deep voice drawled behind me.
I grinned at Alex while Kayla blushed furiously over her tan and elbowed her new husband in the ribs.
“Guess I shouldn’t look for bikini lines, huh?” I continued to tease her. Kayla rolled her eyes but didn’t deny anything. Alex had truly worked a miracle with my best friend’s self-confidence. Alex chuckled and drew me in for a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Good to see you, Jen. Thanks for stepping in and helping with Aiden when my folks had to go home.”
“Aw, you know I love the little squirt.” I shrugged and wondered once more what Aiden may have told them, seeing Kayla’s eyes brimming with questions.
She linked her arm through mine. “Come on, I think we’ve each got some catching up to do.”
Over a bottle of wine and light snacks, we spent the next hour curled up on the back deck chatting and giggling, while Kayla told me about the non-intimate details of her honeymoon. I listened patiently to how wonderful Alex was, truly thrilled she had found her happily ever after. And since I wasn’t likely to find my own anytime soon, I would live vicariously through her.
There’s always Tyler.I couldn’t think of him without feeling a funny pit in my stomach. And not just because of the way he could make my body respond to his touch, which was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. But it was also the way he seemed to understand me. It was as if he could see all the black and white emptiness inside and wanted to fill the void with the bright colors of laughter, playfulness, and excitement. I wanted that. But I was afraid of the cost. What would I have to give up to let him in?
“Jen? Earth to Jen . . .” Kayla’s voice broke into my thoughts. I glanced guiltily at her, knowing I had missed the last bit of conversation. “You were totally lost in thought there, my friend. Want to tell me what’s been going on withyouthis past week?”
“Oh, nothing new. You know,” I waved my hand, “work, workouts, and more work.” I avoided her gaze and took a long sip of my wine.
She fidgeted with the stem of her glass. I braced myself; I knew she was nervous about whatever she was about to say. “I know you spent the night with Tyler,” she finally blurted. She looked up at me from under hooded eyes.
Her blunt words made me choke. I hadn’t expected her to bethatblunt. I grabbed a napkin to catch the drips of wine that leaked from my mouth before I could swallow.Damn! Sometimes I miss shy Kayla. She would never call me out like this.A smug smile hovered around her mouth, and I knew she thought she’d been right about her matchmaking between Tyler and me.
Sitting up straighter, I tried to get her to back track her enthusiasm. “It isn’t exactly like you think, Kayla. It doesn’t mean anything. We just got caught up in the moment, one thing led to another. We spent the next day together to make sure we’re still friends and that nothing was weird between us.” My words practically ran together.Good job, Jen. Sound defensive. Like she won’t pick up on that!I tried to calm down. “That’s all.”
Kayla’s amused look quickly turned to anger. “You slept with him while he was supposed to be watching Aiden? What the hell, Jen?”
“Aiden? What are you talking about? He wasn’t there.” I slapped a hand across my mouth. Too late I realized she was talking about the night Tyler was sick.
Kayla almost came out of her chair. Her eyes grew huge. “Oh. My. God.” She poked her finger at my shoulder. “I was talking about the night Tyler was sick. Aiden told us he asked you to come over, and you were still there the next morning. You thought I was talking about a different time, didn’t you? You were with him more than one night! You slept with him, didn’t you? You had sex with Tyler,” she shrieked. I swear she was grinning from ear to ear.
I slapped a hand over her mouth. “Shhh, I don’t need everyone in the neighborhood to hear you,” I hissed.
She sat back in her chair, still beaming like the cat that swallowed a canary.
“Don’t make such a big deal out of it.”Cause I’m trying not to. “It’s not exactly like you’re thinking,” I began.
“So, you didn’t have sex with him? Because that’s exactly what I’m thinking.”
Oh, why can’t I just lie to my friend?Knowing there was little choice, I told her what happened the night of her reception and the morning after, leaving out the more embarrassing details. I played down my disappearing act to appear more like a normal coffee run.
Kayla listened without interrupting until I paused. “So after he found you the next morning, he asked to spend the day with you?” Although I could tell she tried to keep her tone neutral, I heard the hint of astonishment anyway.
I nodded. “We had a good time together.” I left out how the day ended. No need to get her upset with either of us. “Go ahead, Kayla. Say what you’re thinking.”
She tucked her feet underneath her on her chair and looked thoughtful. “Tell me how you ended up at Tyler’s a few nights later.”
I gave her the CliffsNotes version. “Aiden was worried, so I went over, made sure Tyler was okay and slept on the couch that night. The next morning, we ate breakfast, played around on the piano a bit, and I left.”
Kayla looked confused. “Tyler plays the piano?”
“Yeah. Go figure. He’s really good, too. Exceptional, actually. His mom was a concert pianist and taught him.”
